A valid housing permit authorizing tenants to apply for social housing ("Wohnberechtigungsschein") is required. The permit remains valid anywhere in North-Rhine Westphalia for one year from the date of issue and contains details about the number of individuals and rooms or size of the apartment that can be allocated in relation to the permit.
Applications for tenancy are decided after a multi-stage examination procedure. Families with children and applicants with special needs for barrier-free living are rated higher. Preference is also given to people already living in Monheim am Rhein or who work here. Special attention is given to particular social emergencies to the benefit of people who have lost their home through no fault of their own and urgently need new accommodation, or women from women's refuges. Unborn babies are counted as another person in the household of expectant mothers.
