HUD recently posted Notice H 2015-01 regarding program eligibility for HUD-assisted sites for all people regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. The notice’s intent is to increase program participants’ awareness of HUD’s Equal Access Rule for actual or perceived discrimination based on these characteristics.

Do you have households at your site that were eligible for housing assistance when they moved in but aren’t anymore? These are households whose income has increased enough that they’re no longer eligible for assistance because they can now afford to pay the gross rent. The HUD Handbook dictates specific steps you must take in this situation. By taking these simple steps, you can avoid doing any further recertifications for over-income households.

As an owner or manager of a HUD assisted site, you probably know that you must use one of HUD’s model leases for all your assisted residents. But are you certain which model lease applies to your site? Appendix 4 of HUD Handbook 4350.3 contains four different model leases. Which version you use depends on which program your site falls under.

Last month, we discussed renting units to police or security officers as a potential method of deterring crime at your site. Whether your site houses security officers or other types of live-in employees who enhance services provided to households, you need to be mindful of the safety of your household members. In most states and jurisdictions, owner responsibilities cover, at least to some degree, protection of their residents.

If you’re having problems with criminal activity or other undesirable conduct at or near your assisted site, you may want to house a police or security officer in one of your site’s units. The presence of a police or security officer may help deter crime at your site and help create a more pleasant and secure environment for your residents as a result. HUD lets you rent units to police or security officers even if they don’t meet the site’s incom...

HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) issued its final guidance on limited English proficiency (LEP) in 2007. The final guidance was based on an Executive Order signed by President Clinton in August 2000, later reaffirmed by President Bush with Executive Order 13166, and most recently affirmed by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in a February 2011 memorandum to federal agencies reaffirming the mandates of the previous executive orders.

By Carolyn E. Zezima, Esq.

The Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system is a web-based computer system implemented by HUD that owners have been required to use since January 2010. It contains employment and income information on individuals participating in HUD’s rental assistance programs. It derives data from HUD’s Multi-Family and Public Housing databases, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’) National Direc...

When applicants approach the top of the waiting list, you must meet with them to certify their eligibility for housing assistance. HUD requires managers to cover a long list of topics during the initial certification meeting. But site staff may be poorly prepared or may not cover all the required information. Also, site staff may not inform applicants about their responsibilities in the right way. As a result, you won’t get all the information you need to properly...

After years of having a closed waiting list, your site may find itself having enough vacancies to open waiting lists again. HUD allows a site to close waiting lists in the first place for one or more unit sizes when the average wait is excessive, such as one year or more [HUD Handbook 4350.3, par. 4-16(B)(1)(a)].