(a) Written procedures. The Owner shall adopt written tenant selection procedures that ensure nondiscrimination in the selection of tenants and that are consistent with the purpose of improving housing opportunities for very low-income elderly persons and persons with disabilities (as applicable); and reasonably related to program eligibility and an applicant's ability to perform the obligations of the lease. Owners shall promptly inform in writing any rejected applicant of the grounds for any rejection. Additionally, Owners shall maintain a written, chronological waiting list showing the name, race, gender, ethnicity, and date of each person applying for the program.
(b) Application for admission. The Owner must accept applications for admission to the project in the form prescribed by HUD, and (under the Section 202 Program only) is obligated to confirm all information provided by applicant families on the application. Applicant households applying for assisted units (or residential spaces in a group home) must complete a certification of eligibility as part of the application for admission. Applicant households must meet the disclosure and verification requirements for Social Security Numbers, as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B. Applicant families must sign and submit consent forms for the obtaining of wage and claim information from State Wage Information Collection Agencies, as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B. Both the Owner and the applicant household must complete and sign the application for admission. On request, the Owner must furnish copies of all applications for admission to HUD.
(c) Determination of eligibility and selection of tenants.
(1) The Owner is responsible for determining whether applicants are eligible for admission and for the selection of households. To be eligible for admission, an applicant must be an elderly person or a person with disabilities, as applicable (as defined in §§ 891.205 and 891.305, respectively); must meet the disclosure and verification requirements for Social Security Numbers, as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B; must sign and submit consent forms for the obtaining of wage and claim information from State Wage Information Collection Agencies, as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B; and must be a very low-income family, as defined in § 891.105.
(2) Under the Section 811 Program:
(i) In order to be eligible for admission, the applicant must also meet any project occupancy requirements approved by HUD.
(ii) Owners shall make selections in a nondiscriminatory manner without regard to considerations such as race, religion, color, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. An Owner may, with the approval of the Secretary, limit occupancy within housing developed under this part 891 to persons with disabilities who have similar disabilities and require a similar set of supportive services in a supportive housing environment. However, the Owner must permit occupancy by any qualified person with a disability who could benefit from the housing and/or services provided regardless of the person's disability.
(d) Unit assignment. If the Owner determines that the household is eligible and is otherwise acceptable and units (or residential spaces in a group home) are available, the Owner will assign the household a unit or residential space in a group home. If the household will occupy an assisted unit, the Owner will assign the household a unit of the appropriate size in accordance with HUD's general occupancy guidelines. If no suitable unit (or residential space in a group home) is available, the Owner will place the household on a waiting list for the project and notify the household when a suitable unit or residential space may become available. If the waiting list is so long that the applicant would not be likely to be admitted for the next 12 months, the Owner may advise the applicant that no additional applications for admission are being considered for that reason.
(e) Ineligibility determination. If the Owner determines that an applicant is ineligible for admission or the Owner is not selecting the applicant for other reasons, the Owner will promptly notify the applicant in writing of the determination, the reasons for the determination, and the applicant's right to request a meeting to review the rejection, in accordance with HUD requirements. The review, if requested, may not be conducted by a member of the Owner's staff who made the initial decision to reject the applicant. The applicant may also exercise other rights (e.g., rights granted under Federal, State or local civil rights laws) if the applicant believes he or she is being discriminated against on a prohibited basis.
(f) Records. Records on applicants and approved eligible households, which provide racial, ethnic, gender and place of previous residency data required by HUD, must be retained for three years. See § 891.410(a).
(g) Reexamination of household family income and composition -
(1) Regular reexaminations. The Owner must reexamine the income and composition of the household at least every 12 months. Upon verification of the information, the Owner must make appropriate adjustments in the total tenant payment in accordance with part 813 of this chapter, as modified by § 891.105, and must determine whether the household's unit size is still appropriate. The Owner must adjust tenant payment and the project rental assistance payment, and must carry out any unit transfer in accordance with HUD standards. At the time of reexamination under paragraph (g)(1) of this section, the Owner must require the household to meet the disclosure and verification requirements for Social Security Numbers, as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B. For requirements regarding the signing and submitting of consent forms by families for obtaining of wage and claim information from State Wage Information Collection Agencies, see 24 CFR part 5, subpart B.
(2) Interim reexaminations. The household must comply with the provisions in its lease regarding interim reporting of changes in income. If the Owner receives information concerning a change in the household's income or other circumstances between regularly scheduled reexaminations, the Owner must consult with the household and make any adjustments determined to be appropriate. See 24 CFR part 5, subpart B for the requirements for the disclosure and verification of Social Security Number at interim reexaminations involving new household members. For requirements regarding the signing and submitting of consent forms by families for the obtaining of wage and claim information from State Wage Information Collection Agencies, see 24 CFR part 5, subpart B. Any change in the household's income or other circumstances that result in an adjustment in the total tenant payment, tenant payment, and project rental assistance payment must be verified.
(3) Continuation of project rental assistance payment.
(i) A household shall remain eligible for project rental assistance payment until the total tenant payment equals or exceeds the gross rent (or a pro rata share of the gross rent in a group home). The termination of subsidy eligibility will not affect the household's other rights under its lease. Project rental assistance payment may be resumed if, as a result of changes in income, rent or other relevant circumstances during the term of the PRAC, the household meets the income eligibility requirements of 24 CFR part 813 (as modified in § 891.105) and project rental assistance is available for the unit or residential space under the terms of the PRAC. The household will not be required to establish its eligibility for admission to the project under the remaining requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.
(ii) A household's eligibility for project rental assistance payment may be terminated in accordance with HUD requirements for such reasons as failure to submit requested verification information, including information related to disclosure and verification of Social Security Numbers, as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B or failure to sign and submit consent forms for the obtaining of wage and claim information from State Wage Information Collection Agencies (as provided by 24 CFR part 5, subpart B).
(4) Streamlined income determination. An owner may elect to follow the provisions of 24 CFR 5.657(d).
[61 FR 11956, Mar. 22, 1996, as amended at 65 FR 16724, Mar. 29, 2000; 81 FR 12371, Mar. 8, 2016]