Income Calculations
February 17, 2014
Some of your households may have unreimbursed medical expenses that include travel expenses to and from treatment. And if any of these households are classified as elderly or disabled, HUD permits a medical expense deduction to be used to calculate their adjusted annual income. So be sure these...
Dos & Don'ts
February 17, 2014
HUD rules require you to give every applicant you reject an opportunity to appeal the rejection. A written rejection notice must include the specifically stated reason(s) for the rejection, notice of the applicant’s right to respond to the owner in writing or request a meeting within 14 days...
Dos & Don'ts
February 17, 2014
When determining and verifying household income, be sure to gather information from households about how much each member is expected to earn in tips over the next 12 months. HUD Handbook rules say you must count tips as part of household income [HUD Handbook, Exhibit 5-1].
In the News
February 17, 2014
On Feb. 4, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that, starting Oct. 1, 2014, it will no longer offer benefit verification letters at field offices. This announcement comes at a time when the SSA's budget has been significantly cut over the past three years.
In the News
February 17, 2014
HUD recently announced that the city of Hammond, Ind., and the Hammond Housing Authority (HHA) agreed to pay Maria Becerra, the former executive director of HHA, $200,000 to settle allegations that the city and HHA terminated her employment because she administered a HUD-funded rental assistance...
In the News
February 17, 2014
On Jan. 17, President Obama signed a $1.1 trillion bill to finance the U.S. government through Sept. 30. The FY 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3547) is an omnibus spending bill that packages several appropriation bills together in one larger bill. It sets the final appropriations levels...
Recent Court Rulings
February 17, 2014
Facts: A prospect with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher sued an owner for discrimination based on her status as a public assistance recipient in violation of the state's human rights act. The prospect found a listing for a three-bedroom unit with an advertised rent that was within the voucher...
Recent Court Rulings
February 17, 2014
Facts: When a police officer was dispatched to a resident's unit to investigate a noise complaint, the officer detected the odor of recently burnt marijuana emanating from the unit and observed smoke lingering in the air. Two of the resident's guests told the officer that they had smoked...
Recent Court Rulings
February 17, 2014
Facts: A 73-year-old Section 8 resident was served with a 10-day eviction notice. The notice claimed that the resident had violated a substantial obligation of her lease agreement by "exhibit[ing] a chronic and systematic propensity for paying [her] rent late each month, allow[ing] arrears to...
Recent Court Rulings
February 17, 2014
Facts: A Section 8 resident sued her local PHA and an employee for discrimination against her due to her race, religion, and an undisclosed learning disability. The basis of the lawsuit stemmed from a conversation the resident had with the employee. The resident didn’t say when the...
