§ 574.310 - General standards for eligible housing activities.

§ 574.310 General standards for eligible housing activities.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 9665, Feb. 14, 2023.

All grantees using grant funds to provide housing must adhere to the following standards:

(a)

(1) General. The grantee shall ensure that qualified service providers in the area make available appropriate supportive services to the individuals assisted with housing under this subpart. Supportive services are described in § 574.300(b)(7). For any individual with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or a related disease who requires more intensive care than can be provided in housing assisted under this subpart, the grantee shall provide for locating a care provider who can appropriately care for the individual and for referring the individual to the care provider.

(2) Payments. The grantee shall ensure that grant funds will not be used to make payments for health services for any item or service to the extent that payment has been made, or can reasonably be expected to be made, with respect to that item or service:

(i) Under any State compensation program, under an insurance policy, or under any Federal or State health benefits program; or

(ii) By an entity that provides health services on a prepaid basis.

(b)

(b) Housing quality standards. The following standards apply for all housing for which HOPWA funds are used under § 574.300(b)(3), (4), (5), and (8).

(1) State and local requirements. Each recipient of assistance under this part must provide safe and sanitary housing that is in compliance with all applicable State and local housing codes, licensing requirements, and any other requirements in the jurisdiction in which the housing is located regarding the condition of the structure and the operation of the housing.

(2) HUD housing standards. Except for such variations as are proposed by the grantee and approved by HUD, the housing must meet the standards for HUD housing in 24 CFR 5.703, except that:

(i) As applied to HOPWA, “HUD housing” in 24 CFR 5.703 means the units eligible persons occupy or will occupy, systems equipment that directly services those units, items and components within the primary and secondary means of egress from those units' doors to the public way, and common features related to the residential use of the building (e.g., the laundry room, community room, mail room).

(ii) Housing that continues to meet the HOPWA housing quality standards that applied when the eligible person(s) moved into that housing shall not be required to meet new or different standards under 24 CFR 5.703.

(3) The requirements of 24 CFR 5.705 through 5.713 do not apply.

(c) Minimum use period for structures.

(1) Any building or structure assisted with amounts under this part must be maintained as a facility to provide housing or assistance for individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or related diseases:

(i) For a period of not less than 10 years, in the case of assistance provided under an activity eligible under § 574.300(b) (3) and (4) involving new construction, substantial rehabilitation or acquisition of a building or structure; or

(ii) For a period of not less than 3 years in the cases involving non-substantial rehabilitation or repair of a building or structure.

(2) Waiver of minimum use period. HUD may waive the minimum use period of a building or structure as stipulated in paragraph (c)(1) of this section if the grantee can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of HUD, that:

(i) The assisted structure is no longer needed to provide supported housing or assistance, or the continued operation of the structure for such purposes is no longer feasible; and

(ii) The structure will be used to benefit individuals or families whose incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by HUD with adjustments for smaller and larger families, if the Secretary finds that such variations are necessary because of construction costs or unusually high or low family incomes.

(d) Resident rent payment. Except for persons in short-term supported housing, each person receiving rental assistance under this program or residing in any rental housing assisted under this program must pay as rent, including utilities, an amount which is the higher of:

(1) 30 percent of the family's monthly adjusted income (adjustment factors include the age of the individual, medical expenses, size of family and child care expenses and are described in detail in 24 CFR 5.609). The calculation of the family's monthly adjusted income must include the expense deductions provided in 24 CFR 5.611(a), and for eligible persons, the calculation of monthly adjusted income also must ;

(2) Ten percent of the family's monthly income; or

(3) If the family is receiving payments for welfare assistance from a public agency and a part of the payments, adjusted in accordance with the family's actual housing costs, is specifically designated by the agency to meet the family's housing costs, the portion of the payment that is designated for housing costs.

(e) Calculating income to determine resident rent payment —

(1) In general. When determining resident rent payments, the family's monthly income and monthly adjusted income must be calculated as provided by §§ 5.609 and 5.611 of this title, respectively, except that:

(i) As with the references to “grantee” and “grantees” in paragraphs (e), (f), and (h) of this section, the references to “PHA” and “responsible entity” in §§ 5.609 and 5.611 of this title refer to the “grantee” or “project sponsor” that is determining income;

(ii) References in § 5.609(c) of this title to an interim reexamination of family income under §§ 5.657(c), 960.257(b), or 982.516(c) of this title refer to an interim reexamination provided under paragraph (e)(4) of this section;

(iii) References in § 5.609(c) of this title to a streamlined income determination under §§ 5.657(d), 960.257(c), or 982.516(b) of this title refer to a streamlined income determination provided under paragraph (e)(5) of this section;

(iv) Section 5.611(b) of this title does not apply;

(v) The grantee may choose to grant financial hardship exemptions in accordance with the process described in §§ 5.611(c) through (e);

(vi) During the period that § 5.617 of this title remains in effect, the calculation of monthly adjusted income must also include the disallowance of earned income as provided

in 24 CFR

by § 5.617

, if applicable; (2) 10

of this title.

(2) Annual reexaminations. For purposes of determining resident rent payments, grantees will conduct a reexamination and redetermination of family income and family composition every year.

(3) Third-party verification.

(i) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this section, the grantee must obtain and document in the tenant file third-party verification of the following factors, or must document in the tenant file why third-party verification was not available:

(A) Reported family annual income;

(B) The value of assets;

(C) Expenses related to deductions from annual income; and

(D) Other factors that affect the determination of adjusted income.

(ii) For a family with net family assets (as the term is defined in paragraph (f) of this section) equal to or less than $50,000, which amount will be adjusted annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Worker, the grantee may accept, for purposes of recertification of income, a family's declaration under § 5.618(b) of this title, except that the grantee must obtain third-party verification of all family assets every 3 years.

(iii) The grantee must establish procedures that are appropriate and necessary to require that income data provided by applicant or participant families is complete and accurate.

(4) Interim reexaminations —

(i) Generally. A family may request an interim reexamination of family income or composition because of any changes since the last determination. The grantee must make any interim reexamination within a reasonable period of time after the family's request or when the grantee becomes aware of an increase in family adjusted income under paragraph (e)(4)(iii) of this section. What qualifies as a “reasonable time” may vary based on the amount of time it takes to verify information, but generally should not exceed 30 days from the date a family reports changes in income to a grantee.

(ii) Decreases in the family's annual adjusted income. Grantees may decline to conduct an interim reexamination of family income if the grantee estimates that the family's adjusted income will decrease by an amount that is less than ten percent of the family's

monthly gross income; or

(3) If the family is receiving payments for welfare assistance from a public agency and a part of the payments, adjusted in accordance with the family's actual housing costs, is specifically designated by the agency to meet the family's housing costs, the portion of the payment that is designated for housing costs.

(e)

annual adjusted income (or a lower amount established by HUD through notice), or a lower threshold established by the grantee.

(iii) Increases in the family's annual adjusted income. Grantees must conduct the interim reexamination of family income when the grantee becomes aware that the family's adjusted income has changed by an amount that the grantee estimates will result in an increase of ten percent or more in annual adjusted income or such other amount established by HUD through notice, except:

(A) The grantee may not consider any increase in the earned income of the family when estimating or calculating whether the family's adjusted income has increased unless the family has previously received an interim reduction under paragraph (e)(4)(i) of this section during the certification period; and

(B) The grantee may choose not to conduct an interim reexamination in the last three months of a certification period.

(iv) Policies on reporting changes in family income or composition. The grantee must adopt policies consistent with this section prescribing when and under what conditions the family must report a change in family income or composition.

(v) Effective date of rent changes.

(A) If the family has reported a change in family income or composition in a timely manner according to the grantee's policies, the grantee must provide the family with 30 days advance notice of any rent increase, and such rent increase will be effective the first day of the month beginning after the end of that 30-day period. Rent decreases will be effective on the first day of the first month after the date of the actual change leading to the interim reexamination of family income.

(B) If the family has failed to report a change in family income or composition in a timely manner according to the grantee's policies, grantees must implement any resulting rent increases retroactively to the first of the month following the date of the change leading to the interim reexamination of family income. Any resulting rent decrease must be implemented no later than the first rent period following completion of the reexamination. However, rent decreases may be applied retroactively at the discretion of the grantee, in accordance with the grantee's conditions as established in written policy, and subject to paragraph (e)(4)(v)(C) of this section.

(C) A retroactive rent decrease may not be applied by the grantee prior to the later of the first of the month following:

(1) The date of the change leading to the interim reexamination of family income; or

(2) The effective date of the family's most recent previous interim or annual reexamination (or initial examination if that was the family's last examination).

(5) Streamlined income determinations —

(i) Generally. A grantee may elect to apply a streamlined income determination to families receiving fixed income as described in paragraph (e)(5)(iii) of this section.

(ii) Definition of fixed income. For purposes of this section, “fixed income” means periodic payments at reasonably predictable levels from one or more of the following sources:

(A) Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Disability Insurance.

(B) Federal, state, local, or private pension plans.

(C) Annuities or other retirement benefit programs, insurance policies, disability or death benefits, or other similar types of periodic receipts.

(D) Any other source of income subject to adjustment by a verifiable Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) or current rate of interest.

(iii) Method of streamlined income determination. Grantees using the streamlined income determination must adjust a family's income according to the percentage of a family's unadjusted income that is from fixed income.

(A) When 90 percent or more of a family's unadjusted income consists of fixed income, grantees using streamlined income determinations must apply a COLA or COLAs to the family's fixed-income sources, provided that the family certifies both that 90 percent or more of their unadjusted income is fixed income and that their sources of fixed income have not changed from the previous year. For non-fixed income, grantees may choose, but are not required, to make appropriate adjustments pursuant to paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(B) When less than 90 percent of a family's unadjusted income consists of fixed income, grantees using streamlined income determinations must apply a COLA to each of the family's sources of fixed income. Grantees must determine all other income pursuant to paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(iv) COLA rate applied by grantees. Grantees using streamlined income determinations must adjust a family's fixed income using a COLA or current interest rate that applies to each specific source of fixed income and is available from a public source or through tenant-provided, third-party-generated documentation. If no public verification or tenant-provided documentation is available, then the grantee must obtain third-party verification of the income amounts in order to calculate the change in income for the source.

(v) Triennial verification. For any income determined pursuant to a streamlined income determination, a grantee must obtain third-party verification of all income amounts every 3 years.

(f) Net family assets and restriction on assistance to families based on assets. The “net family assets” definition in § 5.603 of this section applies for purposes of calculating resident rent payments under this section and applying the asset-based restrictions in §§ 5.618(a) through (d) this title. The “net family assets” definition in § 5.603 of this section may also apply where a grantee elects to apply § 5.609 of this title alone or in combination with § 5.611(a) of this title for other purposes under this part; however, the value of real property a family owns and occupies as its primary residence must be excluded from the calculation of “net family assets” for purposes of assistance for which homeowners are eligible under this part. The asset-based restrictions in §§ 5.618(a) through (d) of this title apply only to housing activities subject to the resident rent payment requirements in this section. References to “PHA” in §§ 5.618(a) through (d) of this title refer to the grantee or project sponsor that is determining the asset-based restrictions.

(g) Termination of assistance —

(1) Surviving family members. With respect to the surviving member or members of a family who were living in a unit assisted under the HOPWA program with the person with AIDS at the time of his or her death, housing assistance and supportive services under the HOPWA program shall continue for a grace period following the death of the person with AIDS. The grantee or project sponsor shall establish a reasonable grace period for continued participation by a surviving family member, but that period may not exceed one year from the death of the family member with AIDS. The grantee or project sponsor shall notify the family of the duration of their grace period and may assist the family with information on other available housing programs and with moving expenses.

(2) Violation of requirements —

(i) Basis. Assistance to participants who reside in housing programs assisted under this part may be terminated if the participant violates program requirements or conditions of occupancy, subject to the VAWA protections in 24 CFR 5.2005(b) and 24 CFR 5.2005(c). Grantees must ensure that supportive services are provided, so that a participant's assistance is terminated only in the most severe cases.

(ii) Procedure. In terminating assistance to any program participant for violation of requirements, grantees must provide a formal process that recognizes the rights of individuals receiving assistance to due process of law. This process at minimum, must consist of:

(A) Serving the participant with a written notice containing a clear statement of the reasons for termination;

(B) Permitting the participant to have a review of the decision, in which the participant is given the opportunity to confront opposing witnesses, present written objections, and be represented by their own counsel, before a person other than the person (or a subordinate of that person) who made or approved the termination decision; and

(C) Providing prompt written notification of the final decision to the participant.

(h) De minimis errors. The grantee will not be considered out of compliance with the requirements in paragraphs (e)(2), (e)(4), or (e)(5) of this section due solely to de minimis errors in calculating family income but is still obligated to correct errors once the grantee becomes aware of the errors. A de minimis error is an error where the grantee's determination of family income varies from the correct income determination by no more than $30 per month in monthly adjusted income ($360 in annual adjusted income) per family.

(1) The grantee must take any corrective action necessary to credit or repay a family if the family has been overcharged for their resident rent payment as a result of the de minimis error in the income determination. Families will not be required to repay the grantee in instances where the grantee has miscalculated income resulting in a family being undercharged for their resident rent payment.

(2) HUD may revise the amount of de minimis error in this paragraph (h) through a rulemaking published in the Federal Register for public comment.

(Paragraph (c) approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2506–0133)

[57 FR 61740, Dec. 28, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 17200, Apr. 11, 1994; 61 FR 7963, Feb. 29, 1996; 66 FR 6225, Jan. 19, 2001; 81 FR 80806, Nov. 16, 2016; 88 FR 30498, May 11, 2023; 88 FR 9665, Feb. 14, 2023]