HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 5-12

A.     Key Requirements

                1.       Owners must verify all income, assets, expenses, deductions, family
                         characteristics, and circumstances that affect family eligibility or level of
                         assistance.

                2.       *Owners must use the EIV Income Report for third party verification of a
                         tenant’s employment and income at the time of recertification (annual and
                         interim) and to assist in reducing administrative and subsidy payment
                         errors.*

                3.       Applicants and adult family members must sign consent forms to
                         authorize the owner to collect information to verify eligibility, income,
                         assets, expenses, and deductions. Applicants and tenants who do not
                         sign required consent forms will not receive assistance.

                4.       *Household members must disclose and provide verification of their
                         complete and accurate SSN except for those individuals who do not
                         contend eligible immigration status, and tenants age 62 or older as of
                         January 31, 2010, whose initial determination of eligibility was begun
                         before January 31, 2010. See Paragraphs 3-9 and 3-31 for SSN
                         disclosure and verification requirements.*

                5.       The owner must handle any information obtained to verify eligibility or
                         income in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Figure 5-4: Privacy Act Notice

               The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is authorized to
               collect this information by the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et.
               seq.), by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d), and by the
               Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601-19). The Housing and Community
               Development Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 3543) requires applicants and participants
               to submit the social security number of each household member.

               Purpose: Your income and other information are being collected by HUD to
               determine your eligibility, the appropriate bedroom size, and the amount your
               family will pay toward rent and utilities.

               Other Uses: HUD uses your family income and other information to assist in
               managing and monitoring HUD-assisted housing programs, to protect the
               Government’s financial interest, and to verify the accuracy of the information
               you provide. This information may be released to appropriate federal, state, and
               local agencies, when relevant, and to civil, criminal, or regulatory investigators
               and prosecutors. However, the information will not be otherwise disclosed or
               released outside of HUD, except as permitted or required by law.

               Penalty: You must provide all of the information requested by the owner,
               including all social security numbers you, and all other household members,
               have and use. Giving the social security numbers of all household members is
               mandatory, and not providing the social security numbers will affect your
               eligibility. Failure to provide any of the requested information may result in a
               delay or rejection of your eligibility approval.

B.      Timeframe for Conducting Verifications

                 Owners conduct verifications at the following three times.

                 1.       Owners must verify income, assets, expenses, and deductions and all
                          eligibility requirements prior to move-in.

                 2.       Owners must verify each family’s income, assets, expenses, and
                          deductions as part of the annual recertification process. Refer to Chapter
                          7, Section 1 for information on annual recertifications.

                 3.       Owners must verify changes in income, allowances, or family
                          characteristics reported between annual recertifications. Refer to Chapter
                          7, Section 2 for information on interim recertifications.