PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 3/26/20 TO 4/28/20 – PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 27, 2020 AT 5:00PM – BY CONFERENCE CALL TO 1-(978) 990-5000 ACCESS CODE 802468

 All changes are highlighted

8-II.C. ANNUAL/BIENNIAL HQS INSPECTIONS [24 CFR 982.405 and 982.406; Notice PIH 2016-05]

Troy Housing Authority Policy

Each unit under HAP contract must be inspected within 12 24 months of the last full HQS inspection.

The PHA will not rely on alternative inspection standards.

 This change extends the need for inspections to within 24 months, as allowed by HUD, and is necessary to remain in compliance with scheduled inspections for inspections not occurring for a period in 2020 when scheduled inspections were placed on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 11-II.C. CHANGES AFFECTING INCOME OR EXPENSES

Required Reporting

HUD regulations give the PHA the freedom to determine the circumstances under which families will be required to report changes affecting income.

Troy Housing Authority Policy

• Families are required to report all increases in earned income, including new employment, in writing, within 10 business days of the date the change takes effect.

The PHA will conduct interim reexaminations when:

• Families that qualify for the earned income disallowance (EID), and only when the EID family’s share of rent will change as a result of the increase.
• Families claim zero-income or families receive less than $1,200.00 annually. These families must report all increases in income, and an interim reexamination will be conducted by the PHA.
• Families have an increase of more than $2,400.00 in earned income, annually.
• In all other cases, the PHA will note the information in the tenant file but will not conduct an interim reexamination.

Families are not required to report any other changes in income or expenses.

This change creates consistency between the first line of the policy and the third bullet. Prior to this change tenants were only required to report changes in earned income but the Housing Authority was required to conduct an Interim Reexamination for families with an increase of more than $2,400.00 in income from any source annually.  This change will not require an interim reexamination resulting in a rent increase for households receiving an increase in income from Unemployment, Social Services, Social Security or other sources; and will reduce the number of visits needed to the office, especially as a result of the current 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.  Note that households still have the option of reporting decreases in income, under Optional Reporting, that will result in an interim reexamination and a reduction of the tenant portion of the rent.

Download the Press Release: Proposed Changes – Administrative Plan