HCVP Family Obligations

Notice to All Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Participants

Effective October 2, 1995, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued revised Family Obligations for all current and future HCVP participants.  Failure to fulfill any of the following could lead to cancellation of your housing assistance.

AMHA HCVP Family Obligations

  1. The family must supply any information that the PHA or HUD determines is necessary in the administration of the program, including submission of required evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status (as provided by 24 CFR 982.551).  “Information” includes any requested certification, release or other documentation.
  2. The family must supply any information requested by the PHA or HUD for use in a regularly scheduled reexamination or interim reexamination of family income and composition in accordance with HUD requirements.
  3. The family must disclose and verify Social Security Numbers (as provided by 24 CFR 5.216) and must sign and submit consent forms for obtaining information in accordance with 24 CFR 5.230.
  4. All information supplied by the family must be true and complete.
  5. The family is responsible for a Housing Quality Standard breach caused by the family as described in 982.404(b).  Following are three types of breaches:
    • Failure to pay for any utilities for which family is responsible per the lease signed by the owner and the family.
    • Failure to maintain appliances for which the family is responsible per the lease signed by the owner and the family.
    • Failure to correct/have corrected/rectify tenant caused damages beyond “normal wear and tear”.
  6. The family must allow the PHA to inspect the unit at reasonable times and after reasonable notice.
  7. The family may not commit any serious or repeated violation of the lease.
  8. The family must notify the owner, at the same time, notify the PHA before the family moves out of the unit or terminates the lease upon notice to the owner.
  9. The family must promptly give the PHA a copy of any owner eviction notice.
  10. The family must use the assisted unit for residence by the family.  The unit must be the family’s only residence.
  11. The composition of the assisted family residing in the unit must be approved by the PHA. The family must promptly inform the PHA of the birth, adoption or court-awarded custody of a child.  The family must request, in writing, PHA approval to add any other family member as an occupant of the unit.
  12. The family must promptly notify the PHA if any family member no longer resides in the unit.
  13. If the PHA has given approval, a foster child or a live-in aide may reside in the unit.  If the family does not request approval or PHA approval is denied, the family may not allow a foster child or live in aide to reside with the assisted family.
  14. Members of the household may engage in legal profit making activities in the unit, but only if such activities are incidental to primary use of the unit for residence by members of the family.
  15. The family must not sublease or let the unit.
  16. The family must not assign the lease or transfer the unit.
  17. The family must supply any information or certification requested by the PHA to verify that the family is living in the unit or relating to family absence from the unit, including any PHA requested information or certification on the purposes of family absences.  The family must cooperate with the PHA for this purpose.
  18. The family must promptly notify the AMHA in writing of absence from the unit.
  19. The family must not own or have any interest in the unit.
  20. (A) The members of the family must not commit fraud, bribery or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with the Federal housing program.
    (B) The house members may not engage in drug-related criminal activity, violent criminal activity, other criminal activity that threatens the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents and persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises, or is subject to lifetime sex offender registration.  The members of the household must not abuse alcohol in a way that threatens the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents and persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises.  An assisted family, or members of the family, may not receive HCVP tenant-based assistance while receiving another housing subsidy, for the same unit or for a different unit, under any duplicative (as determined by HUD or in accordance with HUD requirements) Federal, State or local housing assistance program.
    (C) Any adult not included on the 50058 who has been in the unit more than fifteen (15) consecutive days, or a total of sixty (60) days in a 12-month period, will be considered to be living in the unit as an unauthorized household member.
    (D) Program participants must report all changes in income to the PHA between annual re-exams.  Households reporting zero income who subsequently obtain income will be required to report within 10 calendar days and recertify.

I have read and been given the opportunity to discuss HUD’s revised family obligation.  I understand that AMHA is authorized to cancel housing assistance to my family for failure to comply with the above mentioned Family Obligations.

Non-Waiver Acknowledgement

The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) and the Participant/Client, (collectively the Parties) acknowledge that participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program involves a mutual duty to comply with various Federal rules and regulations.  This includes but is not limited to annual re-certifications and inspections.

In order to prevent any interruption of the Participant’s receipt of current subsidy; to timely reflect changes in the Participant rent share; and to assure compliance with both federal regulation and state law, the Parties wish to proceed with recertification and/or inspection but agree that completing the recertification or inspection is not intended and shall not be considered to have waived that enforcement right, even in the event there is a pending HCVP enforcement action including proposed cancellation. 

Any breach of the terms of the Housing Choice Voucher Program occurring prior to the date of recertification or inspection shall remain a current and continuing breach of the tenancy subject to federal and state law limitations; shall not be extinguished or waived by AMHA’s processing of recertification or inspection; and may result in HCVP subsidy cancellation.