Home Rehab

Authorization for the Release of Information/Privacy Act Notice

to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Housing Agency/Authority (HA)

Authority: Section 904 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988, as amended by Section 903 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 and Section 3003 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. This law is found at 42 U.S.C. 3544.

This law requires that you sign a consent form authorizing: (1) HUD and the Housing Agency/Authority (HA) to request verifi-cation of salary and wages from current or previous employers; (2) HUD and the HA to request wage and unemployment compensa-tion claim information from the state agency responsible for keeping that information; (3) HUD to request certain tax return information from the U.S. Social Security Administration and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The law also requires independent verification of income information. Therefore, HUD or the HA may request information from financial institutions to verify your eligibility and level of benefits.

Purpose: In signing this consent form, you are authorizing HUD and the above-named HA to request income information from the sources listed on the form. HUD and the HA need this information to verify your household’s income, in order to ensure that you are eligible for assisted housing benefits and that these benefits are set at the correct level. HUD and the HA may participate in computer matching programs with these sources in order to verify your eligibility and level of benefits.

Uses of Information to be Obtained: HUD is required to protect the income information it obtains in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a. HUD may disclose information (other than tax return information) for certain routine uses, such as to other government agencies for law enforcement purposes, to Federal agencies for employment suitability purposes and to HAs for the purpose of determining housing assistance. The HA is also required to protect the income information it obtains in accordance with any applicable State privacy law. HUD and HA employees may be subject to penalties for unauthorized disclosures or im-proper uses of the income information that is obtained based on the consent form. Private owners may not request or receive information authorized by this form.

Who Must Sign the Consent Form: Each member of your household who is 18 years of age or older must sign the consent form. Additional signatures must be obtained from new adult members joining the household or whenever members of the household become 18 years of age.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Public and Indian Housing

Persons who apply for or receive assistance under the following programs are required to sign this consent form:

• PHA-owned rental public housing
• Turnkey III Homeownership Opportunities
• Mutual Help Homeownership Opportunity
• Section 23 and 19(c) leased housing
• Section 23 Housing Assistance Payments
• HA-owned rental Indian housing
• Section 8 Rental Certificate
• Section 8 Rental Voucher
• Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation

Failure to Sign Consent Form: Your failure to sign the consent form may result in the denial of eligibility or termination of assisted housing benefits, or both. Denial of eligibility or termi-nation of benefits is subject to the HA’s grievance procedures and Section 8 informal hearing procedures.

Sources of Information To Be Obtained

State Wage Information Collection Agencies. (This consent is limited to wages and unemployment compensation I have re-ceived during period(s) within the last 5 years when I have received assisted housing benefits.)

U.S. Social Security Administration (HUD only) (This consent is limited to the wage and self employment information and pay-ments of retirement income as referenced at Section 6103(l)(7)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code.)

U.S. Internal Revenue Service (HUD only) (This consent is limited to unearned income [i.e., interest and dividends].)

Information may also be obtained directly from: (a) current and former employers concerning salary and wages and (b) financial institutions concerning unearned income (i.e., interest and divi-dends). I understand that income information obtained from these sources will be used to verify information that I provide in determining eligibility for assisted housing programs and the level of benefits. Therefore, this consent form only authorizes release directly from employers and financial institutions of information regarding any period(s) within the last 5 years when I have received assisted housing benefits.