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THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN
APPLYING FOR HOUSING...
Don’t risk your chances for Federally
assisted housing by providing false,
incomplete, or inaccurate information
on your application and recertification
forms. There is certain information
you must provide when applying for
assisted housing. There are penalties
that apply if you knowingly omit
information or give false information.
Penalties For Committing Fraud The
United States Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) places
a high priority on preventing fraud.
If your application or recertification
forms contain false or incomplete
information, you may be:
- Evicted from your apartment
or house;
- Required to repay all overpaid
rental assistance you received.
- Fined up to $10,000.
- Imprisoned for up to 5 years.
- Prohibited from receiving
future assistance.
Asking Questions When you complete
your application for Housing programs
or any other required forms, you
should know what is expected of
you. If you do not understand any
part of a form, or a question on
the form, say so.
Completing the Application
When you give your answers
to application questions, you must
include the following information:
Income
All sources of money you and any
member of your family receive (wages,
welfare payments,alimony, social
security, pension, etc.);
Any money you receive on behalf
of your children (child support,
social security for children, etc.);
Income from assets (interest from
a savings account, credit union,
or certification of deposit; dividend
from stocks, etc.);
Earnings from second job or part
time job;
Any anticipated income (such as
a bonus or pay raise you expect
to receive.
Assets
All bank accounts, savings bonds,
certificates of deposit, stocks,
real estate, etc. that are owned
by you and any member of your famliy/household
who will be living with you. Any
business or asset you sold in the
last 2 years for less than its full
value, such as your home to your
children.
Family Members
The names of all the people (adults
and children) who will actually
be living with you, whether or not
they are related to you.
Admissions and Continued
Occupancy Policy
Use this
policy guide as a checklist
for evaluating your compliance
with HUD requirements, and for
making decisions about local
policies.
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Signing the Application
Do not sign any form unless you have read
it, understand it, and are sure everything
is complete and accurate.
When you sign application and certification
forms, you are claiming that they are complete
to the best of your knowledge and belief.
You are committing fraud if you sign a form
knowing that it contains false or misleading
information.
Information you give on your application
will be verified by your housing agency.
In addition, HUD may do computer matches
of the income you report with various Federal,
State or private agencies to verify that
it is correct.
Recertifications
You must provide updated information at
least once a year. Some programs require
that you report any changes in income or
family/household composition immediately.
Be sure to ask when you must recertify.
You must report on recertification forms:
All income changes, such as pay increases
or benefits, changes of job, loss of job,
loss of benefits, etc. for all adult family/household
members.
Any family/household member who has moved
in or out.
All assets that you or your family/household
members own and any asset that was sold
in the last 2 years for less that its full
value.
Beware of Fraud
You should be aware of the following fraud
schemes:
Do not pay any money to file an application.
Do not pay any money to move up on the waiting
list.
Do not pay for anything not covered by your
lease.
Get a receipt for any money you pay.
Get a written explanation if you are required
to pay an money other than rent (such as
maintenance charges).
Reporting Abuse
If you are aware of anyone who has falsified
an application, or if anyone tries to persuade
you to make false statements, report them
to the manager of your PHA. If you cannot
report to the manager, all the local HUD
Hotline at (202) 472-4200. This is not a
toll free number. You can also write to
the HUD Hotline, Room 8254, 451 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410
The Public Housing Office is Located
at:
995 Riverside Street Ventura, CA 93001
Phone: (805) 648-5008
Fax: (805) 643-7984
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