D. Required Notice

The notice of denial or termination of assistance must advise the applicant family that:

1. The owner will deny or terminate rental assistance and give reasons for this action;

2. The family may be eligible for proration of assistance;

3. Tenants – but not applicants – may be eligible to obtain relief under the provisions for preservation of families (i.e., they may be eligible for a temporary deferral of denial of assistance).

4. The family has a right to request an appeal to the DHS of the results of secondary verification of immigration status and to submit additional documentation or a written explanation in support of the appeal;

5. The family has a right to request an informal hearing with the owner either upon completion of the DHS appeal or in lieu of the DHS appeal (the family can take advantage of two types of appeal); and

6. For applicants, the notice of denial must advise that if they have failed the primary and secondary verification and submitted an appeal to the DHS, but the DHS process has not been concluded, the applicant will receive assistance in a timely manner. (If the DHS decision is negative, the family’s assistance may then be terminated.) However, once the DHS appeal process is complete, and the family receives a negative decision on the DHS appeal, the owner may delay assistance while providing the family with an opportunity for an informal meeting to appeal the decision.

• E. DHS Appeal Process

  1. Submission of appeal request. When the owner receives notification from the DHS that secondary verification has failed to confirm eligible immigration status, the owner must notify the family of this result. The family has 30 days from the date of the owner's notification to request an appeal of the DHS results. The family must make the request in writing directly to the DHS and must provide the owner with a copy of the written request for appeal and proof of mailing.

  2. Documentation to be submitted as part of appeal to DHS. If the family has additional documentation or written explanation to support this appeal, the family must submit it directly to the DHS office. This material must include a copy of the DHS document verification request, Form DHS G-845S (used by the owner to process the secondary verification request), or any other form specified by the DHS, and a cover letter stating that the family is requesting an appeal of the DHS immigration status verification results. (See Exhibit 4-2, DHS Documentation Verification Request Form.)

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3. When decision will be issued by DHS. The DHS will issue a decision within 30 days of its receipt of documentation concerning the family's appeal of the verification of immigration status. The notice will be sent to the family, and a copy will be sent to the owner. If, for any reason, the DHS is unable to issue a decision within 30 days, the DHS will inform the family and owner of the reason for the delay.

n will be issued by DHS. The DHS will issue a decision within 30 days of its receipt of documentation concerning the family's appeal of the verification of immigration status. The notice will be sent to the family, and a copy will be sent to the owner. If, for any reason, the DHS is unable to issue a decision within 30 days, the DHS will inform the family and owner of the reason for the delay.

4. Notification of DHS decision and of informal hearing procedures. When the owner receives a copy of the DHS decision, the owner must notify the family of its right to request an informal hearing on the owner's ineligibility determination.

5. No delay, denial, reduction, or termination of assistance until completion of DHS appeal process. Until any appeal made to the DHS is resolved, owners must not delay, deny, reduce, or terminate assistance on the basis of immigration status.

6. When request for informal hearing is to be made. If the DHS decision will cause the applicant to be denied, or if the family chooses not to appeal to DHS, the family may request that the owner provide an informal hearing. The request for a hearing must be made either within 30 days of receiving the notice from the owner denying assistance, or within 30 days of receiving the DHS appeal decision.

7. Retention of documents. The owner must retain for a minimum of 5 years the following documents that may have been submitted to the owner by the family, or provided to the owner as part of the DHS appeal or the informal hearing process:

   • a. The application for financial assistance;

   • b. The form completed by the family for income re-examination;

   • c. Photocopies of any original documents (front and back), including original DHS documents;

   • d. The signed verification consent form;

   • e.

   • The DHS verification results;

• f. The request for an DHS appeal;

• g. The final DHS determination;

• h. The request for an informal hearing; and

• i. The final informal hearing decision.

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Exhibits

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