HUD Handbook 4350.3: Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs

CHAPTER 2. CIVIL RIGHTS AND NONDISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENTS

HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 — Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs · 2026 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · United States

2-1	Introduction........................................................................................................2-1
2-2	Key Terms ..........................................................................................................2-2
SECTION 1: APPLICABLE LAWS ................................................................................2-3
2-3	Key Regulations and Statutes ..........................................................................2-3
2-4	General Provisions............................................................................................2-3

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2-5	Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968..............................2-4
	A. General 2-4
	B. Prohibited Actions 2-5
	C. Additional Protections for Persons with Disabilities 2-6
	D. Obligation to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing 2-6
	E. Fair Housing Poster 2-7
2-6	Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964..............................................................2-7
2-7	Age Discrimination Act of 1975 ........................................................................2-7
2-8	Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973..................................................2-8
2-9	Civil Rights Related Program Requirements ...................................................2-9
2-10	Title VI, Subtitle D of the Housing and Community Development
	Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13641)............................................................................2-9
2-11	Required Data and Record Keeping ...............................................................2-10
	A. Required Data 2-10
	B. Record-Keeping 2-10
2-12	Principles for Addressing Overlapping Federal, State, and Local
	Requirements...................................................................................................2-11
SECTION 2: NONDISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE FAIR
	HOUSING ACT .......................................................................................2-11
2-13	Key Regulation.................................................................................................2-11
2-14	General .............................................................................................................2-11
2-15	Unlawful Refusal to Rent or Negotiate for Rental..........................................2-12
2-16	Other Prohibited Rental Activities..................................................................2-12
2-17	Discrimination in the Representation of Available Dwellings.......................2-12
2-18	Discrimination in Terms, Conditions, Privileges, Services,
	and Facilities....................................................................................................2-13
2-19	Discrimination in Marketing, Statements, and Notices .................................2-14
2-20	Retaliatory Occupancy Practices, Coercion, Intimidation,
	and Interference...............................................................................................2-15
SECTION 3: ADDITIONAL NONDISCRIMINATION AND ACCESSIBILITY
	REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES .......................2-16
SUBSECTION 1: OVERVIEW AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS .............................2-16
2-21	Key Regulations...............................................................................................2-16
2-22	Introduction......................................................................................................2-16
2-23	Definition of Persons with Disabilities for Civil Rights Protections
	versus Program Eligibility Purposes..............................................................2-18
	A. Definitions with Respect to Civil Rights Protections 2-18
	B. Definitions for Program Eligibility Purposes 2-18
2-24	Applicability .....................................................................................................2-19

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2-25	Overview of Key Requirements ......................................................................2-19
	A. Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Requirements 2-19
	B. Projects with Multiple Contracts 2-20
	C. Allowable Methods of Compliance 2-20
	D. Prioritizing Methods 2-20
	E. Accessible Unit Requirements 2-20
2-26	Technical Resources.......................................................................................2-21
SUBSECTION 2: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENSURE
	NONDISCRIMINATION AND PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY ............2-22
2-27	Nondiscrimination in Owner Policies.............................................................2-22
2-28	Coordinating Efforts to Comply with Section 504 Requirements.................2-23
2-29	Communications with Persons with Disabilities ...........................................2-23
	A. Overview 2-23
	B. Providing Auxiliary Aids to Ensure Effective Communication with
	Hearing- and Speech-Impaired Individuals 2-24
	C. Written Communications 2-24
	D. Telecommunications 2-26
2-30	Information about Availability of Accessible Units .......................................2-26
2-31	Determining Eligibility of Applicants for Admission and Assistance ..........2-26
2-32	Assigning Accessible Units............................................................................2-28
	A. Applicability 2-28
	B. Eligibility for Accessible Units 2-29
	C. Order When Assigning Accessible Units 2-29
2-33	Moving Tenants Who Require Special Features into Accessible Units.......2-30
2-34	Owner Self-Evaluation.....................................................................................2-31
SUBSECTION 3: PHYSICAL ACCESSIBILITY...........................................................2-33
2-35	Owners’ Requirements for Providing Physical Accessibility.......................2-33
	A. General 2-33
	B. Federally Assisted Multifamily Properties Built After July 11, 1988 2-33
	C. Accessible Routes 2-33
	D. Common Use Facilities 2-34
	E. Physical Alterations to Existing Housing 2-34
2-36	Building Standards..........................................................................................2-35
2-37	Limitations on Owners’ Obligations to Make Their Housing Physically
	Accessible to Persons with Disabilities.........................................................2-36
SUBSECTION 4: REASONABLE ACCOMODATIONS...............................................2-36
2-38	General .............................................................................................................2-36
2-39	What Are Reasonable Accommodations? .....................................................2-37
2-40	Key Principles Regarding Reasonable Accommodations ............................2-37

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2-41	Reasonable Accommodations – Property Operations..................................2-38
2-42	Reasonable Accommodations – Physical Alterations ..................................2-38
2-43	Limits on Obligations to Provide Reasonable Accommodations.................2-39
2-44	Assistance Animals as a Reasonable Accommodation................................2-41
SUBSECTION 5: ADDITIONAL FAIR HOUSING ACT REQUIREMENTS...................2-42
2-45	Fair Housing Act Basic Accessibility Requirements.....................................2-42
2-46	Additional Fair Housing Act Requirement to Allow Tenant Modification
	of the Premises................................................................................................2-43
2-47	Owner and Tenant Responsibilities When Tenant Modifies Unit in
	Accordance with the Fair Housing Act...........................................................2-43
SECTION 4: HOUSING DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIANCE
	REVIEWS................................................................................................2-44
2-48	Housing Discrimination Complaints ..............................................................2-44
2-49	Compliance Reviews .......................................................................................2-44
CHAPTER	3. ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE AND OCCUPANCY
3-1	Introduction........................................................................................................3-1
3-2	Key Terms ..........................................................................................................3-2
SECTION 1: PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY ..........................................................................3-3
3-3	Key Regulations.................................................................................................3-3
	A. Income Limits 3-3
	B. Disclosure of Social Security Numbers 3-3
	C. Consent Forms 3-3
	D. Restrictions on Assistance to Noncitizens 3-3
	E. Restrictions on Eligibility of Students for Section 8 Assistance 3-3
	F. Mandatory Use of Enterprise Income Verification System 3-3
3-4	Eligibility Determinations – General.................................................................3-3
3-5	Key Program Eligibility Requirements .............................................................3-4
3-6	Income Limits.....................................................................................................3-4
	A. Income Eligibility 3-4
	B. Establishing Income Limits 3-5
	C. Timing of Income Eligibility Determinations 3-5
	D. Program Income Limits 3-5
	E. Income Limits and Family Size 3-8
	F. Determining the Applicable Income Limit and Eligibility
	for Assistance 3-11

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3-7	Exceptions to the Income Limits in Section 8 Projects.................................3-12	Exceptions to the Income Limits in Section 8 Projects.................................3-12	Exceptions to the Income Limits in Section 8 Projects.................................3-12
	A.	Post-1981 Universe	3-12
	B.	Pre-1981 Universe	3-12
	C.	Eligible In-Place Tenants (Exceptions to the income limits that
		do not require HUD approval)	3-12
	D.	Exceptions to the Income Limits for Post-1981 Section 8 Properties
		Requiring HUD Approval	3-12
	E.	Procedures for Requesting and Using Exceptions to the
		Very Low-Income Limit in Post-1981 Section 8 Properties	3-14
	F.	Exceptions to Section 8 Income Targeting Requirements	3-15
3-8	Admitting Over-Income Applicants ................................................................3-15
	A.	Section 8, Section 202/8, Section 202 PAC, and Section 202 PRAC
		and Section 811 PRAC Units	3-15
	B.	BMIR Units	3-16
	C.	Section 236, Rent Supplement, and RAP Units	3-16
	D.	Admission of Police Officers or Security Personnel in
		Section 8 Properties	3-17
3-9	Disclosure of Social Security Numbers .........................................................3-18
	A.	Key Requirements	3-18
	B.	Required Documentation	3-20
	C.	Provisions for Accepting Applicants without Documentation of
		Social Security Numbers	3-20
	D.	Circumstances When Tenants Must Provide SSNs	3-21
3-10	Residence Criteria ...........................................................................................3-22
	A.	Key Requirement	3-22
	B.	Sole Residence Requirement	3-22
	C.	Prohibition Against Double Subsidies	3-23
3-11	Consent and Verification Forms.....................................................................3-23
	A.	Key Requirements	3-23
	B.	Who Must Sign Consent and Verification Forms	3-24
	C.	Provisions for Refusal to Sign	3-24
3-12	Restriction on Assistance to Noncitizens......................................................3-25
	A.	Overview	3-25
	B.	Key Requirements	3-25
	C.	Administration of Restriction on Assistance to Noncitizen	3-26
	D.	Protection from Liability for Project Owners	3-26
	E.	Reviewing a Family’s Citizenship/Immigration Status	3-26
	F.	Applicability	3-27
	G.	Notification to Applicants	3-27
	H.	Owner Preparation to Collect Documentation of
		Citizenship/Immigration Status	3-28
	I.	Required Documentation of Citizenship/Immigration Status	3-28
	J.	Timeframes for Submitting Evidence of Citizenship/Immigration
		Status to the Owner	3-29
	K.	Prohibition Against Delay of Assistance	3-30
	L.	Verifying Information on Immigration Status	3-32
	M.	Appealing Determinations of Ineligibility	3-33

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	N. Mixed Families	3-33
	O. Continued Assistance	3-34
	P. Prorated Assistance	3-34
	Q. Temporary Deferral of Termination of Assistance	3-36
	R. Prohibition of Assistance to Noncitizen Students	3-39
3-13	Determining Eligibility of Students for Assistance .......................................3-40
	A. Eligibility of Students for Section 8 Assistance	3-40
	B. Eligibility of Students for Other Assistance Programs	3-42
SECTION 2: PROJECT ELIGIBILITY..........................................................................3-43
3-14	Key Regulations...............................................................................................3-43
	A. Eligibility for Admission to Section 8 Projects	3-43
	B. Eligibility for Admission to Individual Section 202, Section 202/8,
	Section 202 PAC, Section 202 PRAC, and Section 811 PRAC Projects 3-43
	C. Occupancy Standards	3-43
3-15	Program versus Project Eligibility..................................................................3-43
3-16	Determining the Eligibility of a Remaining Member of a
	Tenant Family...................................................................................................3-44
3-17	Definitions of Elderly and Disability Used to Determine
	Project Eligibility..............................................................................................3-45
3-18	Eligibility Requirements for Admission to Elderly Projects, by
	Program Type Covered by Title VI, Subtitle D of the Housing and
	Community Development Act of 1992............................................................3-52
	A. Owner-Adopted Preferences for Elderly, Disabled, Nonelderly
	Disabled, and Near-Elderly Disabled Families	3-52
	B. Owner-Adopted Elderly Restrictions in Certain Federally Assisted
	Housing Projects that were Designated to Serve the Elderly	3-57
3-19	Eligibility Requirements for Admission to Elderly Projects, by
	Program Type Not Covered by Title VI, Subtitle D of the Housing
	and Community Development Act of 1992.....................................................3-61
	A. Section 231 Projects with Section 8 (not covered by Section 651)
	and/or Rent Supplement Contracts	3-61
	B. Section 221(d)(3) with a Rent Supplement Contract	3-62
	C. Prepaid Projects with formerly HUD-Insured Mortgages Under
	Section 221, Section 231, Section 8 not covered by Title VI D or
	Property Disposition Set-Aside that does not Involve
	Substantial Rehabilitation	3-62
3-20	Eligibility for Admission to Individual Section 202, Section 202/8,
	Section 202 PAC, and Section 202 and Section 811 PRAC Projects............3-63
3-21	Applicants with Housing Choice Vouchers ...................................................3-65
	A. 100% of Units Receive Assistance under an Assistance Contract	3-66
	B. Partially Assisted Properties	3-66
	C. Section 236, Section 221(d)(3) BMIR, and Section 202 Units
	(without Assistance Contracts)	3-66
	D. Previously HUD-Owned Projects	3-67

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3-22	Eligibility of Single Persons............................................................................3-67	Eligibility of Single Persons............................................................................3-67	Eligibility of Single Persons............................................................................3-67
3-23	Occupancy Standards.....................................................................................3-68
	A.	Overview	3-68
	B.	Key Requirements	3-68
	C.	Timeframe for Applying Occupancy Standards	3-69
	D.	Prohibition of Occupancy Standards that Exclude Children	3-69
	E.	General Occupancy Standards	3-69
	F.	Assigning a Smaller Unit Than Required	3-71
	G.	Assigning Units Larger Than Required	3-71
	H.	Change in Family Size After Initial Occupancy	3-72
	I.	Change in Need for Accessible Features	3-74

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▸ Contents — HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 — Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs

HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 — Occupancy Requirements of Subsidized Multifamily Housing Programs