Information for Landlords Participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program: Immigration Status Verification Requirements
NAR has received questions from REALTORs® who are landlords participating in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program regarding HUD's recent announcement about immigration status verification. We want to clarify that private landlords who accept HCVs are not subject to this directive and are not responsible for verifying immigration status.
Key Points:
- Who is responsible for verifying immigration status of HCV households? Public housing agencies (PHAs) administering the voucher program are solely responsible for verifying the citizenship and immigration status of voucher holders. This has always been a PHA responsibility and remains so.
- What about "owners" mentioned in HUD's announcement? When HUD refers to "owners," the agency is referring to owners of project-based rental assistance properties who contract directly with HUD to provide assisted housing (such as Section 8 project-based properties, Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, etc.). This does not include private landlords who accept HCVs.
- What are your responsibilities as an HCV landlord? Your responsibilities remain unchanged. You continue to work with the PHA that administers vouchers in your area, and the PHA remains responsible for determining tenant eligibility, including citizenship and immigration status verification.
If you have specific questions about your participation in the HCV program, contact your local PHA. For general questions about HUD programs, NAR's Policy team is available to assist. Please reach out to Elayne Weiss at eweiss@nar.realtor.
Source: Elayne Weiss, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, Washington DC
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