Things You Should Know

Don't risk your chances for federally assisted Housing by providing false, incomplete, or inaccurate information on your application or 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.

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 have received

• Fined up to $10,000.00

• Imprisoned for up to 5 years

• Prohibited from receiving future assistance

When you complete your application/certification form you must include the following information:

Income

• All sources of money you or any members of your household receive (wages, welfare payments, alimony, socials 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 certificate of deposit: dividend from stock, etc.)
• Earnings from a 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, certificate of deposit, stocks, real estate, etc. that is owned by you and any adult member of your family's 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.
• The names of all of the people (adults and children) who will actually be living with you, whether or not they are related to you.

Signing The Application / Recertification Form

• Do not sign any form unless you have read it, understand it, and are sure everything is complete an accurate.
• When you sign the form 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 form will be verified by your housing agency. In addition, HUD may do computer matches of the income you report with various Federal State or a private agency to verify that it is correct.

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 housing authority. If that is not possible, then call the HUD Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Hotline at (800)347-3735 or write to HUD-OIG hotline, (GFI) 451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC. 20410.