(a) General. The HTF program has income-targeting requirements. Therefore, the grantee must determine that each family occupying an HTF-assisted unit is income-eligible by determining the family’s annual income.

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(1) If a family is applying for or living in an HTF-assisted rental unit, and the unit is assisted under the public housing program, then a grantee must accept the public housing agency’s determination of the family’s annual income and adjusted income under §§ 5.609 and 5.611 of this title, respectively.

(2) If a family is applying for or living in an HTF-assisted rental unit, and the family is assisted under a Federal tenant-based rental assistance program (e.g., housing choice voucher program, HOME tenant based rental assistance, etc.), then a grantee must accept the rental assistance provider’s determination of the family’s annual income and adjusted income under the rules of that program.

(3) If a family is applying for or living in an HTF-assisted rental unit, and the unit is assisted with a Federal or State project-based rental subsidy program, then a grantee must accept the public housing agency, owner, or rental subsidy provider’s determination of the family’s annual income and adjusted income under the rules of that program.

(4) In all other cases, the grantee must calculate annual income in accordance with paragraphs (b) through (e) of this section.

(b) Definition of “annual income.” (1) When determining whether a family is income-eligible, the grantee must use one of the following two definitions of “annual income”:

(i) “Annual income” as defined at §§ 5.609 (a) and (b) of this title; or

(ii) “Adjusted gross income” as defined for purposes of reporting under the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040 series for individual Federal annual income tax purposes.

(2) The grantee may use only one definition of annual income for each HTF-assisted program (e.g., down payment assistance program) that it administers and only one definition for each rental housing project. For projects where either a family or unit is assisted under the public housing program, a Federal tenant-based rental assistance program (e.g., housing choice voucher program, HOME tenant-based rental assistance, etc.), or a Federal or State project-based rental subsidy program, the grantee must calculate annual income in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section so that only one definition of annual income is used in the project.

(c) Determining annual income—(1) Tenants in HTF-assisted housing. For families who are tenants in HTF-assisted housing, the grantee must initially determine annual income using the method in paragraph (d)(1) of this section. For subsequent income determinations during the period of affordability, the grantee may use any one of the methods described in paragraph (d) of this section, in accordance with § 93.302(e).

(2) HTF-assisted homebuyers. For families who are HTF-assisted homebuyers, the grantee must determine annual income using the method described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section.

(d) Required documentation for Annual Income calculations. (1) Examine at least 2 months of source documents evidencing annual income (e.g., wage statement, interest statement, unemployment compensation statement) for the family.

(2) Obtain from the family a written statement of the amount of the family’s annual income and family size, along with a certification that the information is complete and accurate. The certification must state that the family will provide source documents upon request.

(3) Obtain a written statement from the administrator of a government program under which the family receives benefits and which examines each year the annual income of the family. The statement must indicate the tenant’s family size and state the amount of the family’s annual income; or alternatively, the statement must indicate the current dollar limit for very low- or low-income families for the family size of the tenant and state that the tenant’s annual income does not exceed this limit.

(e) Determining family composition and projecting income. (1) The grantee must calculate the annual income of the family by projecting the prevailing rate of income of the family at the time the grantee determines that the family is income eligible. Annual income includes income from all persons in the household, except live-in aides, foster children, and foster adults. Income or asset enhancement derived from the HTF-assisted project shall not be considered in calculating annual income. Families may use the certification process in § 5.618 of this title to certify that their net family assets are below the threshold for imputing income used in § 5.609(a)(2) of this title. For families living in HTF-assisted rental housing units, any rental assistance provided to the family under a Federal tenant-based rental assistance program or any Federal or State project-based rental subsidy provided to the HTF rental housing unit shall not be counted as tenant income for purposes of determining annual income.

(2) The grantee is not required to re-examine the family’s income at the time the HTF assistance is provided, unless more than six months has elapsed since the grantee determined that the family qualified as income eligible.

(f) Adjusted Income. The HTF program does not require that adjusted income be used or calculated by HTF grantees. If a family or unit is assisted with public housing, Federal tenant-based rental assistance, (e.g., housing choice voucher program, HOME tenant-based rental assistance, etc.), or by a Federal or State project-based rental subsidy program, then a grantee must accept the determination of adjusted income made under the rules of that program in accordance with paragraphs (a)(1) through (3) of this section, as applicable.

[88 FR 9664, Feb. 14, 2023]