What Verification Involves

To receive housing assistance, applicants and tenants who are at least 18 years of age and each family head, spouse, or co-head regardless of age must provide the owner or management agent (O/A) or public housing agency (PHA) with certain information specified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

To make sure that the assistance is used properly, Federal laws require that the information you provide be verified. This information is verified in two ways:

1. HUD, O/As, and PHAs may verify the information you provide by checking with the records kept by certain public agencies (e.g., Social Security Administration (SSA), State agency that keeps wage and unemployment compensation claim information, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) database that stores wage, new hires, and unemployment compensation). HUD (only) may verify information covered in your tax returns from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You give your consent to the release of this information by signing form HUD-9887. Only HUD, O/As, and PHAs can receive information authorized by this form.

2. The O/A must verify the information that is used to determine your eligibility and the amount of rent you pay. You give your consent to the release of this information by signing the form HUD-9887, the form HUD-9887-A, and the individual verification and consent forms that apply to you. Federal laws limit the kinds of information the O/A can receive about you. The amount of income you receive helps to determine the amount of rent you will pay. The O/A will verify all of the sources of income that you report. There are certain allowances that reduce the income used in determining tenant rents.

   • Example: Mrs. Anderson is 62 years old. Her age qualifies her for a medical allowance. Her annual income will be adjusted because of this allowance. Because Mrs. Anderson’s medical expenses will help determine the amount of rent she pays, the O/A is required to verify any medical expenses that she reports.

   • Example: Mr. Harris does not qualify for the medical allowance because he is not at least 62 years of age and he is not handicapped or disabled. Because he is not eligible for the medical allowance, the amount of his medical expenses does not change the amount of rent he pays. Therefore, the O/A cannot ask Mr. Harris anything about his medical expenses and cannot verify with a third party about any medical expenses he has.