§4233 Lease requirements and tenant selection

Summary

Leases for affordable housing paid for with these federal grants must be fair and clear. They cannot have unreasonable terms. They must require the owner or manager to keep the property up to housing codes and quality standards. They must give tenants written notice before ending a lease, using the notice period required by state or local law. If a tenant faces eviction or lease termination, the tenant must be told they can look at any documents or rules related to the case before any hearing or trial. A tenant can only be removed during the lease for serious or repeated lease violations, breaking the law, or other good cause. Tenants can be removed for behavior by them, household members, or guests that harms others’ health or safety, stops others from peacefully enjoying the property or nearby homes, or involves criminal activity (including drug crimes) on or off the property. To get these grant funds, the program director must use written rules for picking tenants and homebuyers. Those rules must aim to serve low-income families, be tied to who is eligible and who can meet the lease, pick people from a written waiting list according to the approved housing plan, and quickly tell rejected applicants in writing why they were turned down.