HUD provides subsidized housing assistance programs for low-income individuals who meet HUD eligibility requirements. HUD subsidized housing programs meet our criteria for an income maintenance program.

We may disclose certain tax return and non-tax return information to HUD for their administration of subsidized housing programs. For further instructions about disclosures of tax return information without consent to HUD, see GN 03320.015.

SSA and HUD developed a centralized electronic data exchange program for benefit verification requests we receive from Public Housing Agencies (PHAs). This Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system covers HUD's two main programs, Housing Choice Voucher (HCV - formerly Section 8) and Public Housing.

EIV allows HUD's program administrators to access our Retirement Survivors Disability and Health Insurance and Supplement Security Income (SSI) benefit history information via an internet facility.

HUD instructions direct all PHAs:

• •

  to not refer rental assistance participants or applicants to local FOs,

• •

  to assist the applicants and participants with requesting a benefit verification letter from our website or by calling our toll free number at (800)-772-1213 to request a Proof of Income Letter, and to

• •

  use EIV for all recertifications of program participants.

Many private, non-HUD rental organizations do not participate in HUD's rental assistance programs and do not have access to the EIV system. A list of PHAs is available at the HUD PHA and low rent apartments list on the HUD website at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts. You may provide verifications to those third party organizations that do not have access to EIV. However, you must obtain proper consent in these situations. For information regarding consent requirements, see GN 03305.003.