SECTION 23.51. Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) General Requirements

(a) Households assisted under the general set-aside must participate in a self-sufficiency program, as described in the Administrator's policies and procedures.

(b) The amount of assistance will be determined using the HUD Housing Choice Voucher method.

(c) A Household certifying to zero income must also complete a questionnaire that includes a series of questions regarding how basic hygiene, dietary, transportation, and other living needs are met.

(d) The minimum Household contribution toward gross monthly rent must be ten percent of the Household's adjusted monthly income. The maximum Household contribution toward gross monthly rent at initial occupancy is limited to 40 percent of the Household's gross monthly income.

(e) Activity funds are limited to:

(1) Rental subsidy: Each rental subsidy term is limited to no more than 24 months. Total lifetime assistance to a Household may not exceed 36 months cumulatively, except that a maximum of 24 additional months of assistance, for a total of 60 months cumulatively may be approved if:

(A) the Household has applied for a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, HUD Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration, or HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, and is placed on a waiting list during their TBRA participation tenure; and

(B) the Household has not been removed from the waiting list for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, HUD Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration, or HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program due to failure to respond to required notices or other ineligibility factors; and

(C) the Household has not been denied participation in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, HUD Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration, or HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program while they were being assisted with HOME TBRA; and

(D) the Household did not refuse to participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, HUD Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities, HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration, or HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program when a voucher was made available.

(2) Security deposit: no more than the amount equal to two month's rent for the unit.

(3) Utility deposit in conjunction with a TBRA rental subsidy.

(f) The payment standard is determined at the Date of Assistance. The payment standard utilized by the Administrator must be:

(1) For metropolitan counties and towns, the current U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Small Area Fair Market Rent for the Housing Choice Voucher Program;

(2) For nonmetropolitan counties and towns, the current HUD Fair Market Rent for the Housing Choice Voucher Program;

(3) For a HOME assisted unit, the current applicable HOME rent; or

(4) The Administrator may submit a written request to the Department for approval of a different payment standard. The request must be evidenced by a market study or documentation that the PHA serving the market area has adopted a different payment standard. An Administrator may request a Reasonable Accommodation as defined in Section 1.204 of this Title for a specific Household if the Household, because of a disability, requires the features of a specific unit, and units with such features are not available in the Service Area at the payment standard.

(g) Administrators must select the method under which funds for administrative costs and Activity soft costs may be reimbursed prior to execution of an RSP agreement or at Application for an award of funds. Administrators of an existing RSP Agreement may request an amendment to an existing Agreement in accordance with Section 23.1 of this Chapter. Applicants and Administrators may choose from one of the following options, and in any case funds for Administrative costs may be increased by an additional one percent of Direct Activity Costs if Match is provided in an amount equal to five percent or more of Direct Activity Costs:

(1) Funds for Administrative costs are limited to four percent of Direct Activity Costs, excluding Match funds, and Activity soft costs are limited to $1,200 per Household assisted. Activity soft costs may reimburse expenses for costs related to determining Household income eligibility, including recertification, and conducting Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections. All costs must be reasonable and customary for the Administrator's Service Area; or

(2) Funds for Administrative costs are limited to eight percent of Direct Activity Costs, excluding Match funds, and Administrator may not be reimbursed for Activity soft costs.

(h) Administrators must have a written agreement with Owner that the Owner will notify the Administrator within one month if a tenant moves out of an assisted unit prior to the lease end date.

(i) Administrator must not approve a unit if the owner is by consanguinity, affinity, or adoption the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister, or brother of any member of the assisted Household, unless the Administrator determines that approving the unit would provide Reasonable Accommodation for a Household member who is a Person with Disabilities. This restriction against Administrator approval of a unit only applies at the time the Household initially receives assistance under a Contract or Agreement, but does not apply to Administrator approval of a recertification with continued tenant-based assistance in the same unit.

(j) Administrators must maintain Written Policies and Procedures established for the HOME Program in accordance with Section 10.802 of this Title, except that where the terms Owner, Property, or Development are used Administrator or Program will be substituted, as applicable. Additionally, the procedures in subsection (l) of this section (relating to the Violence Against Women Act (if in conflict with the provisions in Section 10.802 of this Title)) will govern.

(k) Administrators serving a Household under a Reservation Agreement may not issue a Certificate of Eligibility to the Household prior to reserving funds for the Activity.

(l) Administrators are required to comply with regulations and procedures outlined in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and provide tenant protections as established in the Act.

(1) An Administrator of Tenant-Based Rental Assistance must provide all Applicants (at the time of admittance or denial) and Households (before termination from the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program or from the dwelling assisted by the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Coupon Contract) the Department's "Notice of Occupancy Rights under the Violence Against Women Act", (based on HUD form 5380) and also provide to Households "Certification of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking" (HUD form 5382) prior to execution of a Rental Coupon Contract and before termination of assistance from the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program or from the dwelling assisted by the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance coupon contract.

(2) Administrator must notify the Department within three days when tenant submits a Certification of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking and/or alternate documentation to Administrator and must submit a plan to Department for continuation or termination of assistance to affected Household members.

(3) Notwithstanding any restrictions on admission, occupancy, or terminations of occupancy or assistance, or any Federal, State or local law to the contrary, Administrator may "bifurcate" a rental coupon contract, or otherwise remove a Household member from a rental coupon contract, without regard to whether a Household member is a signatory, in order to evict, remove, terminate occupancy rights, or terminate assistance to any individual who is a recipient of TBRA and who engages in criminal acts of physical violence against family members or others. This action may be taken without terminating assistance to, or otherwise penalizing the person subject to the violence.

Source Note: The provisions of this §23.51 adopted to be effective November 26, 2020, 45 TexReg 8327