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Greetings Georgia Owners and Agents:

This year, National Housing Compliance has partnered with SAHMA and will be participating in SAHMA’s full day Add-On Course on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. Please join our staff, along with Gwen Volk of INFOCUS, Inc. for an informative session on the Basics of HUD Occupancy during the morning session – as presented by Gwen; and PBRA Basics (MOR preparation, Special Claims, Resident Concerns and Utility Allowance Baselining) during the afternoon session – as presented by NHC staff.

If you haven’t already registered for this exciting event, February 14-16, 2023, you can do so at https://www.sahma.org/georgia. [NOTE: Registration is required!]

We look forward to seeing you in just a few short weeks!

HUD provides the following guidance in, Paragraph 9-6 of the Handbook 4350.3:

When processing certifications with an effective date of January 1, February 1, March 1, and April 1, in order to complete the Recertification Steps outlined in Chapter 7, Figure 7-3, and provide the tenant with the required 30-day notice of any increase in rent, the owner must use one of the methods below for determining the tenant’s income.

1. Use the benefit information reported in EIV that does not include the COLA as third-party verification as long as the tenant confirms that the income data in EIV is what he/she is receiving;
2. Use the SSA benefit, award letter or Proof of Income Letter provided by the tenant that includes the COLA adjustment if the date of the letter is within 120 days from the date of receipt by the owner;
3. Determine the tenant’s income by applying the COLA increase percentage to the current verified benefit amount and document the tenant file with how the tenant’s income was determined ; or
4. Request third-party verification directly from SSA when the income in EIV does not agree with the income the tenant reports he/she is receiving.
5. All recertifications effective after April 1 must reflect the SSA benefit that includes the COLA.

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7 percent in 2023.

The 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits)

Read more about the Social Security Cost-of-Living adjustment for 2023.