HOTMA: An In-Depth Review of Programmatic Changes-Participant Guide

Participant Guide - HOTMA In Depth

Pdf Summary

This participant guide explains how to apply HUD’s HOTMA programmatic changes through six activities:

- <strong>Asset limits and property ownership rules:</strong> Determines when a household is ineligible because net assets exceed the threshold or because they own a suitable property, and tests exemptions such as disability-related accessibility barriers, vacancy, or sale status.
- <strong>Safe Harbor income verification:</strong> Reviews when income information from approved federal means-tested programs (like SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, WIC, EITC, and LIHTC) can be used to verify annual income, including requirements that the information be recent, third-party verified, include all household members, and show gross annual income.
- <strong>Net family assets and asset income:</strong> Teaches how to classify assets as necessary or non-necessary personal property, apply the asset threshold, include or exclude assets from net family assets, and calculate any actual income generated by those assets.
- <strong>Medical and disability deductions:</strong> Shows how to calculate allowable medical and attendant care deductions under HOTMA’s phased-in threshold changes, including hardship relief that temporarily lowers the threshold.
- <strong>Interim reexaminations:</strong> Explains when interim reexams are required based on changes in adjusted income, including the 10% rule, earned-income exceptions, timing near annual reexams, and how prior interim decreases affect later increases.
- <strong>Annual household income verification:</strong> Demonstrates how to use EIV and other verification methods to confirm wages, apply Social Security COLAs, assess whether reported income remains accurate, and calculate total annual household income for reexaminations.

The guide uses multiple household scenarios to practice applying these rules and making eligibility and income-calculation determinations under HOTMA.

Keywords

HOTMA

HUD

asset limits

income verification

safe harbor

net family assets

medical deductions

interim reexaminations

annual household income

eligibility rules