Authorization for the Release of Information/Privacy Act Notice
Authority: Section 904 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1988, as amended by Section 903 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 and Section 3003 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993.
This law is found at 42 U.S.C. 3544. This law requires that you sign a consent form authorizing: (1) HUD and the Housing Agency/Authority (HA) to request verification of salary and wages from current or previous employers; (2) HUD and the HA to request wage and unemployment compensation claim information from the state agency responsible for keeping that information; (3) HUD to request certain tax return information from the U.S. Social Security Administration and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The law also requires independent verification of income information. Therefore, HUD or the HA may request information from financial institutions to verify your eligibility and level of benefits.
Purpose: In signing this consent form, you are authorizing HUD and the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership (BRHP) to request income information from the sources listed on the form. HUD and the HA need this information to verify your household’s income, in order to ensure that you are eligible for assisted housing benefits and that these benefits are set at the correct level. HUD and the HA may participate in computer matching programs with these sources in order to verify your eligibility and level of benefits.
Uses of Information to be Obtained: HUD is required to protect the income information it obtains in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a. HUD may disclose information (other than tax return information) for certain routine uses, such as to other government agencies for law enforcement purposes, to Federal agencies for employment suitability purposes and to HAs or the purpose of determining housing assistance. BRHP is also required to protect the income information it obtains in accordance with any applicable State privacy law. HUD and BRHP employees may be subject to penalties for unauthorized disclosures or improper uses of the income information that is obtained based on the consent form. Private owners may not request or receive information authorized by this form.
Who Must Sign the Consent Form: Each member of your household who is 18 years of age or older must sign the consent form. Additional signatures must be obtained from new adult members joining the household or whenever members of the household become 18 years of age.
Persons who apply for or receive assistance under the following programs are required to sign this consent form:
PHA-owned rental public housing
Turnkey III Homeownership Opportunities
Mutual Help Homeownership Opportunity
Section 23 and 19(c) leased housing
Section 23 Housing Assistance Payments
HA-owned rental Indian housing
Section 8 Rental Certificate
Section 8 Rental Voucher
Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation
Failure to Sign Consent Form: Your failure to sign the consent form may result in the denial of eligibility or termination of assisted housing benefits, or both. Denial of eligibility or termination of benefits is subject to the HA’s grievance procedures and Section 8 informal hearing procedures.

Sources of Information To Be Obtained
State Wage Information Collection Agencies. (This consent is limited to wages and unemployment compensation I have received during period(s) within the last 5 years when I have received assisted housing benefits.) U.S. Social Security Administration (HUD only) (This consent is limited to the wage and self employment information and payments of retirement income as referenced at Section 6103(l)(7)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code.) U.S. Internal Revenue Service (HUD only) (This consent is limited to unearned income [i.e., interest and dividends].) Information may also be obtained directly from: (a) current and former employers concerning salary and wages and (b) financial institutions concerning unearned income (i.e., interest and dividends). I understand that income information obtained from these sources will be used to verify information that I provide in determining eligibility for assisted housing programs and the level of benefits. Therefore, this consent form only authorizes release directly from employers and financial institutions of information regarding any period(s) within the last 5 years when I have received assisted housing benefits.

Consent: I consent to allow HUD or the HA to request and obtain income information from the sources listed on this form for the purpose of verifying my eligibility and level of benefits under HUD’s assisted housing programs. I understand that HAs that receive income information under this consent form cannot use it to deny, reduce or terminate assistance without first independently verifying what the amount was, whether I actually had access to the funds and when the funds were received. In addition, I must be given an opportunity to contest those determinations. This consent form expires 15 months after signed.