My family lives in low income/public housing, will they become homeless because of me?

Do the rules say you can’t live there as an adult?

From what I understand (having worked for the Section 8 program in my County), adult children can live with their parents, but the income from all members of the household has to be counted (added in) to the rent calculation.

If you did move out, they would still be eligible for low income housing but they might have to move to a different unit with less bedrooms. The number of bedrooms they get depends on the household size.

The administration will know you moved out because your family is required by the rules of the program to report any chances in household size and household income. If they don’t report it, usually within 30 days according to the rules, they are breaking the rules and will be at risk of losing their housing benefit, and they can (not will but can) be evicted.

@jca2 I can live there as an adult but I’m moving out so I’m afraid that there won’t be a smaller place and my family will be kicked out. I have been living away for 2 years now as I was in college but then I dropped out.

I’m not sure how they would know that I don’t live at home though.

@stressedoutiguess As I said, your family is required to inform the administrators of the housing program that you moved out. That’s how they would know that you don’t live at home.

They won’t be kicked out but t hey may have to move to a smaller unit when one becomes available.

@jca2 yes but if she didn’t inform them, I mean then how would they know?

This legal question really wants a lawyer or other expert in whatever laws or rules you are involved with.

I’m only a paralegal – Not a lawyer.

But based on what I know about Federal housing law and HUD regulations, I think @jca2 is correct. Your move out may result in your parents eventually being transfered to a smaller unit, if they qualified for their current apartment or home based soley on household size :

“As per 4350.3 Chapter 3–23 (H), the owner may require the family to move to a unit of appropriate size. If a unit of appropriate size is not available, the owner must not evict the family and must not increase the family’s rent to the market rent.”
https://www.hudexchange.info/faqs/programs/811-project-rental-assistance-pra/program-requirements/leases-and-occupancy/what-happens-when-a-tenants-household-size-changes-and-they-are-no-longer/

BUT – Knowingly witholding information from a local housing authority could result in penalties, possibly including disqualification of any Sec 8 voucher. You shouldn’t consider this legal advice, but my personal feeling is it’s not worth the risk.

Yes. I’m not going to assist you in defrauding the government. HUD will assess the new needs of the family who will be living in the unit.

@stressedoutiguess There are several ways to verify your (her or his or their) address: tax records, voter records, school records. Those are a few that i can think of off the bat.

If the OP didn’t inform the housing authority, they would find out eventually, and then when they look back to see when the move was made, they might evict the family for violation of the rules and they might order that the back rent be paid back (back rent for having three bedrooms when they only needed two since the OP moved out of the unit, for example).

When I lived in housing growing up, they didn’t force my mom or my adult brother to move and it was a 3 bedroom. Once my dad passed away it passed to my mom. They offered her a smaller place but she didn’t have to take it and could stay put. But that was like 35 years ago. I think it really depends on the city I think. But they won’t kick your folks out if they are still eligible.