scope:

Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to encourage public housing agencies (PHAs) to investigate and pursue instances of tenant and owner fraud and abuse in the operation of the Section 8 housing assistance payments programs.

Applicability.

(a) This part applies to a PHA acting as a contract administrator under an annual contributions contract with HUD in any section 8 housing assistance payments program. To be eligible to retain section 8 tenant or owner fraud recoveries, the PHA must be the principal party initiating or sustaining an action to recover amounts from families.

(b) This part applies only to those instances when a tenant or owner committed fraud, and the fraud recoveries are obtained through litigation brought by the PHA (including settlement of the lawsuit), a court-ordered restitution pursuant to a criminal proceeding, or an administrative repayment agreement with the family or owner as a result of a PHA administrative grievance procedure pursuant to, or incorporating the requirements of, § 982.555 of this title. This part does not apply to cases of owner fraud in PHAowned or controlled units, or where incorrect payments were made or benefits received because of calculation errors instead of willful fraudulent activities.

(c) This part applies to all tenant and owner fraud recoveries resulting from litigation brought by the PHA (including settlement of the lawsuit), or a court-ordered restitution pursuant to acriminal proceeding obtained on or after October 8, 1986, and to all tenant and owner fraud recoveries obtained through administrative repayment agreements signed on or after October 28, 1992.