Editorial Note on Part 982
Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 982 appear at 64 FR 26640, May 14, 1999, and at 89 FR 38293, May 7, 2024.

§ 982.553 Denial of admission and termination of assistance for criminals and alcohol abusers. ( a ) *Denial of admission* — ( 1 ) *Prohibiting admission of drug criminals.* ( i ) The PHA *must* prohibit admission to the program of an applicant for three years from the date of eviction if a household member has been evicted from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity. However, the PHA may admit the household if the PHA determines: ( A ) That the evicted household member who engaged in drug-related criminal activity has successfully completed a supervised drug rehabilitation program approved by the PHA; or
( B ) That the circumstances leading to eviction no longer exist (for example, the criminal household member has died or is imprisoned).
( ii ) The PHA must establish standards that prohibit admission if: ( A ) The PHA determines that any household member is currently engaging in illegal use of a drug;
( B ) The PHA determines that it has reasonable cause to believe that a household member's illegal drug use or a pattern of illegal drug use may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents; or
( C ) Any household member has ever been convicted of drug-related criminal activity for manufacture or production of methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing.
( 2 ) *Prohibiting admission of other criminals—* ( i ) *Mandatory prohibition.* The PHA *must* establish standards that prohibit admission to the program if any member of the household is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a State sex offender registration program. In this screening of applicants, the PHA must perform criminal history background checks necessary to determine whether any household member is subject to a lifetime sex offender registration requirement in the State where the housing is located and in other States where the household members are known to have resided.
( ii ) *Permissive prohibitions.* ( A ) The PHA *may* prohibit admission of a household to the program if the PHA determines that any household member is currently engaged in, or has engaged in during a reasonable time before the admission: ( 1 ) Drug-related criminal activity;
( 2 ) Violent criminal activity;
( 3 ) Other criminal activity which may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents or persons residing in the immediate vicinity; or
( 4 ) Other criminal activity which may threaten the health or safety of the owner, property management staff, or persons performing a contract administration function or responsibility on behalf of the PHA (including a PHA employee or a PHA contractor, subcontractor or agent).
( B ) The PHA may establish a period before the admission decision during which an applicant must not have engaged in the activities specified in paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section (“reasonable time”).
( C ) If the PHA previously denied admission to an applicant because a member of the household engaged in criminal activity, the PHA may reconsider the applicant if the PHA has sufficient evidence that the members of the household are not currently engaged in, and have not engaged in, such criminal activity during a reasonable period, as determined by the PHA, before the admission decision. ( 1 ) The PHA would have “sufficient evidence” if the household member submitted a certification that she or he is not currently engaged in and has not engaged in such criminal activity during the specified period and provided supporting information from such sources as a probation officer, a landlord, neighbors, social service agency workers and criminal records, which the PHA verified.
( 2 ) For purposes of this section, a household member is “currently engaged in” criminal activity if the person has engaged in the behavior recently enough to justify a reasonable belief that the behavior is current.
( 3 ) *Prohibiting admission of alcohol abusers.* The PHA must establish standards that prohibit admission to the program if the PHA determines that it has reasonable cause to believe that a household member's abuse or pattern of abuse of alcohol may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents.
( b ) *Terminating assistance* — ( 1 ) *Terminating assistance for drug criminals.* ( i ) The PHA *must* establish standards that allow the PHA to terminate assistance for a family under the program if the PHA determines that: ( A ) Any household member is currently engaged in any illegal use of a drug; or
( B ) A pattern of illegal use of a drug by any household member interferes with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents.
( ii ) The PHA must immediately terminate assistance for a family under the program if the PHA determines that any member of the household has ever been convicted of drug-related criminal activity for manufacture or production of methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing.
( iii ) The PHA must establish standards that allow the PHA to terminate assistance under the program for a family if the PHA determines that any family member has violated the family's obligation under § 982.551 not to engage in any drug-related criminal activity.
( 2 ) *Terminating assistance for other criminals.* The PHA must establish standards that allow the PHA to terminate assistance under the program for a family if the PHA determines that any household member has violated the family's obligation under § 982.551 not to engage in violent criminal activity.
( 3 ) *Terminating assistance for alcohol abusers.* The PHA must establish standards that allow termination of assistance for a family if the PHA determines that a household member's abuse or pattern of abuse of alcohol may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents.
( c ) *Evidence of criminal activity.* The PHA may terminate assistance for criminal activity by a household member as authorized in this section if the PHA determines, based on a preponderance of the evidence, that the household member has engaged in the activity, regardless of whether the household member has been arrested or convicted for such activity.
( d ) *Use of criminal record* — ( 1 ) *Denial.* If a PHA proposes to deny admission for criminal activity as shown by a criminal record, the PHA must provide the subject of the record and the applicant with a copy of the criminal record. The PHA must give the family an opportunity to dispute the accuracy and relevance of that record, in the informal review process in accordance with § 982.554. (See part 5, subpart J for provision concerning access to criminal records.)
( 2 ) *Termination of assistance.* If a PHA proposes to terminate assistance for criminal activity as shown by a criminal record, the PHA must notify the household of the proposed action to be based on the information and must provide the subject of the record and the tenant with a copy of the criminal record. The PHA must give the family an opportunity to dispute the accuracy and relevance of that record in accordance with § 982.555.
( 3 ) *Cost of obtaining criminal record.* The PHA may not pass along to the tenant the costs of a criminal records check.
( e ) The requirements in 24 CFR part 5, subpart L (Protection for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking) apply to this section.
[66 FR 28805, May 24, 2001, as amended at 73 FR 72345, Nov. 28, 2008; 75 FR 66264, Oct. 27, 2010; 80 FR 8247, Feb. 17, 2015; 81 FR 80817, Nov. 16, 2016]