Q & A: Move-In for a Newborn

Question: I have a single mom who was homeless and pregnant when she got to the top of the waiting list. When I called her to offer the unit, she had been taken to the hospital the night before, and had her baby. Of course the newborn didn’t have a Social Security number yet. Can I still offer her a unit when she gets out of the hospital? Roxanne in AZ

Answer:

Revised answer effective April 7, 2016, due to Federal Register, Streamlining Administrative Regulations for Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Multifamily Housing, and Community Planning and Development Programs.

Yes. You can offer her a unit although she does not have the baby’s SSN yet. Since the baby is under the age of 6 and was added to the household within the last six months, the household has 90 days to provide the SSN. If the household is still unable to provide the SSN at the end of the 90 day period, one additional 90 day extension will be granted to provide the SSN.

Answer originally published December 29, 2009.
Sadly, no. The Final Rule: Refinement of Income and Rent Determination Requirements in Public and Assisted Housing, effective January 31, 2010, would prohibit this. The Rule states that documentation of an SSN must be provided for all household members before determining eligibility, which must be done before offering a unit. Your applicant can stay at the top of the waiting list, and you must move on to offer the unit to the next household on the list. Your applicant has 90 days to provide SSN documentation for the baby, while still staying at the top of the list. If she fails to do so, she must be removed from the waiting list. Download the Final Rule (published December 29, 2009).