Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy Toolkit
The materials in this Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) Toolkit are designed to support Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and their staff in developing, revising, and implementing ACOP policies for the Public Housing Program. The toolkit materials are intended to be a complementary resource to the Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook.
The Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook provides an easy-to-use, one-stop resource to assist PHAs, families, and other stakeholders in the administration of the Public Housing Program. The Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook consolidates into one document the most up-to-date guidance and requirements outlined in multiple publications: regulatory requirements, PIH Notices, Federal Register Notices, and other forms of guidance issued by HUD. HUD published the Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook as a series of separate chapters and will amend as policies are refined.
While federal statutes and regulations require PHAs to adopt certain governing and operating policies for the Public Housing Program, HUD grants PHAs considerable discretion in establishing and implementing many policies. PHAs communicate those policies, rules, and requirements concerning their operations, programs, and services through the ACOP. The ACOP is generally the principal document describing in detail the PHA’s policies with respect to key topics such as eligibility, tenant selection, admissions preferences, waitlist procedures, rent determination, utilities, transfers, occupancy guidelines, grievance procedures, pet ownership, and the community service and self-sufficiency requirement. The ACOP is an important document for tenants, prospective tenants, community members, and HUD staff when inquiring about specific PHA policies.
ACOP Development Guide Overview
The purpose of the ACOP Development Guide ("the ACOP Guide") is to provide PHAs with a resource that:
- Demonstrates what content should be covered in a typical ACOP
- Provides practice tips and sample approaches that PHAs can use to formulate internal policies
- Notes where PHAs have discretion to create and decide policy
- Provides example ACOP policy language
Note: The ACOP Toolkit does not fully reflect the policy changes associated with the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA), which introduces significant revisions to the public housing program, including to income calculations and reviews. The final rule implementing Sections 102, 103, and 104 of HOTMA was published on February 14, 2023. Most provisions of the final rule will become effective January 1, 2024. Several provisions related to Section 103, on the public housing over-income limit, will become effective March 16, 2023. PHAs can find additional information about HOTMA online.
The chapters in the ACOP Guide correspond to the content presented in the Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook. The chapters are published individually as they are available. The full ACOP Guide will be posted once all of the component chapters are finalized.
Coming Soon
- Chapter 1: Eligibility, Screening and Verification
- Appendix I: Glossary
Additional Resources
Fact Sheets
These short policy guides provide easy-to-digest guidance on select topics related to the Public Housing Occupancy Guidebook. Each fact sheet includes an overview of the associated HUD regulations and offers best practices and tips for PHAs as they implement or update their policies.
Webinars
The purpose of the webinars is to address some of the common issues that PHAs face when developing, revising, and implementing ACOP policies. During the webinars, participants will learn the following:
- Why it is important to update their agency’s ACOP
- Review of what content should be covered in a typical ACOP
- Best practices and sample approaches that PHAs can use to formulate internal policies
- Review what mandatory policies must be included in a typical ACOP and where PHAs have discretion to create and decide their policies
Each webinar will focus on a series of topics. Participants are encouraged to attend all three webinars to gain a comprehensive understanding of all topics. View more information about the Updating Your PHA's Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy Webinar Series.
Webinar 1
February 16, 2022 | 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM EST
Topics covered:
- Lease Requirements
- Community Services and Self Sufficiency Requirements (CSSR)
- Pet Ownership
- Grievance Procedures
Webinar 2
March 23, 2022 | 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
Topics covered:
- Income Determination
- Reexaminations
- Utilities
Webinar 3
Topics covered:
- Eligibility & Denial of Assistance
- Waiting List and Tenant Selection
- Transfers
Stay tuned for more information.