Treatment of Holocaust Reparation Payments in Assisted Housing Programs: Notification of Affected Individuals

Before April 23, 1993, the Department of Housing and Urban Development counted Holocaust reparation payments made by foreign governments as income in its means-tested rental housing assistance programs. This policy may have caused some applicants to be denied admission to assisted housing, and some residents of the housing to pay a higher contribution to rent, because these payments were included in their income. This document announces that the Department will attempt to provide relief to individuals adversely affected by this policy. As described more fully below, the Department will attempt to inform those who were denied eligibility of their potential current eligibility for rental assistance. For those whose rents were increased, the Department will attempt to find an administrative way to recompense them for the increased rent they paid. The policy announced in this document applies to all initial and continuing income determinations that were conducted before April 23, 1993. The policy also applies to the Section 235 Homeownership Program. Members of the public who believe they may qualify for relief are encouraged to contact the appropriate Departmental official listed below for more information. It should be noted that in some cases, recompense may not be possible without further congressional action.