D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-7609
HPRP rental assistance is solely for the purpose of assisting eligible households to quickly achieve housing stability by assisting them to remain in their existing rental units or to obtain and remain in a new rental unit.
As a condition of receipt of HPRP rental assistance, the applicant shall agree to:
Each household shall contribute toward the cost for housing up to thirty percent (30%) of their adjusted annual income, determined in accordance with the District of Columbia Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) regulations found at 14 DCMR § 6200. The HPRP rental assistance shall be the difference in the cost of housing. For purposes of this section, the cost of housing shall include the cost of utilities, as determined in accordance with the HCVP regulations found at 14 DCMR § 6200.
Receipt of HPRP rental assistance is conditioned on living in a rental unit that passes a housing inspection and meets HUD's "Rent Reasonableness" standard. HUD defines Rent Reasonableness to mean that the total rent charged for a unit must be reasonable in relation to the rents being charged during the same time period for comparable units in the private unassisted market and must not be in excess of rents being charged by the owner during the same time period for comparable non-luxury unassisted units.
The initial rental assistance benefit (short-term rental assistance) shall not exceed the equivalent of rental costs accrued over a period of three (3) months.
If a household receiving short-term rental assistance needs additional rental assistance to achieve housing stability, the Program shall evaluate the household for eligibility to receive additional months of medium-term rental assistance in accordance with subsection 7609.7.
Upon determining the participant's eligibility for additional rental assistance, the Program shall provide the household with a Notice of Eligibility and Assistance Determination in accordance with subsection 7601.14 or subsection 7601.16.
For households receiving medium-term rental assistance, the HPRP Program shall evaluate the household for eligibility at least once every three months to receive up to three (3) additional months of medium-term rental assistance, for no more than a total of fifteen (15) months of medium-term rental assistance. Upon determining the participant's eligibility for additional rental assistance, the Program shall provide the household with a Notice of Eligibility and Assistance Determination in accordance with subsection 7601.14 or subsection 7601.16.
Households receiving medium-term rental assistance shall demonstrate their ability to eventually pay the full rental amount by paying an increasing share of the rental payment no less than at three month intervals coinciding with the three (3) month household recertification requirement set forth in subsection 7609.7.
For purposes of this section, the household's share shall not exceed thirty percent (30%) of their adjusted annual income, determined in accordance with subsection 7609.3.
Households unable to meet the requirement to pay an increased share of the rental payment at the three month recertification shall be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine their continued eligibility based on their ability to demonstrate capacity to meet the HPRP housing stability requirement.
Households receiving short or medium-term rental assistance shall be required to report any change in the household's monthly income as soon as the change occurs.
Upon written notification by the household of a change in the household's monthly income, the HPRP Provider shall determine if there is a need to recalculate the amount of the household's housing cost contribution, based on the following:
When a Provider calculates a change in HPRP rental assistance, pursuant to either a recertification under subsection 7609.6 or subsection 7609.7 or as a result of a reported change in income pursuant to subsection 7609.10, the Provider shall give to the participant household a Notice of Change in HPRP Rental Assistance. This notice shall include:
Notice required by subsection 7609.12 shall be either hand-delivered to a member of the applicant household or mailed to the household by 1st class mail within twenty-four (24) hours of the Provider's calculation of the change in the household's rental assistance share. The date from which the timeliness of the notice is measured is either the date of hand-delivery or, if mailed, the date the notice is postmarked.
The monthly HPRP rental assistance that may be issued per month shall not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) per month for individuals or two thousand two hundred dollars ($2,200) per month for families.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 29, r. 29-7609