Priorities for rental assistance. (1) Borrowers must use the following priorities when assigning available rental assistance.

First priority is to eligible very low-income tenants paying the highest percentage of their adjusted annual income for Agency approved shelter costs.

Second priority, if the housing project has vacant rental units, is to eligible very low-income applicants on the waiting list.

Third priority is to eligible low-income tenants paying the highest percentage of their adjusted annual income for Agency approved shelter costs.

Fourth priority, if the housing project has vacant rental units, is to eligible low-income applicants on the waiting list.

Fifth priority is to households which are residing in a rental unit for which they do not qualify on the basis of an occupancy waiver or other special approval situations.

In order to provide rental assistance to the third, fourth, and fifth priority categories, a borrower must fully document either that there are no very low-income households on the housing project's waiting list or that occupancy by low-income households is limited as follows:

For housing occupied on or after November 30, 1983, no more than 5 percent of the units in the housing are occupied by low-income households; or

For housing occupied before November 30, 1983, no more than 25 percent of the units in the housing are occupied by low-income households.

Continued eligibility. Tenants receiving rental assistance may continue to do so as long as they remain eligible for occupancy and for rental assistance under § 3560.254(c), and as long as rental assistance units are available.

Assignment of rental assistance. Except as provided in § 3560.454(c) and using the priorities given in paragraph (a) of this section, borrowers must assign available rental assistance units as soon as rental assistance units become available.

When a rental assistance unit is assigned to an eligible existing tenant on a day other than the first day of a month, the Agency will not provide the borrower rental assistance for the newly assigned existing tenant and the tenant will not pay reduced rental charges until the first of the month following the assignment of the rental assistance.

When an eligible applicant moves into a rental assistance unit on a day other than the first day of a month, they will pay a prorated rent based on the number of days they occupy the rental assistance unit and the amount of rental assistance they will be receiving.

Incorrectly assigned rental assistance. Incorrectly assigned rental assistance is viewed as unauthorized assistance and handled in accordance with subpart O of this part.