HUD Housing Notice § 2020-6

Exclusion from Annual Income of Temporary Employment from the U.S. Census Bureau (HUD Housing Notices)

HUD guidance — not codified law
In Force
Verified 10/6/2026 · Next check 10/13/2026
effective 10/6/2026FederalAffordable Housing Programs

Operative Text

HUD Housing Notice § 2020-6
                             U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
                                               WASHINGTON, DC 20410-8000


OFFICE OF HOUSING




Special Attention of:                                    NOTICE H 20-06

Multifamily Regional Center Directors                    Issued: June 5, 2020
Multifamily Satellite Office Directors                           This notice remains into effect until
Multifamily Asset Management Division                            amended, superseded or rescinded.
Directors
Multifamily Account Executives
Performance Based Contract Administrators
Multifamily Owners and Management Agents


Subject: Exclusion from Annual Income of Temporary Employment from the U.S. Census
Bureau

I.       Purpose

         This notice provides for the exclusion of temporary employment payments received from
         the U.S. Census Bureau from annual income.

II.      Background

         Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States calls for an actual enumeration of
         the people every ten years to be used for appointment of seats in the House of
         Representatives among the states. Many individuals are hired temporarily by the U.S.
         Census Bureau to assist in counting the population. As one of the Census partners, HUD is
         committed to supporting such employment that will help to ensure the validity and accuracy
         of the census counts. Previously, recipients of rental assistance have declined employment
         due to the perceived impact to rental and other public assistance benefits.

III.     Applicability

         This Notice applies to administrators of the following programs:

         A. Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)
            1. New Construction
            2. State Agency Financed
            3. Substantial Rehabilitation
            4. Section 202/8
            5. Rural Housing Services Section 515/8
            6. Loan Management Set-Aside (LMSA)
            7. Property Disposition Set-Aside (PDSA)
         B. Section 202/162 Project Assistance Contract (PAC)


                                    www.hud.gov        espanol.hud.gov
      C. Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC)
      D. Section 811 PRAC
      E. Section 236
      F. Section 221(d)(3) Below Market Interest Rate (BMIR)

IV.   Implementation

      Pursuant to Section 24 CFR §5.609(c)(9), owners and management agents of housing
      occupied by tenants who receive Section 8 benefits are to exclude from the calculation of
      annual income any temporary income payments received by those tenants from the U.S.
      Census Bureau. For the purpose of this Notice, temporary is defined as employment lasting
      no longer than 180 days per year and not culminating in permanent employment. Employer
      verification of both the employment dates and income amount must be maintained in the
      tenant’s file.

V.    Paperwork Reduction Act

      Paperwork reduction information collection requirements contained in this document have
      been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork
      Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520) and assigned OMB Control Number 2502-
      0204. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD may not conduct or sponsor,
      and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection
      displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.




                                                    _________________________________
                                                    Len Wolfson
                                                    Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing
                                                      - Federal Housing Commissioner

Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Housing Notice H 20-06 establishes that temporary earnings from U.S. Census Bureau employment must be excluded from the annual income calculations used to determine rent and assistance levels under several HUD-assisted housing programs, including Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance and related programs. Under this notice, 'temporary' means employment lasting no more than 180 days per year that does not lead to permanent employment. The rule is grounded in 24 CFR §5.609(c)(9) and reflects HUD's interest in removing a financial disincentive that had previously discouraged assisted-housing residents from participating in Census work.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 6, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Housing Notice H 20-06, owners and management agents administering covered programs—such as Section 8 PBRA, Section 202, Section 811, Section 236, and Section 221(d)(3) BMIR—are expected to exclude qualifying Census Bureau income when calculating a tenant's annual income. Compliant operators obtain and retain employer verification of both the employment dates and the income amount in the tenant's file, as required by the notice. Keeping thorough documentation ensures that the exclusion is properly supported during audits or contract reviews conducted by HUD or Performance Based Contract Administrators.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Housing Notice H 20-06 means that if you live in a HUD-assisted property covered by programs such as Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance or Section 202, income you earn from temporary U.S. Census Bureau work—up to 180 days and not leading to permanent employment—should not be counted when your rent or assistance level is calculated. If a property owner or management agent appears to be including such income in your annual income calculation, you may raise the exclusion under H 20-06 and 24 CFR §5.609(c)(9) directly with your property manager, or contact your local HUD office or a tenant-rights organization for guidance on next steps. Keeping copies of your Census employment verification documents can be helpful when discussing this exclusion with your housing provider.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 6, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 6, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 574.605
§ 574.605 Applicability of uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for Federal awards.
§ 574.625
§ 574.625 Conflict of interest.
§ 574.645
§ 574.645 Coastal barriers.

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