HUD Occupancy Handbook — Housing Guidelines

The HUD Occupancy Handbook provides program guidance for housing providers administering HUD-assisted housing, including areas such as applicant screening, eligibility, income and rent determinations, occupancy, recertifications, and recordkeeping. Agencies should use the applicable handbook provisions, HUD notices, regulations, and their own approved policies when making operational decisions. FileVision ETR supports the organization and retrieval of the documentation those processes produce.

No. FileVision ETR is a tenant-record and document-workflow platform, not an eligibility decision engine. It can organize applications, verifications, forms, notices, checklists, and approvals in a structured file, but occupancy staff remain responsible for applying HUD requirements, agency policies, and professional judgment. The platform is designed to help staff locate complete supporting documentation when decisions are reviewed.

ETR keeps annual recertification checklists, verification evidence, forms, notices, approvals, and related correspondence together within the household’s electronic record. Configurable workflow status and missing-document tracking can help teams see which files need attention before a deadline. This supports a more organized review process, while the agency remains responsible for timing, calculations, determinations, and required HUD submissions.

Yes. ETR organizes documentation associated with interim changes, including income or household updates, supporting evidence, forms, notices, and approvals. By associating records with the relevant household and transaction, staff can retrieve the complete history of a change without searching separate folders or paper files. Agencies define their own processes and determine how each change affects program eligibility or rent.

FileVision ETR is intended to complement, rather than replace, a core housing management system or PHA ERP. It focuses on structured electronic tenant records, document capture, workflow, retrieval, and records governance. FileVision can integrate with Microsoft 365 and SharePoint where appropriate, and direct HMS integration capabilities should be confirmed during discovery based on your agency’s environment and requirements.

ETR uses role-based access controls to help agencies limit sensitive records to authorized users. This can be especially useful for accommodation requests, grievance materials, tenant documentation, and external audit access. Agencies establish user roles and access practices according to their internal policies. Specific security configuration, retention, audit detail, and external-access requirements should be reviewed during implementation.

FileVision helps staff organize, search, and retrieve the documentation that reviewers may request, including verifications, notices, recertifications, inspections, correspondence, and approvals. Missing-document and exception tracking can help identify incomplete files before a review. However, no software can guarantee a HUD review outcome; results depend on agency practices, program requirements, and the completeness and accuracy of underlying records.

Existing paper files can be digitized through document capture, scanning, and import into structured electronic tenant records. ETR can also receive new electronic documents as they are created or received, supporting an incremental transition from file rooms and shared drives. The scope, document preparation, indexing standards, quality review, and any optional bulk conversion services should be defined as part of implementation planning.