What criminal records can a Public Housing Authority (PHA) access, and who gives the PHA my conviction records?

Most PHAs get criminal history information about you from private background check companies that gather lots of criminal history information from different public sources and put them in one report to the PHA (see more on PG. 377).

PHAs can also get your criminal history information directly from ALL OF THE PUBLIC SOURCES listed on PG. 377, such as Internet searches and adult criminal court records!

If you apply to a PHA for one of the three major federal government-assisted-housing programs (Public Housing, “Section 8” Housing Choice Vouchers, and project-based Section 8 Housing), PHAs can ask for criminal records on you from the National Crime Information Center, state and local police departments, and other law enforcement agencies, and it’s required to give them to the PHA.[1297]

REMEMBER: There is a DIFFERENT RULE FOR OWNERS OF GOVERNMENT-ASSISTED HOUSING. Owners of federal government-assisted housing CANNOT get your conviction records directly from the National Crime Information Center or law enforcement agencies—but the PHA might share some of this information with them. See the next question below.

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  1. 1297

    42 U.S.C. § 1437d.