Admin Plan Modifications July 2026
City of Mesa — Mesa Housing Services Governing Board (2026-03-26)
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MS-9870 20 East Main St., Suite 250 P.O. Box 1466 Mesa, AZ 85211-1466 Office (480) 644-3536 Fax (480) 644-2923 Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., closed Friday mesaaz.gov For accommodations, such as braille, large print, or translation, please contact City of Mesa Housing and Community Development at (480) 644-3536, or AzRelay 7-1-1 for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Si necesita información en español por favor de llamar al 480-644-3536. City of Mesa Housing Authority Administrative Plan 2026-2027 Proposed Modifications – Effective July 1, 2026 The following are policy and/or regulation modifications (in red) to the City of Mesa Housing Authority (MHA) administrative plan. Updates have been made to new PIH Notices, webpage links to documents and grammar to the Administrative Plan without changes to any policies or regulations. The modifications to the MHA administrative plan are clarification and updates in the following chapters: HUD required additions to PHA Administrative Plan 3-III.A. Denial of Assistance; Overview Criminal Activity [PIH 2025-26] To add the use of arrest records back into eligibility requirements PIH Notice 2025-26, issued 9/26/2025, titled Rescission of Joint Notice PIH 2015-19 / H 2015-10, Guidance on the Use of Arrest Records in Housing Decision, rescinds the following HUD notices and guidance: - PIH 2015-19, “Guidance for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Owners of Federally Assisted Housing on Excluding the Use of Arrest Records in Housing Decisions”, - 2016 memo-Office of General Counsel, “Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Use of Criminal Records by Providers of Housing and Real Estate Related Transactions” - 2022 memo-Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, “Implementation of the Office of General Counsel’s Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Use of Criminal Records by Providers of Housing and Real Estate-Related Transactions” (background screening) City of Mesa Housing Authority Policy MHA will utilize mandatory screening requirements and optional screening policies available in order to meet the obligation to provide safe housing. (See 3-II.B) Permissive Screening for Denial of Assistance PHAs and owners have broad discretion to screen for suitability of tenancy or program participation for all relevant circumstances, including a history of criminal activity which would adversely affect the health, safety, and peaceful enjoyment of the property (24 CFR §960.203(c), 24 CFR §982.307(a), 24 CFR §982.553(a)(2)(ii)(A)). City of Mesa Housing Authority Administrative Plan 24 Rev 07/01/2026 HUD One Strike Policy MS-9870 20 East Main St., Suite 250 P.O. Box 1466 Mesa, AZ 85211-1466 Office (480) 644-3536 Fax (480) 644-2923 Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., closed Friday mesaaz.gov For accommodations, such as braille, large print, or translation, please contact City of Mesa Housing and Community Development at (480) 644-3536, or AzRelay 7-1-1 for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Si necesita información en español por favor de llamar al 480-644-3536. The "One Strike" initiative allows public housing authorities (PHAs) to deny occupancy to applicants, as well as evict residents, on the basis of alcohol abuse and illegal drug-related activities. HUD implemented "One Strike and You're Out" in March 1996, following President Clinton's directive to meet the challenge of maintaining the Nation's public housing developments and to keep the families and children who live there safe. It is the toughest admission and eviction policy that HUD has implemented. PHAs are encouraged to design policies on screening and eviction to eliminate individuals with criminal conviction records or who abuse alcohol, use illegal substances, or engage in drug-related criminal activity. In 2015, HUD issued Notice PIH 2015-19,” Guidance for Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and Owners of Federally Assisted Housing on Excluding the Use of Arrest Records in Housing Decisions”, which also informed PHAs that the One Strike policy is not required. On November 25, 2025, HUD issued Notice PIH 2025-26 rescinding PIH 2015-19. In addition, the Secretary for HUD published a letter to all PHAs reiterating the use of the One Strike policy as an essential tool to enforce family obligations and restrictions on criminal activity in assisted housing. The One Strike policy should be used after thorough investigation to ensure the use of this policy is used equitably and in a manner that does not prevent the PHA’s obligation to safeguard the due process rights of applicants and tenants. PHAs obligation includes ensuring any admissions and occupancy requirements imposed comply with applicable civil rights requirements contained in the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the other equal opportunity provisions listed in 24 CFR 5.105. City of Mesa Housing Authority Policy MHA will incorporate the HUD One Strike policy into the process to determine if termination of assistance is required on a case-by-case basis. MHA will provide the applicant or program participant with a notice detailing the activity in question that may cause a denial of admission or termination of assistance. The notice will give rights to a hearing or informal review to consider any documentation the applicant or program participant may provide. Forms of Denial [24 CFR §982.552(a)(2); HCV GB, p. 5-35] Denial of assistance includes any of the following: Not placing the family’s name on the waiting list Denying or withdrawing a voucher Not approving a request for tenancy or refusing to enter into a HAP contract Refusing to process a request for or to provide assistance under portability procedures Chapter 12 Mandatory Termination of Assistance MS-9870 20 East Main St., Suite 250 P.O. Box 1466 Mesa, AZ 85211-1466 Office (480) 644-3536 Fax (480) 644-2923 Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., closed Friday mesaaz.gov For accommodations, such as braille, large print, or translation, please contact City of Mesa Housing and Community Development at (480) 644-3536, or AzRelay 7-1-1 for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Si necesita información en español por favor de llamar al 480-644-3536. 12-I.E. Mandatory Policies and Other Authorized Terminations Termination of Assistance for Criminal Behavior [PIH 2025-26] PHAs must proactively ensure the safety of the families they serve. This means PHAs should continuously monitor for criminal activity and take steps to immediately act if information is found that could result in a termination of tenancy. City of Mesa Housing Authority Policy MHA will attempt to gather documentation from law enforcement to receive arrest records or reports on criminal activity for assisted families. HUD requires the PHA to establish policies that permit the PHA to terminate assistance if the PHA determines that: Any household member is currently engaged in any illegal use of a drug, or has a pattern of illegal drug use that interferes with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents (24 CFR §982.553(b)(1)(i)); Any household member’s abuse or pattern of abuse of alcohol may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents (24 CFR§ 982.553(b)(3)); Any household member who has been convicted of production of methamphetamine in Federally assisted housing (requires immediately terminate assistance for a family if the PHA determines that any member of the household has ever been convicted of drug-related criminal activity for manufacture or production of methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing. 24 CFR 24 CFR 982.553(b)(1)(ii)); Any household member has violated the family’s obligation not to engage in any drug- related criminal activity (24 CFR 982.553(b)(1)(iii)); Any household member has violated the family’s obligation not to engage in violent criminal activity (24 CFR 982.553(b)(2))