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Administrative Plan 4/1/16 Page 1-11 • Assisting a family that claims that illegal discrimination has prevented the family from leasing a suitable unit (Chapter 2); • Providing information about a family to prospective owners (Chapters 3 and 9); • Disapproval of owners (Chapter 13); • Subsidy standards (Chapter 5); • Family absence from the dwelling unit (Chapter 12) ; • How to determine who remains in the program if a family breaks up (Chapter 3); • Informal review procedures for applicants (Chapter 16); • Informal hearing procedures for participants (Chapter 16); • The process for establishing and revising voucher payment standards (Chapter 16); • The method of determining that rent to owner is a reasonable rent (initially and during the term of a HAP contract) (Chapter 8); • Special policies concerning special housing types in the program (e.g., use of shared housing) (Chapter 15); • Policies concerning payment by a family to SAHA of amounts the family owes the PHA (Chapter 16); • Interim redeterminations of family income and composition (Chapter 11); • Restrictions, if any, on the number of moves by a participant family (Chapter 10); • Approval by the Board of Commissioners or other authorized officials to charge the administrative fee reserve (Chapter 16); • Procedural guidelines and performance standards for conducting required housing quality standards inspections (Chapter 8); and • SAHA screening of applicants for family behavior or suitability for tenancy (Chapter 3). Mandatory vs. Discretionary Policy HUD makes a distinction between: • Mandatory policies: those driven by legislation, regulations, current handbooks, notices, and legal opinions, and • Optional, non-binding guidance, including guidebooks, notices that have expired and recommendations from individual HUD staff. HUD expects PHAs to adopt local policies and procedures that are consistent with mandatory policies in areas where HUD gives the PHA discretion. SAHA’s Administrative Plan is the foundation of those policies and procedures. HUD’s directions require PHAs to make policy choices that provide sufficient guidance to staff and ensure consistency to program applicants and participants. Creating policies based upon HUD guidance is not mandatory, but provides a PHA with a “safe harbor.” HUD has already determined that the recommendations and suggestions it makes are 3-55