The Rural Housing Service (RHS) Office of the Multifamily Housing announced an updated Form RD 3560-8 Tenant Certification for the July 1, 2025 implementation of the changes to income and asset calculations due to the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA).  

On Oct. 3, 2024, RHS Multifamily Housing extended the implementation of applicable HOTMA regulations to July 1, 2025. All multifamily housing tenant certifications effective on or after July 1, 2025, must comply with HOTMA requirements. 

To accommodate the required HOTMA changes, Rural Development has updated Form RD 3560-8 Tenant Certification. The updated Form RD 3560-8 was published Dec. 6, 2024, and is available on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) eForms website. 

Since tenant certifications can be submitted to the Agency up to 90 days before their effective date, please note the following: 

  • The updated Form RD 3560-8 is for tenant certifications with an effective date of July 1, 2025, or after; 
  • The previous Form RD 3560-8 has been renamed Form RD 3560-8A and will be used for tenant certifications effective before July 1, 2025; and 
  • Both forms can be found on the eForms website.  

HOTMA was signed into law on July 29, 2016, directing HUD to update income calculation rules from the Housing Act of 1937. To implement HOTMA changes, HUD published a Final Rule on Feb. 14, 2023, which updated regulations found in 24 CFR 5.609 and 24 CFR 5.611. The HOTMA changes found at 24 CFR 5.609(a) and (b) and 24 CFR 5.611 affect the RHS Multifamily Housing portfolio. 

For previously published Rural Development guidance related to HOTMA, please refer to the following: 

For other news and information affecting the affordable rural housing industry, please visit the Newsroom on CARH’s website, www.carh.org.