"The Violence Against Women and Justice Department Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA) protects tenants and family members of tenants who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking from being evicted or terminated from housing assistance based on acts of such violence against them. These provisions apply both to public housing agencies administering public housing and Section 8 programs and to owners renting to families under Section 8 rental assistance programs.

In general, the law provides in part that criminal activity directly relating to domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, engaged in by a member of a tenant's household or any guest or other person under the tenant's control, shall not be cause for termination of assistance, tenancy, or occupancy rights if the tenant or an immediate member of the tenant's family is the victim or threatened victim of that abuse.  The law also provides that an incident or incidents of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking will not be construed as serious or repeated violations of the lease by the victim or threatened victim of that violence and will not be "good cause" for termination of the assistance, tenancy, or occupancy rights of a victim of such violence."

HUD Notice PIH 2006-42: VAWA Act of 2005 Certification Form, etc. - issued by HUD 12/27/06 

Certification form (HUD-50066) created for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.