(a) Membership status—

(1) General. A resident board member is a full member of the governing board.

(2) Resident participation must include matters regarding Federal public housing and Section 8 tenant-based assistance. A resident board member must be allowed to take part in decisions related to the administration, operation, and management of Federal public housing programs and Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance programs. This rule does not extend to matters that:

(i) Exclusively relate to other types of housing assistance (such as State financed housing assistance); or

(ii) Do not involve housing assistance (as may occur where the city or county governing body also serves as the PHA board).

(3) Public housing agency may expand scope of resident participation. A public housing agency may choose to expand the scope of resident member involvement to matters not required under paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(b) Residence status. A governing board may not prohibit any person from serving on the governing board because that person is a resident of a public housing project or is assisted under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f).

(c) Conflict of interest. A governing board may not exclude any resident board member from participating in any matter before the governing board on the grounds that the resident board member's lease with the public housing agency, or the resident board member's status as a public housing resident or recipient of Section 8 tenant-based assistance, either results or may result in a conflict of interest, unless the matter is clearly applicable to the resident board member only in a personal capacity and applies uniquely to that member and not generally to residents or to a subcategory of residents.