Month: October 2016

HUD Extends AFH Submission Deadline for Small Local Governments

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On October 24, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the extension of the initial Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) submission deadlines for small consolidated plan program participants that received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $500,000 or less in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 or in a subsequent FY; or in the case of a HOME consortium, whose members collectively received a CDBG grant of $500,000 or less.

Previously, HUD established the first AFH due date for small consolidated plan program participants to be 270 days (approximately 9 months) before the program year for which a new 3-5 year Consolidated Plan is due, starting on or after January 1, 2018. HUD is now extending the initial due date to 270 days before the program year which a new 3-5 year Consolidated Plan is due, starting on or after January 1, 2019 – the same date that qualified public housing agencies (QPHAs – PHAs with a combined unit total of 550 or less) are required to submit their AFHs.

Learn more about HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Final Rule and subsequent AFH requirements for states, local governments, and PHAs by accessing NAHRO’s AFFH Resource Page (members only).

NAHRO Presents at HUD on the Lead Safe Housing Proposed Rule

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

On October 6, NAHRO participated in a HUD organized convening on the proposed Lead Safe Housing Rule. NAHRO’s Director of Policy and Program Development, Georgi Banna, along with the National Center for Healthy Housing’s Chief Scientist, Dr. David E. Jacobs and the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative’s Executive Director, Ruth Ann Norton were on a panel moderated by HUD-PIH’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramirez that discussed the need to combat lead poisoning in children and the role of housing in that battle.ghhi-lead-2016-10-06_16-49-58_000

A video of the Lead Safe Housing Rule Convening has been posted on HUD’s YouTube Channel. Clicking Georgi Banna will begin at NAHRO’s statement.

Comments on HUD’s proposed Lead Safe Housing Rule are due to HUD on Monday, October 31, 2016. NAHRO submitted its comments this week. More information on the HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule and NAHRO thoughts and comments on it can be found in the current edition of the NAHRO Monitor.

NAHRO Submits Comments on Lead-Based Paint Proposed Rule

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On October 26, NAHRO submitted comments (members only) to HUD in response to its Lead-Free Paint Proposed Rule, published in the Federal Register on September 1. The proposed rule would amend HUD’s lead-based paint regulations on reducing blood lead levels in children under age 6 who reside in federally-owned or -assisted housing that was built pre-1978, and would formally adopt the revised definition of “elevated blood lead levels” (EBLLs) in children under the age of 6 in accordance to the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For all HUD programs covered in the proposed rule, HUD also proposes a new protocol for responding to a case of a child under 6 that has an EBLL. NAHRO’s comment letter consisted of seven main sections. NAHRO’s comments included HUD’s proposed implementation timeline, the use of CDC’s moving trigger reference value, HUD’s proposed lead-abatement schedule, the need for adequate funding to successfully comply with the proposed rule, as well concerns about how the proposed rule will impact mixed-finance units, UPCS-V, Section 8 landlords, and legal implications.

Comments for the proposed rule are due October, 31.

 

HUD Family Options Study: HCV Most Effective and Rapid Re-Housing Least Costly

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On October 25, HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) released a report titled Family Options Study: Long-Term Impacts of Housing and Services Interventions for Homeless Families, which seeks to identify the most efficient and cost-effective way to house and serve homeless families with children.capture

The report presents the long-term (37 months) outcomes of HUD’s Family Options Study, which tracked how homeless families in emergency shelters across 12 U.S. communities responded to various homelessness interventions. Between September 2010 and January 2012, over 2,000 families were enrolled and randomly assigned to participate in one of four homelessness interventions: housing subsidy, community-based rapid re-housing, project-based transitional housing, and usual care (defined as any housing or services that a family accesses in the absence of immediate referral to the other interventions).

The study found long-term housing subsidies, typically Housing Choice Vouchers, had the greatest impact on reducing family homelessness and improving non-housing family outcomes (i.e., increased adult well-being, child well-being, food-security, and less economic stress). While not as effective as housing vouchers, rapid re-housing programs were significantly less expensive, with an average per-family monthly cost of approximately $800, compared to voucher at $1,172/month, transitional housing at $2,700/month and emergency shelter programs at $4,800/month.

Read more about HUD’s study and findings here.

 

 

HUD Finalizes Rule to Expand Housing Protections for Survivors of Violence

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On October 24, HUD announced the impending publication of a final rule that will expand the housing protections for victims of  domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (hereinafter known as “victim”) regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age. The final rule will fully codify the provisions of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) into HUD’s regulations.

At its core, VAWA 2013 prohibits housing providers from denying or terminating housing assistance on the basis that an applicant or tenant is a victim. HUD’s final rule expands the universe of HUD rental assistance programs subject to the VAWA 2013 statute beyond Public Housing and Section 8 programs to also include:

  • Housing Trust Fund (HTF) – a program originally not listed under VAWA 2013;
  • HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program;
  • Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program;
  • HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless programs;
  • Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities;
  • Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly;
  • Section 221(d)(3) Below Market Interest Rate (BMIR) Program
  • Section 236 Rental Program

These programs, along with properties assisted through the USDA Rural Housing programs and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, are collectively referred to as “covered housing programs.”

Overall, HUD’s final rule:

  • Codifies the core protections under VAWA 2013 across HUD’s covered programs by ensuring survivors are not denied assistance as an applicant, or evicted or have assistance terminated due to the individual’s victim status, or for being affiliated with a victim.
  • Provides a model emergency transfer plan for housing providers and explains how housing providers must address their tenants’ requests for emergency transfers.
  • Offers protections against the adverse effects of abuse that can often have negative economic and criminal consequences on a survivor. For example, a perpetrator may take out credit cards in a survivor’s name, ruining their credit history. Covered housing providers may  not deny tenancy or occupancy rights based solely on adverse factors that are a direct result of being a survivor.
  • Makes clear that under most circumstances, a survivor need only to self-certify in order to exercise their rights under VAWA, there by “ensuring third party documentation does not cause a barrier in a survivor expressing their rights and receiving the protections needed to keep themselves safe.”

HUD’s final rule is currently pending publication in the Federal Register. Once published, the rule’s regulations will become effective after 30 days.

An in-depth analysis of the final rule can be found in the October 30, 2016 edition of the NAHRO Monitor (members only).

 

HUD Releases Enhanced Voucher Proposed Rule

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On October 26, HUD will publish a proposed rule titled “Tenant-based Assistance: Enhanced Voucher” in the Federal Register. The rule codifies HUD’s existing policy regarding enhanced vouchers, specifically regarding the eligibility criteria for enhanced vouchers, rental payment standards and subsidy standards applicable to enhanced vouchers, the right of enhanced voucher holders to remain in their units, procedures for addressing over-housed families, and the calculation of the enhanced voucher housing assistance payment. Comments are due December 27, 2016.

Currently, HUD’s enhanced voucher policy is based on statutory requirements, and summarized in guidance provided in PIH notices. These notices include: PIH 2001-41 on Enhanced and Regular Housing Choice Vouchers for Housing Conversion Actions; PIH 2010-18 on PHA Determinations of Rent Reasonableness in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program —Comparable Unassisted Units; PIH 2011-46 on Determination of Rent Reasonableness in the Housing Choice Voucher Program; and PIH 2016-02 on Enhanced Voucher Requirements for Over-housed Families. The proposed rule codifies HUD’s existing policy.

HUD is specifically asking for comments on three specific issues. HUD is asking for comments on how to define the vacancy rate for a “low-vacancy” area. HUD asks commenters to consider: whether the low-vacancy area should be based on a constant vacancy percentage applied universally, or whether it should vary with differing factors, such as area population growth, demand for rental, or any other relevant factors; and whether the low-vacancy area definition should be unique to this enhanced voucher program, or should be constant across all HUD programs that use the concept of a low-vacancy area. HUD also requests comments on whether it is appropriate to allow families to be rescreened and potentially denied admission to the program so long as the screening is consistent with the PHA policy for regular admission. Lastly, HUD seeks comments on whether language in the proposed rule relating to a tenants right to remain should  be removed, qualified or modified in some way, or made final. Language in the proposed rule solely states that an owner may not terminate tenancy except as provided in existing regulations.

UPCS-V Update Call to be Hosted by HUD

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

On October 31st from 2pm to 4pm eastern time, HUD will host a UPCS-V quarterly update call. During the call, two broad topics will be discussed:

  1. The UPCS-V Test Plan – looking at the potential burdens and barriers to UPCS-V implementation.
  2. Immediate Next Steps – How UPCS-V demonstration PHAs can use UPCS-V as their inspection of record.

The conference call may be connected to at: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/707781, up to 10 minutes prior to the conference start time, 2pm eastern time on October 31, 2016. Feel free to contact HUD UPCS-V staff at OED@hud.gov with any questions, thoughts or suggestions.

NAHRO Submits Comments on PHA AFH Tool

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On October 20, NAHRO submitted comments on HUD’s PHA Assessment of Fair Housing Tool. This was in response to a 30 Day Solicitation of Comment on the Tool. NAHRO had previously submitted comments (members only) on the tool in May.

NAHRO’s comment letter was divided into three parts that focused on NAHRO’s broad concerns about the implementation of the tool, specific issues with the tool itself, and a list of recommendations to improve the tool.

NAHRO’s comment letter can be found here (members only).

 

 

HUD Extends AFH Submission for Qualified Community Development Agencies

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On October 24, HUD will publish a Notice in the Federal Register announcing that they are extending the deadline to submit an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) for small community development agencies. These include: consolidated plan program participants that received a Community Development Block Grant of $500,000 or less in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, or in the case of a HOME consortium, whose members collectively received a CDBG grant of $500,000 or less, from the program year that begins on or after January 1, 2018, to the program year that begins on or after January 1, 2019 for which a new consolidated plan is due, the same date that qualified public housing agencies (PHAs) are to submit their AFHs.

NAHRO learned that HUD created a streamlined version of the AFH tool for these groups to help limit the administrative burden caused by completing the longer and more intensive AFH Tool for Local Governments. NAHRO recommended HUD work to streamline the AFH Tools and is pleased that HUD created a separate insert for smaller community development groups.

NAHRO’s comments on the AFH Tool for Local Governments can be found here  (members only).

NAHRO’s joint comments on the AFH Tool for Local Governments with NCDA can be found here (members only).

 

 

HUD Issues Initial Implementation Guidance for HOTMA

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On October 24, HUD will issue in the Federal Register the initial implementation guidance for the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act (HOTMA). HOTMA was signed into law by President Obama on July 29 after being passed unanimously by Congress. HOMTA provides updates and improvements to multiple HUD programs. HUD’s initial implementation guidance informs the public of which statutory provisions are effective immediately and which will require further action by HUD.

The initial implementation guidance includes information on provisions that went into effect immediately upon enactment of the law, provisions which will require either guidance or rulemaking, provisions that require new regulations, and provisions that require HUD to provide PHAs with more information before implementation.

NAHRO’s in-depth summary of HOTMA can be located here (members only).