Day: November 8, 2017

Thank You, John Bohm

~ S. Gimenez ~ Leave a comment

bohm_summer

After 13 years at NAHRO, including 13 months spent as Acting CEO during the search for a permanent leader, John Bohm is leaving the association to move out of Washington, D.C. We at NAHRO thank him for his service, mentorship, and friendship, and wish him the best.

During his tenure, Bohm led the Congressional Relations Department, successfully educating and informing members of Congress and their staff about the importance of HUD appropriations, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other vital affordable housing and community development-related issues. He also helped build a responsible platform for NAHRO advocacy, co-authored the NAHRO Advocacy Training Guide, and conducted advocacy training sessions across the country.

“I’m very proud of everything that’s been accomplished here,” Bohm says, “but I’d like to emphasize that none of it would have happened without the ideas and hard work of many past and present NAHRO staff. I’ve been privileged to work with smart, creative, diligent people who are dedicated to our members and the good work they do, and while I will miss them all, I am happy that the association remains in their more than capable hands.”

Bohm also helped create the Housing America advocacy campaign, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. He instituted the campaign’s signature “What Home Means to Me” calendar contest and helped grow the campaign, which now includes both Housing America Month and the popular Voices of Housing conference panel. He also redesigned NAHRO’s annual Legislative Conference (now known as the Washington Conference), launched the popular yearly “Perspectives on the Federal Budget” panel, and created both the Mary K. Nenno Advocacy Award and the NAHRO Legislator of the Year Award.

As staff liaison for the Legislative Network, Bohm increased the focus and breadth of the group’s responsibilities. He also staffed NAHRO’s Small Agency Task Force and helped increase Congressional awareness of issues affecting small housing authorities.

Bohm trained and mentored many members of NAHRO staff. He also wrote a semi-regular “Notes from the Front” column for the NAHRO Monitor for many years.

HUD Releases Guidance on Demo/Dispo Asset-Repositioning Fee (ARF)

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On November 8, HUD released Notice PIH-2017-22 titled “Guidance on Eligibility for Asset-Repositioning Fee (ARF) when Public Housing Units Are Approved for Demolition, Disposition, or Transitioned to Homeownership.” The Notice applies to all PHAs administering Public Housing, including MTW PHAs.

PHAs that transition projects or entire buildings within a project out of the public inventory may be eligible for ARF, which is an add-on to Operating Subsidy eligibility. ARF supplements costs associated with administration of demolition and disposition, tenant relocation, and minimum protection and services associated with such efforts. It is not intended for individual units within a multi-unit building.

The guidance discusses which units would be considered eligible for ARF, the timeline for homeownership and non-homeownership ARF, how to identify unit months for units eligible to receive ARF, how to calculate ARF amounts, how to determine the ARF funding period versus the Operating Subsidy funding year, how to use ARF when a PHA demolishes and/or disposes of different buildings in one project in multiple phases, and how to adjust the rolling base if some units in a project are ARF eligible and others are not.