Month: April 2018

HUD Releases Rent Reform Proposal

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ 1 Comment

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its rent reform proposal earlier today–titled “Making Affordable Housing Work Act of 2018.” The President’s previously released proposed FY 2019 budget anticipated certain rent reform proposals, though at the time of the proposed budget’s release, these proposals were unknown. The Department has now released its proposal.

In a press release accompanying the proposal, HUD states that “a simplified structure of ‘core rents’ that offers a more transparent and predictable rent calculation . . . is easier for both landlords and tenants to understand.” It also states that “HUD will . . . create a menu of ‘choice rents’ that PHAs and owners may implement to promote greater flexibility, local control, and self-sufficiency for non-elderly/non-disabled households.”

NAHRO staff is in the process of reading through the legislation and will provide additional information in the near future.

The full press release can be found here.

The full legislative text can be found here.

[5/1/18 – NAHRO members can find a full summary of the legislation here. (You must be logged in to view this page.)]

Share Your HUD Strong Families Initiative Events!

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

HUD Strong Families

HUD’s Strong Families Initiative builds upon HUD’s longstanding Father’s Day efforts to involve fathers in the lives of their children. This year HUD is expanding its focus to include mothers, children and parents of all kinds!

Join HUD Strong Families by hosting a resource event in your community anytime during the months of May or June! Your HUD Strong Families event can feature fun and useful activities from moon bounces and barbeques to reading booths, STEM workshops, digital literacy trainings, health clinics, and more!

Check out HUD’s latest Brief:  HUD Strong Families: Parenthood Edition!

Visit the Strong Families website to learn more:  www.hud.gov/strongfamilies.

Or directly register:  go.usa.gov/xndru

Questions?  Email HUD at:  Strongfamilies@hud.gov

TAC to Hold Mainstream Voucher NOFA Webinar

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

HUD recently issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for $100 million in new “Mainstream” housing vouchers for nonelderly people with disabilities.  Information on “Mainstream” Vouchers can be found on HUD’s Office of Housing Choice Vouchers page. The link can also be found below:

https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv.

PHAs are eligible to submit applications; applications are due June 18th.  While not a requirement, HUD is providing points in this competitive process for applications that include partnerships between housing and services agencies, especially those that target housing assistance to assist people with disabilities who are transitioning out of institutional or other segregated settings, at risk of institutionalization, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC)* and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) are sponsoring a webinar on Tuesday May 1 at 1:00 ET to provide additional information about this exciting opportunity. The webinar will review the NOFA requirements and provide PHAs with some strategies to identify service partners and establish partnerships to serve target populations.

The webinar is free of charge but you must register. To register, please click on the link below to provide us with your information via Survey Monkey.  Once the survey completes, click the “Continue” button where GoToWebinar will verify your information. Click “Register” and you are all set! Note that this webinar is specifically for PHAs.  For information about related webinars, please email: lsloane@tacinc.org.

Please email lsloane@tacinc.org by April 26 with any reasonable accommodation requests.

To register, please click on the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VoucherMay1

*See www. tacinc.org for more information about TAC.

HUD Sends FSS Program Coordinator Funding Letter

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD sent a Fiscal Year 2018 Family Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinator Funding Letter to PHA Executive Directors. The letter is meant to help “prepare for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Family Self Sufficiency Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) competition.” The letter discusses Public and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC) data; the possible use of composite scores in funding determinations; and checking the System for Award Management (SAM) and DUNS status.

Click below to learn more.

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Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFA Released

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On April 10, HUD posted the FY18 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants NOFA to www.grants.gov.

HUD is making available up to $5,000,000 for Planning Grants, including Planning and Action Grants. Planning Grants are two-year grants that assist communities with severely distressed public or HUD-assisted housing in developing a successful neighborhood transformation plan and building the support necessary for that plan to be successfully implemented. Planning Action Grants are three and a half year planning grants that pair planning with action. According to HUD, ‘[t]hese actions improve neighborhood confidence, which in turn sustains the community’s energy, attracts more engagement and resources, and helps convince skeptical stakeholders that positive change is possible.”

Applications are due on Tuesday, June 12. Applicants must download the application package from the www.grants.gov site. Questions can be submitted to ChoiceNeighborhoods@hud.gov.

President Signs Executive Order on Work Reforms

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, the President signed an executive order on work reforms titled “Executive Order Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility.” The executive order is divided into five sections: purpose; policy; review of regulations and guidance documents; definitions; and general provisions. This blog post provides a summary of the executive order.

Click below to read the full post.

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Opportunity Zones Designated in 18 States

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On April 9, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced designated Opportunity Zones in 18 states. Established by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Congress created the new community development program that encourages long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities. The Opportunity Zone Program provides tax incentives for investors to re-invest unrealized capital gains into Opportunity Funds. Opportunity Funds are private sector investment vehicles that invest at least 90 percent of their capital in Opportunity Zones. This new program has the potential to be an important, viable program for housing and community development agencies.

Currently, submissions have been approved by: American Samoa; Arizona; California; Colorado; Georgia; Idaho; Kentucky; Michigan; Mississippi; Nebraska; New Jersey; Oklahoma; Puerto Rico; South Carolina; South Dakota; Vermont; Virgin Islands; and Wisconsin.

HUD Announces $43 Million Allocated for HUD-VASH Vouchers

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD published a press release announcing that it would be allocating $43 million to 325 PHAs to provide more than 5,200 veterans experiencing homelessness with homes. The HUD-VASH program combines a Housing Choice Voucher with management and clinical services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

This most recent award increases the number of PHAs that administer the program by 102. More than 87,000 vouchers have been awarded and approximately 144,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program.

The full press release with a list of PHAs and partnering VA Medical Facilities can be found here.

PHA Applications for Vera Reentry Technical Assistance due by May 2

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is soliciting applications from PHAs for 14 months of technical assistance to aid them in planning and implementing reentry programs or changes in their policies to safely increase access to housing for people with conviction histories. PHAs of all sizes are encouraged to apply. PHAs with voucher programs are also encouraged to apply. Multiple PHAs within the same geographic area may apply jointly.

The goals of this initiative are the following:

  1. Safely increase access to housing for people with conviction histories;
  2. Improve the safety of public housing and surrounding communities through the use of reentry housing strategies; and
  3. Promote collaboration between PHAs, law enforcement agencies, and other criminal justice stakeholders to effectively reduce crime and improve reentry outcomes for people leaving prisons and jails.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PST on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Questions may be directed to Jessica Jensen at jessicajensen@vera.org.

Additional information about the initiative can be found on Vera’s website here. The full Request for Proposals for Technical Assistance can be read here.

HUD Publishes CY 2018 Administrative Fee Rates in Federal Register

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD published, in the Federal Register, a notice titled “Notice of Annual Factors for Determining Public Housing Agency Administrative Fees for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Mainstream, and Moderate Rehabilitation Programs.” According to the notice, administrative fees will continue to be earned on the basis of vouchers leased on the first of each month as taken from the Voucher Management System (VMS) at the close of each reporting cycle. Two rates are given: the first is for the first 7,200 voucher unit months, while the second applies to all remaining  voucher unit months in calendar year (CY) 2018.

The full notice can be found here.

[Note: HUD has previously published these rates on their website.]