On March 25, HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) released a Q&A on using CDBG funds for staff costs and unused and partially utilized space.

Staff costs of CDBG program administration can be used for staff that are on leave due to the closure of the grantees or sub-recipient’s offices in response to COVID-19. These costs can be covered so long as the costs meet program administration requirements related to carrying out eligible activities, the cost of fringe benefits, and costs of other benefits so long as it is allowed under established written leave policies, costs are equitably allocated to all related activities, and the account basis selected for costing each type of leave is consistently followed.

CDBG funds can also be used to cover the cost of unused and partially utilized space related to COVID-19 as well. Although not usually permitted, exceptions exist when the space is unused due to unforeseen consequences, such as COVID-19.

For more COVID-19 related information, see NAHRO’s coronavirus resource page.

On March 23, HUD emailed PHAs with Public Housing programs to remind them that they should review their CY 2020 preliminary Operating Fund (OpFund) Grant eligibility and submit requests for corrections by email to their Field Office on or before April 3, 2020. PHAs can review their preliminary eligibility in the Operating Fund (OpFund) Web Portal in the PHA Form 52723/52722 Module. If you do not have access to the OpFund Portal please follow the guidance found here.

(Washington, D.C. – March 20, 2020) Today, NAHRO CEO Adrianne Todman participated in a phone call with HUD Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Hunter Kurtz and other HUD staff, affordable housing industry groups CLPHA and PHADA, and public housing authorities (PHAs) from across the country to share important guidance on housing operations and respond to questions. 

Todman stated that NAHRO is calling on HUD and Congress to provide more than $20 billion to housing providers who operate public housing and Section 8 programs, and $10 billion for other critical community development projects needed during this unprecedented time. She also called for the creation and funding of a temporary assistance account for low-income workers who are unable to make rental or mortgage payments during the pandemic. 

NAHRO Is also asking HUD and Congress to give immediate relief to housing providers who are trying to respond to real-time needs while balancing federal regulatory red tape. “Housing providers should be focused on people, not paper,” Todman said. “Paying Section 8 landlords, sanitizing their property, adjusting the rent of families who have lost income because of the pandemic, helping families move into units – this is the critical work that needs to be done, not worrying about whether they will reprimanded in months when they are trying to do the right thing now.” 

“PHAs and housing providers are responding in real time to the needs of millions of families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NAHRO President Sunny Shaw, Executive Director at Housing Alliance and Community Partnerships of Pocatello, Idaho. “As this extraordinary crisis continues, these agencies will need the help of both Congress and HUD to continue to provide shelter and aid to the families, veterans, seniors, persons with disabilities and children who live in public and assisted housing, while protecting their staff, residents and communities from the coronavirus.” 

A detailed list of NAHRO’s requests to HUD and Congress is available here. 

For more information, contact Sylvia Gimenez at sgimenez@nahro.org.