Author: Georgi Banna

FY19 House T-HUD Appropriations Bill Released; HUD Programs Receive Level Funding/Slight Increases

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On May 15, the House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) Subcommittee released its draft FY 2019 appropriations bill. Overall, the bill received an additional $1.5 billion increase to its allocation compared to FY 2018, an achievement considering several spending bills have been level funded and T-HUD was expected to have a similar fate.  A summary is below; NAHRO will release a more detailed analysis soon.

The FY 2018 omnibus bill marked the first significant increase to HUD funding in nearly a decade; NAHRO and its members should be proud that the House bill preserves many of those funding increases in a highly competitive appropriations season.

Most programs within HUD received level funding or a slight increase, with the unfortunate exception of the HOME Investment Partnerships program. HOME was cut by 12 percent compared to FY 2018.

  • Public Housing Capital Fund: $2.75 billion, level funding – including a new $30 million set-aside for competitive grants for the demolition of the most distressed public housing units
  • Public Housing Operating Fund: $4.55 billion, level funding
  • Choice Neighborhoods:$150 million, level funding
  • Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment Renewals:$20.107 billion, a 2.6 percent increase
  • Mobility Demonstration: $50 million for a new mobility demonstration program
  • Ongoing Administrative Fees: $1.73 billion, level funding
  • Family Self-Sufficiency: $75 million, level funding
  • Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance: $11.747 billion, a 2 percent increase
  • Community Development Block Grant:$3.3 billion, level funding
  • HOME Investment Partnerships:$1.2 billion, a 12 percent decrease
  • Housing Opportunity for Persons with AIDS:$393 million, a 5 percent increase
  • Homeless Assistance Grants:$2.546 billion, a 1 percent increase

As the FY 2019 appropriations process moves forward, NAHRO will focus advocacy efforts on the HOME program to ensure that the cuts proposed by the House are not enacted. NAHRO will also advocate for increased funding and flexibility for HCV Administrative Fee funds as level funding does not take into account the addition of new vouchers and the increased need for resident opportunity resources.

The bill will be brought before the House T-HUD Subcommittee on May 16 for consideration. No amendments are expected. It’s likely that the full House Appropriations Committee will vote on the bill next week. The timeline for a floor vote is unclear, though Congress typically tries to move as many bills through the process as possible before the August recess.

The Senate T-HUD bill is expected to be considered before the Senate T-HUD Subcommittee during the week of June 4.

NAHRO Begins New Partnership on Smoke-Free Public Housing; May 17 Complementary Webinar

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ANSR2On March 15, Live Smoke Free, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), and the National Alliance of Resident Services in Affordable and Assisted Housing (NAR-SAAH) began a partnership to support successful smoke-free public housing policy and implementation. The Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project is made possible by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It will provide training and technical assistance to public housing authorities (PHAs), resident services staff, and public housing residents impacted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) smoke-free public housing rule. The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium at the Public Health Law Center and national smoke-free housing expert Alison Freeman are also partners in the venture.

The Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project spans a two-year time period, from March 15, 2018 to March 14, 2020. Services available to PHAs include:

  • Training & educational opportunities (at the national and regional levels),
  • Consultations,
  • Implementation tools,
  • Tips for resident engagement,
  • Referrals to local support,
  • Compliance & enforcement strategies, and
  • Referrals to cessation resources.

On May 17 at 12:30pm Eastern Time join the Clean Air for All team for a complimentary, live discussion and Q&A on the “Instituting Smoke-Free Public Housing” final rule. Participants will hear a brief update on the rule and be able to submit questions to Live Smoke Free, NAHRO, and NAR-SAAH staff. Have any and all your remaining questions on final implementation of the rule answered before the July 30 compliance date. Join us to help your agency transition to and maintain successful smoke-free public housing environments. Register for this complimentary session at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3798829557136111363.

To learn more about the Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project or to seek support for a PHA, contact gbanna@nahro.org.

Share Your HUD Strong Families Initiative Events!

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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

Tomorrow – NAHRO e-Briefing on Work Requirement Proposals and Practices

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Housing Rules!!

An e-Briefing series on formation & substance of HUD rules, regulations, and guidance.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 13, 2018 from 1:30pm to 3pm eastern time

Work Requirements – Proposals & Practices

The Administration has released their fiscal year 2019 budget proposal which includes many policy provisions that would affect an assisted family’s rent payment. One provision would allow a housing authority or unit owner to require non-elderly and non-disabled family members to be employed or in a vocational training program for a minimum number of hours. During this e-Briefing, the NAHRO Policy Team will provide an overview of the Administration’s proposal. Also joining us are Moving to Work PHAs that have implemented a minimum work requirement to discuss why they use minimum work requirements and explore the results that have been seen to this point.

What is an e-Briefing?

A 90-minute online session (1:30pm – 3pm ET) that focuses on industry hot topics which affect your agency now. Expert presenters from the housing and community development industry, HUD and/or other agency staff and practitioners will share the most current information and case studies on critical issues. The final 20 minutes of each e-Briefing are reserved for questions & answers. e-Briefings are different from e-Learnings in that not every person listening must be registered. We require only one registration per viewing site/connection/device.

Registration closes tonight at 11:59 eastern time. Click the Register Now button above or below to register.

This Tuesday!! NAHRO e-Briefing – RAD: Program Updates and PHA Experiences

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RAD: Program Updates and PHA Experiences
A NAHRO Professional Development e-Briefing
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
1:30 – 3:00 pm EST

Register Now Button

The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) continues to be a critically important tool for housing authorities looking to pursue innovation while renovating and preserving their local affordable housing stock. As we begin 2018, join the NAHRO Policy Team for an in-depth review of the current status of RAD. Participants will also hear from PHAs that have gone through the RAD conversion process. These RAD agencies will discuss why RAD worked for them, explain how they chose between Project Based Vouchers (PBV) or Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), and share lessons learned and best practices. Whether your agency is a RAD veteran or exploring whether RAD is a viable option for the future, don’t miss this opportunity to have your questions addressed by industry experts during this interactive online training.

Only $95 for NAHRO members!

Registration closes Monday, February 12 at 11:59 ET pm. 

Register Now Button

Reminder: Whether you’re watching alone or with an audience of 100, only one registration per connected device is required, making NAHRO Professional Development’s e-Briefings an outstanding value! Can’t attend the session at the scheduled time? Register anyway, and we will email you a link to the archived recording as soon as it’s ready to be stream.

Harvard Webinar on Implementing Smoke-Free Public Housing

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NAHRO has been asked to share the following webinar invitation:

Building Success: Adopting and implementing an effective smoke-free housing policy

Webinar offered on:

Wednesday, February 14, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (EST) Register Here

OR

Tuesday, February 20, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (EST) Register Here

Please join the team from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston University School of Public Health for a webinar that will provide useful, practical guidance and support for the implementation of smoke-free policies, whether you are just starting the process or engaged in ongoing implementation. The webinar will summarize key findings from the experiences of more than 150 public housing authorities that have adopted and implemented smoke-free policies. We will offer this webinar on February 14 and again on February 20, 2018. Space is limited – register today!

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To register for the online event on Wednesday, February 14, 2018 2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
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1. Go to https://huit-uc.webex.com/huit-uc/onstage/g.php?MTID=e624490f2602de87357e4b5dd3bceeb8e
2. Click “Register”.
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then click “Submit”.

Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event.

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To register for the online event on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 1:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
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1. Go to https://huit-uc.webex.com/huit-uc/onstage/g.php?MTID=e9b46ec4054ca4b09dfc9b4a7ce584cbe
2. Click “Register”.
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then click “Submit”.

Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event.
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For assistance
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You can contact Robyn Keske at:
rkeske@hsph.harvard.edu

https://www.webex.com

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This WebEx service includes a feature that allows audio and any documents and other materials exchanged or viewed during the session to be recorded. By joining this session, you automatically consent to such recordings. If you do not consent to the recording, discuss your concerns with the meeting host prior to the start of the recording or do not join the session. Please note that any such recordings may be subject to discovery in the event of litigation.

HUD to Release CDBG-DR Notice for 2017 Disasters

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HUD has posted a pre-publication copy of the “Allocations, Common Application, Waivers, and Alternative Requirements for 2017 Disaster Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Grantees” notice. The notice is to be published in the Federal Register and will be applicable five days after being published.

As HUD’s summary states, “This notice allocates $7.39 billion in Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) funds appropriated by the Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements, 2017, for the purpose of assisting in long-term recovery from 2017 disasters. This notice describes applicable waivers and alternative requirements, relevant statutory provisions for grants provided under this notice, the grant award process, criteria for action plan approval, and eligible disaster recovery activities. Given the extent of damage to housing in the eligible disaster areas and the very limited data at present regarding unmet infrastructure and economic revitalization needs, this notice requires each grantee to primarily consider and address its unmet housing recovery needs.”

Breakdown of the $7.39 billion:

  • State of Texas – $5,024,215,000
  • State of Florida – $615,922,000
  • Commonwealth of Puerto Rico – $1,507,179,000
  • United States Virgin Islands – $242,684,000

Congress continues to discuss additional supplemental distaster funding for the 2017 disaster. NAHRO is following these discussions and will share additional information as it becomes known.

Update on HUD Funding During Government Shutdown

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As of this writing, a federal shutdown is in effect while Congress works on a Continuing Resolution to fund the government. While we hear that HUD is confident that February payments will be loaded and available to public housing authorities (PHAs), there is no guarantee of this. We strongly encourage NAHRO members to call their Representatives and their Senators, and to let them know that the government shutdown will jeopardize the rental payments and therefore the housing of the public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher residents we serve.For more information, see HUD’s current shutdown plan (PDF). More information is also available on the HUD website. NAHRO will continue to monitor the situation and keep members informed.

2012 Offset Litigation Update

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This update is for the plaintiffs of the 2017 judgment on the 2012 public housing offset litigation (the first round of litigation.)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a request to the Judgment Fund for the payment of damages on December 21, 2017, for all but 23 of the plaintiffs. The reason a payment request was not sent for the other 23 is that the plaintiff’s attorneys did not have the banking information when they originally sent the information for the other plaintiffs to DOJ. The attorneys now have the banking information for 18 of the 23 and will send it to DOJ in the near future. If you are one of the five remaining plaintiffs that have not submitted your banking information, submit your banking information as soon as possible to the plaintiff’s attorneys.

Assuming there aren’t any problems with the information that DOJ sent to the Judgment Fund, the awardee plaintiffs should receive the damages to which you are entitled in a few weeks. Please note that the Judgment Fund will not notify you when it wires your payments to you. Therefore, you will have to monitor the bank account into which you requested that the funds be wired to determine when you receive your payment.

Why the 4% LIHTC Matters: Housing Authority of the City of Austin

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North Loop Apartments
North Loop Apartments & Gaston Place Apartments. Photo: HACA

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is one of the most effective tools for creating new and critically needed affordable housing, and accounts for the vast majority of all affordable rental housing created in the United States. This is one in a series of articles that show how public housing authorities (PHAs) and community development agencies have successfully used federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds to build and/or preserve public housing and affordable housing, and to increase the sustainability of their communities.

Housing Authority of the City of Austin: Portfolio Modernization

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is fully converting its public housing portfolio to RAD, and for many properties, has used 4 percent LIHTC and Private Activity Bonds (PABs) to improve its public housing stock through HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD).

“Our ability to use 4 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Private Activity Bonds has been crucial to meeting Austin’s affordable housing challenge,” said HACA President and CEO Michael Gerber. “We are fully converting our public housing portfolio to RAD, and PABs layered with 4 percent credits have provided us with the necessary financing to dramatically rehabilitate our properties – including new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, and accessibility features.  There is intense competition in Texas for 9 percent tax credits, and winning them is difficult.  Without PABs and 4 percent credits, our RAD program would be dead in the water.”

“In just the past three years, HACA has issued $150 million in Private Activity Bonds, coupled with 4 percent credits, to develop 1,600 high-quality apartment units,” Gerber explained.” These developments would not have happened without the PAB  / 4 percent tax credit program. One thousand people a week are moving to Austin, and recent studies show that the city needs another 55,000 affordable housing units on the ground today.  Losing PAB capacity effectively kills the 4 percent tax credit.  And, without these financing tools, low-income people – seniors, persons with disabilities, veterans, and far too many children – will lose the opportunity for safe, decent housing.”

For more information about this project or to share your organization’s 4 percent LIHTC success story, please contact nahro@nahro.org.