Author: Jenny Hsu

HUD Provides $179 Million to States for Disaster Recovery

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Earlier this week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced an additional $178.5 million to help hard-hit areas in several states recover from severe flooding that occurred in 2015 and 2016. State grant recipients include Florida, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. This new allocation will be provided through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program, where HUD has previously provided nearly $947 million in these areas for recovery efforts. The CDBG-DR grants will support a wide range of activities, including housing redevelopment, business assistance and infrastructure repair.

Below is the full list of grantees for this announcement and their allocations to date:

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Application Deadline for 2017 ConnectHome Nation Cohort is July 31st

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As NAHRO previously reported, EveryoneOn, in partnership with HUD, has announced the expansion of the ConnectHome pilot program. First unveiled in 2015, ConnectHome is a White House initiative aimed at narrowing the digital divide within 28 pilot communities (which includes participation from 23 NAHRO member agencies). ConnectHome tested the impact of cross-sector collaborators using non-government resources in order to accelerate the adoption and utilization of broadband technology by families living in HUD-assisted housing.

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The FY 2017 Continuum of Care Program Competition is Now Open

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On July 14, HUD announced the publication of the FY 2017 Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), making available approximately $2 billion in FY 2017 for the CoC Program. The CoC Program is a HUD administered program designed to promote a community-wide commitment to the goals of ending homelessness and provides funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, States, and local governments to quickly re-house individuals and families experiencing homelessness. As of July 18, the FY 2017 CoC Consolidated Application and project applications are available in e-snaps.

The submission deadline is Thursday, September 28, 2017 at 8:00 PM EDT.

Listed below are a number of highlights and special considerations for the FY 2017 competition. More information can be found on HUD’s FY 2017 CoC Program Competition: Funding Availability Page.  Continue reading →

HUD Seeks Comment on New Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Program for Disabled and Low-Income Veterans

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On July 12, the HUD Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing HUD’s intention to develop a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Disabled and Low-Income Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program (Program), which was authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pub. L. 113–291, approved December 19, 2014), as amended. HUD is also seeking input from interested parties and stakeholders to inform the development of the NOFA so that the funds are “used efficiently and fulfill the statutory purpose.”  Continue reading →

Deadline Today for HUD’s VAWA 2013 Emergency Transfer Plan Requirements

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As NAHRO previously reported, HUD published a final rule last year that provides expanded housing protections for survivors of violence and fully codifies the provisions of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) of 2013 into HUD regulations. Most of the final rule’s requirements became effective on December 16, 2016, but covered housing provider are also required to comply with rule’s emergency transfer plan provisions (and be able to begin making transfers) no later than today – June 14, 2017.

Last month, NAHRO policy staff conducted a webinar that discusses compliance with HUD’s final rule and the requirements for completing an emergency transfer plan and providing emergency transfers. This recording is available for purchase online at NAHRO’s Digital Store.

HUD Publishes FY 2017 CPD Formula Allocations

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Today, HUD released the FY 2017 allocations for the Department’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) formula grant programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) , Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Housing Trust Fund (HTF).

For FY 2017, states and local communities across the nation will receive approximately $3.0 billion in CDBG, $958 million in HOME, $320 million in HOPWA, $270 million in ESG, and $219 million in HTF funding. These amounts reflect approved grant reductions and reallocated funds for the CDBG and HOME programs.

The CPD allocations can be found online here.

Suspension of HOME 24-Month Commitment Requirement

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On June 2, HUD published a message on HUD Exchange addressing the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act’s (Public Law No. 115-31) suspension of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) 24-month commitment requirement for deadlines occurring in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Due to this suspension, HUD will not be enforcing the program’s 24-month commitment requirement for deadlines occurring this year or in 2018 and 2019. For deadlines that occurred in 2016, HUD intends to return deobligated funds to participating jurisdictions (PJs). HUD further clarifies that this suspension does not apply to a PJ’s Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) set-aside funds and does not apply to the 5-year expenditure deadline for FY 2014 and earlier grants. The recent HOME interim rule implementing grant-specific commitment requirements remains in effect, except HUD will not enforce the 24-month commitment deadlines discussed above. Additional HUD guidance on the effects of this suspension is forthcoming.

ConnectHome to Expand to Over 100 Communities

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Last week, EveryoneOn, in partnership with HUD, announced the expansion of the ConnectHome pilot. First unveiled in 2015 by the Obama Administration, ConnectHome was a White House initiative aimed at narrowing the digital divide within 28 pilot communities (which included participation from 23 NAHRO member agencies). ConnectHome tested the impact of cross-sector collaborators using non-government resources in order to accelerate the adoption and utilization of broadband technology by families living in HUD-assisted housing

Beginning this summer, the expansion of ConnectHome – which has been rebranded as “ConnectHOME Nation” – will launch a new cohort of communities with the goal of reaching over 100 communities and connecting 350,000 people living in public housing by 2020.

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HUD PIH Publishes Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Guidance

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On May 19, HUD Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) published a new notice (PIH-2017-08) that provides guidance to PHAs and owners on the requirements of the “Violence Against Women Act of 2013: Implementation in HUD Housing Programs Final Rule,” (VAWA Final Rule, published November 16, 2016) with respect to the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs (including the Project-Based Voucher (PBV)), and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation (Mode Rehab).

Overall, the VAWA Final Rule provides expanded housing protections for survivors of violence and fully codifies 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 survivor of violence.

Notice PIH-2017-08 provides a summary of the major changes of the final rule’s impact on PIH programs and details who is eligible to receive VAWA protections and how eligibility is determined and certified.

Among its topics, the notice reviews policies for:

  • PHA Documentation Requirements
  • Notice of Occupancy Rights
  • Victim Confidentiality
  • Emergency Transfers (Emergency Transfer Plans must be in place by June 14, 2017)
  • Family Break-up
  • Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements
  • Developing Partnerships with Victim Service Providers
  • Lease Bifurcations
  • Establishing Waiting List Preferences
  • Landownership: Move with Continued Tenant-Based Assistance
  • Owners in the HCV Program
  • Assistance Under More Than One Covered Housing Program
  • Fair Housing and Nondiscrimination

Please note that this guidance does not encompass every aspect of the VAWA Final Rule and should be used in conjunction with the VAWA Final Rule. NAHRO will provide a deeper analysis of this PIH notice for members in a forthcoming edition of the NAHRO Monitor.

HUD Issues Waiver for a Citizen Participation Requirement in CPD Programs

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On May 10, HUD’s Office of Community Planing and Development (CPD) issued a waiver that concerns the 30-day public comment standard for CPD formula grantees submitting their FY 2017 consolidated plan or action plan to HUD.

As a consequence of Congress’s seven month delay in passing a FY 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) spending bill, there is now insufficient time for CPD grantees to complete their pre-submission or pre-amendment citizen participation process before the statutory August 16, 2017 submission deadline – if HUD does not receive a consolidated plan or action plan by this date, a grantee automatically loses its FY 2017 CDBG funding.

To help ensure grantees do not lose their FY 2107 funding, HUD’s waiver replaces the regulatory 30-day citizen participation public comment period with a minimum 14-day comment period. This waiver applies to all CPD grantees and is in effect only until August 16, 2017.