Tomorrow, January 27 from 1-2:00 pm CT, Zoom

Clean Air for All invites you to join us for an upcoming webinar- Working Together: Resident Engagement during (and after) the Pandemic. We will discuss ways to engage residents in a building’s smoke-free policy and cessation efforts, both remotely and in person.

Webinar Objectives
· Highlight successful resident engagement efforts that have occurred at PHAs
· Outline strategies to help PHAs keep residents engaged both in person and remotely
· Describe resources available for resident engagement

Speakers
–    Mr. Georgi Banna, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials
–    Ms. Lorraine Lathen, Jump at the Sun Consultants, Wisconsin African American Tobacco Control Network
–    Mr. Ernest Watts, Robeson County Health Department, North Carolina
–    Kara Skahen, Clean Air for All: The Smoke-Free Public Housing Project

Register here!

On January 15, HUD posted three PIH Notices on their website. Notice PIH 2021-04, titled Public Housing Operating Fund (“OpFund”) Grant Eligibility Calculations and Processing for Calendar Year (CY) 2021, provides public housing agencies (PHAs) with instructions for calculating OpFund grants for CY 2021 and establishes submission deadlines. Notice PIH 2021-05, titled Use of Shared Housing in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, reminds PHAs that Shared Housing remains a permissible and viable option that
may be made available to HCV participants, and of the specific programmatic requirements related to Shared Housing for the HCV program. Lastly, Notice PIH 2021-06, titled Process for Amending ICDBG-CARES Grants, provide ICDBG-CARES grantees with instructions on how to amend the use of existing Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Imminent Threat (IT) funds provided under the CARES Act.

HUD’s Office of Capital Improvements (OCI) has revised almost all FY 2020 Capital Fund Program (CFP) Formula Grants to distribute an additional $16,846,352 in capital funds. The funding is subject to the original FY 2020 Capital Fund Formula Grant obligation start date of 3/26/2020 with an obligation end date of 3/25/23 and an expenditure end date of 3/25/25. HUD’s list of new Capital Fund Awards can be found here.

Earlier today, HUD’s Financial Management Division (FMD) emailed PHAs to remind them that they need to ensure PHA Executive Directors possess the OPD – PHA Executive Director user role in the Operating Fund Web Portal. The director must have this role to certify and submit PHA forms SF-424, HUD-50071, and, if required, SF-LLL to HUD. WASS coordinators assign user roles, and only the Executive Director should be assigned OPD – PHA Executive Director. WASS coordinators should refer to the following user guide for instructions on how to assign the role. PHA Executive Directors and staff can review their assigned user roles by logging into the Operating Fund Web Portal and clicking the “roles assigned” button.

On September 18, HUD pre-published the “Streamlining and Implementation of Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act Changes to Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program” proposed rule. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act amended HUD’s FSS program including changes to the size calculation for the FSS program, expanding the definition of eligible family to include tenants of certain privately owned multifamily projects subsidized with Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), updating the FSS Contract of Participation (CoP), reducing burdens on Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and multifamily assisted housing owners, clarifying escrow account requirements, and updating the program coordinator and action plan
requirements. Comments are due 60 days from publication in the Federal Register.

On September 14, HUD issued Notice PIH-2020-24 titled “Extension of Period of Availability for CARES Act Supplemental Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Funds, Guidance on CARES Act Financial Reporting Requirements (FDS and Quarterly Reporting), and Other CARES Act Provisions.” The notice provides information on funding extensions, annual reporting, & quarterly reporting for PHAs that have received supplemental funding via the CARES Act. The notice applies to supplement Operating Fund, supplemental Admin Fees, and supplement HAP dollars and should be used by PHAs to report the expenditures of those funds.

On August 27, HUD pre-published its final Operations Notice for the MTW Expansion. The Operations Notice establishes the requirements for the implementation and continued operations of the MTW demonstration program pursuant to the 2016 MTW Expansion Statute. The expansion authorized HUD to expand the MTW demonstration program by adding an additional 100 high-performing PHAs over a period of seven years. The Act requires agencies to be added to the MTW demonstration by cohort and that HUD direct one specific policy change to be implemented per cohort to facilitate the evaluation of that policy. HUD released previous drafts of the MTW Operations Notice in January 2017 and October 2018. The final Operations Notice includes changes that incorporate feedback from the previous drafts. The Operations Notice will go into effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

On August 14, HUD announced additional uses and waivers for states and local governments using supplemental CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) funds. The CARES Act provided $5 billion in supplemental funding for the CDBG program to help states and local jurisdictions prepare for, prevent, and respond to the coronavirus.  To date, HUD has provided over $3 billion in supplement CDBG-CV funds to help communities combat coronavirus and alleviate economic hardship.

HUD will now allow states to carry out activities using CDBG-CV funding directly or pass funds through to local governments. HUD has also updated and streamlined economic development rules so grantees may quickly help small businesses. HUD will also allow CDBG-CV to be used for emergency payments to a provider or landlord on behalf of a family or individual for up to six months, as opposed to 90 days.

The Notice also contains and waivers and requirements to expedite submissions across multiple grant programs.

HUD’s press release can be found here.

On July 28, HUD released Notice PIH-2020-16 “Implementation of Public Housing Operating Fund Shortfall Funding from Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2020 Appropriations.” The 2020 Appropriations Act set aside $25 million of the Operating Fund to be allocated to public housing agencies that experience insolvency. This set-aside will be distributed via a need-based application process not subject to the Operating Fund formula. HUD may distribute any remaining funds to all public housing agencies on a pro-rata basis after all insolvency needs are met. The notice provides guidance regarding eligibility, the process for applying, and other requirements for the $25 million set-aside of Public Housing Operating Funds to assist PHAs experiencing financial insolvency. 

Continue reading →

HUD has recently published its FY 2020 Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). The NOFA is available at grants.gov. The 2020 Appropriations Act provided $80 million for the FSS program. Applications are due August 20, 2020. Applicants must have an up-to-date DUNS number, SAM.gov registration and grants.gov registration.

Only PHAs that were funded for FSS in at least one of the last years are eligible to apply for this NOFA. HUD will not have a NOFA for new applicants in FY 2020.

HUD will also be hosting a webinar on the FSS NOFA Monday July 27 from 1:30pm – 3pm Eastern. You can register here.