Author: Tushar Gurjal

New Material on Infectious Disease Preparedness Guidance for Homeless Assistance Providers

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The HUD Exchange sent an email of links to new material from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Homeless Assistance Providers. The new materials include the following:

The email also provides a link to the CDC: Interim Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations for US Community Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Finally, HUD notes that it has portal where individuals can ask questions about preventing or responding to the threat of infectious diseases, which can be found here.

USICH to Conduct Infectious Disease Webinar

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[3/11/2020 3:39 pm ET edit – the recorded webinar can be found here.]

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is presenting a webinar titled “Infectious Disease Preparedness for Homeless Assistance Providers and Their Partners” on March 10, 2020 at 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm ET. Presenters for the webinar include the following:

  • Dr. Barbara DiPietro, National Health Care for the Homeless Council;
  • Dr. Jay Butler, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
  • Hedda McLendon, King County Department of Community and Human Services.

The webinar can be joined here.

HUD Creates Online Guidance Portal

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Tomorrow, HUD will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the creation of a HUD guidance portal. In the process of complying with a presidential executive order, the Department conducted a review of all of its guidance and ensured that those documents that remain in effect were linked to a single website that could be searched. The single searchable database containing all of HUD’s guidance can be found at: http://www.hud.gov/guidance.

The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials applauds HUD for creating this searchable index and looks forward to further refinements.

The pre-publication copy of the notice announcing this portal can be found here.

Infectious Disease Toolkit for CoCs

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The Department has released a new Infectious Disease Toolkit for Continuums of Care (CoCs). The toolkits provide “structure and specific examples for planning and responding to influenza, coronavirus, and other infectious diseases.” The toolkit is composed of three documents for CoC leadership, homeless service providers, and other partners to use in responding to infectious diseases. The documents include the following:

Additionally, one of our members wanted to share these coronavirus anti-stigma resources. They mostly apply to the local King County / Seattle area, but others may also find them useful.

Information on Coronavirus for PHA Residents

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Earlier today, HUD sent an email with links to fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about COVID-19 (popularly known as the coronavirus). The Department encourages PHAs to make the fact sheets available to their program participants. The fact sheets are listed below:

HUD Publishes PBV Subsidy Layering Review Guidelines

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Last week, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register titled “Administrative Guidelines: Subsidy Layering Review for Project-Based Vouchers.” Subsidy layering reviews (SLRs) ensure that excessive public assistance is not used when combining Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) from project-based vouchers with other forms of public assistance from federal, state, or local agencies including through tax assistance or credits. Subsidy layering reviews are not required when a project is already subject to a project-based voucher (PBV) contract (even if it is recapitalized with outside funding) or when PBVs are the only assistance provided to a development. Subsidy layering requirements are required when a PBV project includes other governmental assistance. The Department and, in certain cases, the local Housing Credit Agency are the entities that conduct the review. This notice provides information about subsidy layering reviews with appendices on PHA submissions required, a sample notice of intent to participate in subsidy layering reviews by housing credit agencies, and a sample housing credit agency certification.

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IMS-PIC down from March 13, 2020 to March 23, 2020

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Earlier today, HUD sent a letter to PHA Executive Directors in which HUD states that the Inventory Management System-Public Housing Information Center (IMS/PIC) will not process 50058 submissions from March 13, 2020 to March 23, 2020. During this time, the system will be upgraded to fix a security flaw. Housing agencies are asked to not use the system during this window.

This upgrade is being done to patch a security-related exploit in the system. Current web browsers will soon receive a patch that will make them unable to use the current system because of the exploit. The upgrade will also result in reduced functionality in certain system modules like PIC inventory removal and changes to existing building and unit information. The Department is developing a plan for additional support during this time.

The Department is encouraging PHAs with programs with fiscal years that end December 31 to complete submission of their SEMAP certification prior to the system entering the shutdown (i.e., testing) phase.

The system will resume operation on March 24, 2020. At that time, the Department will publish step by step instructions for PHAs and Field Offices to address potential problems.

Questions on concerns can be directed to REAC_TAC@hud.gov.

Further updates may be found here.

The full letter from HUD REAC can be found here.

Vera Technical Assistance Grant Application Due Friday, Feb 28th

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As previously mentioned on this blog, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) is seeking applications for technical assistance from PHAs that would like to plan and implement reentry programs or change their policies toward people with conviction histories. Applications are due in one week on Friday, February 28, 2020.

The goals of the initiative include the following: increase housing for people with conviction histories while increasing public safety; improve the safety of public housing through the use of reentry strategies; and promote collaboration between PHAs, law enforcement, and other criminal justice stakeholders.

Housing authorities of all sizes (including those with housing choice vouchers) are encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a letter of intent, an application narrative, and letters of support. Award announcements will be made in April.

Additional information may be found here.

Housing Choice Voucher Dashboard Published

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Earlier today, HUD announced that it published a Housing Choice Voucher Dashboard. The dashboard provides information about vouchers at both the state and national levels. It includes budget and leasing utilization information, reserve balance information (it highlights PHAs that have high reserves as a percentage of their budget authority and in absolute terms), attrition, per unit cost trends, and leasing potential. There is also utilization data on special purpose vouchers (HUD-VASH, FUP, Mainstream, etc.). The data is mostly taken from the voucher management system.

A tutorial on the dashboard can be found above.

The dashboard data dictionary can be found here.

The dashboard itself can be found here.

HUD Posts First HCV Landlord Participation webinar

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Earlier this week, HUD was supposed to livestream a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Landlord Participation webinar, but was unable to stream it because of technical difficulties. Despite the difficulties, the Department was able to record the webinar and has now made it publicly available. It can be found here.

Slides for the webinar can be found here.