Author: Tushar Gurjal

UPCS-V Update and Timeline

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD REAC had a conference call with PHAs that volunteered to be a part of the UPCS-V Demonstration. In the conference call, HUD shared additional information on the Demonstration including a timeline moving forward. The Demonstration has 173 agencies from 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (31% of vouchers are represented in the Demonstration). HUD took NAHRO’s suggestion in its comment letter and has accepted small and very small agencies, but is still looking for additional agencies to apply.

If your agency is still interested in applying, please provide the following information to UPCSV@hud.gov:

  • Name of PHA;
  • PHA Address;
  • Name of Point of Contact (POC);
  • Phone Number of POC; and
  • Email Address of POC.

Here is the tentative timeline for the demonstration moving forward.

Currently

  • Prepare for PHAs starting August 1st;
  • Release the software;
  • Update the decision trees; and
  • Protocol Document release [should be in the next week or two].

August

  • OED to shadow HQS inspections [for first wave of 13 or 14 chosen PHAs; PHAs that are chosen for this wave should already be informed];
  • Start training PHAs on UPCS-V August 29th to September 31st;
  • PIH Listening Sessions for PHAs only, scheduled at various locations around the country; and
  • Public outreach presentation on UPCS-V.

September – December

  • Train PHAs [HUD will train PHA inspectors who will start performing inspections at this time];
  • Completion of online training tool;
  • PIH Listening Sessions; and
  • Other presentations on UPCS-V.

January – Summer 2017

  • Continue training PHAs.

Additional questions about the demonstration can be mailed to OED@hud.gov.

As noted in the timeline, a revised version of the UPCS-V protocol will be published in the next week or two at the REAC OED website. The slides from today’s call will also be made available on the OED website.

NAHRO is following the Demonstration very closely and will continue to bring you the latest updates.

 

Housing as a Basic Patient Need

~ Tushar Gurjal

The importance of housing is starting to permeate other professions, including medicine, as this post in the The New York Times Health and Wellness blog illustrates. Here’s a great quote:

Research also shows that providing housing for low-income and homeless people can substantially reduce medical costs. A housing initiative in Oregon, for example, decreased Medicaid spending by 55 percent for the newly housed; a study of a similar program in Los Angeles found that every $1 spent on housing led to $6 saved on medical costs.

Read the entire post here.

PAHRC Releases “Housing is a Foundation” 2016 Report

~ Tushar Gurjal

Today, July 20, PAHRC released its yearly research report for 2016 titled “Housing is a Foundation.” This year’s report focuses on the lack of available housing assistance, the people who receive housing assistance, and the beneficial impacts of housing assistance. The report supplies data to “foster a better understanding of the need for housing assistance and how this assistance helps meet the needs of low-income families and their communities.”

Here’s a great graphic on how helpful rental assistance is on all facets of a household.

https://www.housingcenter.com/sites/default/files/styles/panopoly_image_full/public/general/Summary.png?itok=lOA8Moub

The full report can be read here.

MTW Research Advisory Committee – Conference Calls

~ Tushar Gurjal

The Moving to Work (MTW) Research Advisory Committee will be holding two public conference calls. The MTW Research Advisory Committee will advise HUD on how to move forward with the MTW expansion, especially with respect to specific policies to test in the expansion. The calls are open to the public, but members of the public must register to provide comment.

The calls are at the following dates and times [edit: the calls are until 4 pm; previously this post stated they were until 3 pm]:

July 26, 2016 – Increasing Housing Choice for Low-Income Families (1 pm to 4 pm); and

July 28, 2016 – Cost-Effectiveness and Incentives to Increase Self-Sufficiency for Families with Children (1 pm to 4 pm).

Use the following numbers to call-in:

  • United States –  (800) 230-1766;
  • Outside the United States – (612) 288-0329; and
  • Persons with hearing impairments – (800) 977-8339 and providing the FRS operator with the conference call toll-free number: (800) 230-1766.

To register, please click here.

Additional information on the call agendas can be found here.

Our prior blog post on these calls can be found here.

Voucher Mobility Debate at the Furman Center

~ Tushar Gurjal

The Furman Center has published a discussion on their website about voucher mobility. The discussion centers around HUD’s proposed Small Area Fair Market Rents rule, which would require certain metropolitan areas to use zip code level fair market rents. There are four written pieces, each with a unique viewpoint:

Here’s a quote from Rachel Fee’s essay:

HUD’s proposal is made without a Section 8 budget increase, so housing “opportunity” for some low-income families will come at the expense of others.  Families who choose to stay in their current homes in high poverty areas or those who are unable to move, will literally pay the price of higher rents for families using their voucher in more expensive neighborhoods.

While NAHRO is still in the process of writing its comment letter on the proposed rule, NAHRO’s initial concerns about the Small Area FMR proposed rule include concerns about tenant welfare, limiting the choice of tenants, and administrative burdens. NAHRO also believes that additional research should be done before implementing HUD’s rule and that additional funding is required to properly implement it.

HUD Awards $75 Million in FSS Grants

~ Tushar Gurjal

Today, HUD announced that it was awarding $75 million in grants through the Family Self-Sufficieny (FSS) program. The grants allow for public housing residents, Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program participants, and recipients of Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) to advance their education or receive job-training skills. The grants allow public housing agencies (PHAs) to work with social service agencies, community colleges, businesses, and other local partners to help individuals participating in the program.

HUD’s press release on the awards can be found here.

A list of the grant awards can be found here.

HUD Partners with Comcast to Expand Internet Essentials Program

~ Tushar Gurjal

On July 15, HUD announced that it was teaming up with Comcast to expand Comcast’s Internet Essentials program. After this expansion, all public housing and HUD-assisted residents that are within Comcast’s service area are eligible to apply for Internet Essentials. Internet Essentials is Comcast’s high-speed internet adoption program for low-income families. An estimated 2 million HUD-assisted homes will now be eligible for low-cost internet service.

HUD’s full press release can be read here.

New RAD Resources and Webinar

~ Tushar Gurjal

In its “RADBlast!” email, HUD announced the availability of two Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) resources:

  1. Initial Year Funding Instructions – a document that describes the calculation of funding during the initial year and provides instructions on how to access the funds; and
  2. Initial Year Funding Tool – a revised and simplified version of the prior tool that “allows PHAs and Project Owners to calculate the amount of revenue that will be available to the project in the Initial Year and ensures that all parties have an accurate understanding of these amounts.”

To access these resources, and others, please go to HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Resource Desk (www.radresource.net) after logging-in and click on the “Document Library” link under “Main Menu Selections.”

Additionally, HUD will hold a live question-and-answer webinar to walk through the revised tool and answer questions that participants may have. The webinar will be held on July 13, 2016 between 3 pm and 4 pm (EST). Registration for the webinar can be found here.

CBPP Publishes Chart Book on the Benefits of Federal Rental Assistance

~ Tushar Gurjal

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has published a Chart Book titled “Rental Assistance Reduces Hardship, Promotes Children’s Long-Term Success.” It has some great charts that help to illustrate why rental assistance is so crucial.

Here’s one taken from page 6 of the chart book PDF that illustrates the benefits of the HUD-VASH program.

Homelessness Among Veterans Fell as Targeted Voucher Program Expanded

The Center’s web-based chart book can be found here.

The Center’s PDF of the chart book can be found here.