Affordable Housing

HUD Publishes New RAD and Section 18 Blend Document

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD’s Office of Recapitalization sent a RADBlast! email announcing the publication of a Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) document about using HUD’s new demolition and disposition notice–PIH 2018-04 (HA)–in conjunction with the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program.

Specifically, the document answers questions around the provision in the demolition and disposition notice that allows PHAs to convert at least 75 percent of public housing units in a project under RAD–which meet the requirements of the RAD Final Implementation Notice REV-3, H-2017-3–and to convert through disposition up to 25 percent of public housing units within the project to Section 8 project-based voucher assistance.

For those contemplating completing a RAD transaction, this provision is another tool to help finance the deal.

The RAD-Section 18 Blend document can be found at the RAD Resource Desk or here.

HUD Publishes UPCS-V Inspection Protocol Beta

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On Monday, June 4, HUD held a UPCS-V Information Technology (IT) Summit. During the session, HUD Inspection Standards and Data for Vouchers (ISDV), presented brief welcoming remarks, an overview of where we are in the protocol development process (29,132 inspections conducted; 170 PHAs trained by April; and 247 participating PHAs), described the protocol; described the decision trees; and provided a technical overview of VEDGA.

During the session, HUD also mentioned that a beta version of the UPCS-V protocol would soon be publicly available. Yesterday, HUD published the beta version of the UPCS-V protocol. Changes in the new version of the protocol are based on three guiding principles: simplicity, transparency, and meeting the objective of national housing policy (i.e., aligning with UPCS). Specific changes include the following:

  • An addition of a glossary;
  • An updated life threatening or emergency (LTE) deficiencies list;
  • Inclusion of carbon monoxide as an inspectable item;
  • Fifty-three percent decrease in length;
  • The alphabetization of the defect dictionary; and
  • An overall reorganization of the document to provide information clearly.

Input and feedback on this version of the protocol can be given at ISDV@hud.gov.

HUD is specifically seeking feedback on the following:

  • Should there be additional terms added to the glossary?
  • Is the order or the protocol logical and does it meet inspector needs?
  • Is there anything missing from the protocol that a novice inspector might need?

The slides from the HUD UPCS-V IT session can be found here.

The beta UPCS-V protocol can be found here.

HUD Begins EnVision Center Demonstration

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

In a press release earlier today, HUD announced the names of the first 17 communities that will receive EnVision Center designations. EnVision Centers are centralized hubs that serve to support four pillars of self-sufficiency: 1) Economic Empowerment; 2) Educational Advancement; 3) Health and Wellness; and 4) Character and Leadership. The EnVision Centers will partner with “federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies” and will leverage these “public-private partnerships” to connect households with services to promote self-sufficiency.

HUD plans to develop tools to track and measure resident outcomes and services to ensure that EnVision Centers are able to monitor progress.

NAHRO’s comments on the EnVision Center Demonstration can be found here.

HUD’s full press release can be found here.

The full list of communities receiving the Envision Center designation can be found by clicking below.

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HUD Posts “Keys to A Successful RAD Conversion” Videos

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18, HUD held a training on the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program titled “Keys to A Successful RAD Conversion.” The two day long sessions were held in the Brooke-Mondale Auditorium at HUD’s Headquarters. The training was targeted at PHAs that had not yet contemplated, or had not yet started, a RAD transaction and was meant to provide information about the RAD process. The Department had previously promised to post videos of each of the sessions, which they recently did. The session videos can be found below.

Click below to see each session.

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HUD Publishes Webinar on 2018 HCV Implementation Notice

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, PHA Executive Directors received an email announcing that HUD has published a webinar going over the contents of the 2018 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program Implementation notice. The webinar can be found below. Questions about the notice or webinar can be sent to PIH.Financial.Management.Division@hud.gov.

The webinar can also be found here.

FY 2018 Housing Trust Fund Allocations Announced

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

On June 5, HUD will allocate more than $266 million in FY 2018 formula funds to eligible grantees of the National Housing Trust Fund (HTF) program. The HTF is a non-appropriated federal resource that complements existing Federal, State and local efforts to preserve and expand the nation’s supply of affordable homes for very low-income (VLI) and extremely low-income (ELI) households, as well as families experiencing homelessness. Authorized in 2008, lawmakers sought to establish a permanent source of affordable housing funding through annual contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSEs). Eight years later, the HTF was finally capitalized through its inaugural FY 2016 allocations. HTF grantees include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. Insular Areas. Grantees may distribute funds through subgrantees (a unit of general local government or State agency) or directly fund projects proposed by eligible recipients (including PHAs), or a combination of both.

 FY 2018 Housing Trust Fund Allocations

State / Territory

 FY18 Allocation % Change (FY17 to FY18)

California

$36,616,277

58%

New York

$22,171,681

50%

Texas

$12,279,085

39%

Florida

$10,442,914

36%

Illinois

$9,812,230

37%

Pennsylvania

$7,759,948

32%

New Jersey

$7,726,903

38%

Ohio

$6,971,712

27%

Michigan

$6,004,558

24%

Massachusetts

$5,720,333

24%

North Carolina

$5,874,191

32%

Georgia

$5,705,499

29%

Washington

$5,197,313

26%

Virginia

$4,672,562

22%

Wisconsin

$4,117,505

18%

Indiana

$3,937,462

17%

Missouri

$3,970,270

18%

Arizona

$3,997,777

21%

Tennessee

$3,688,511

17%

Colorado

$3,563,587

13%

Oregon

$3,654,189

16%

Minnesota

$3,445,781

10%

Maryland

$3,578,771

17%

Connecticut

$3,269,474

9%

Louisiana

$3,068,829

2%

South Carolina

$3,007,655

0%

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, District Of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming

$3,000,000 (Required State Minimum)

Puerto Rico

$1,253,357

 42%

American Samoa

$11,995

54%

Guam

$97,028

54%

Northern Marianas

$53,415

54%
Virgin Islands

$104,591

54%
Total $266,775,403

22%

HUD to Publish HCV RFIFs

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Today, HUD has posted a pre-publication copy of a notice titled “Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program – Fiscal Year 2018 Inflation Factors for Public Housing Agency Renewal Funding.” This notice informs the public of the publication of Renewal Funding Inflation Factors (RFIFs), which are the inflation factors applied to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program renewal funding that adjusts the funding amount of individual PHAs to take into account changes in rents, utility costs, and tenant incomes.

The notice also notes that the methodology for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 factors is the same as the FY 2017 factors, but requests comments on whether this should be changed. In particular, the notice requests feedback on whether the current practice of incorporating local rent surveys used to change FMRs into the calculation of RFIFs should continue. Comments will be due 30 days after this notice has been published in the Federal Register.

The FY 2018 RFIFs, when posted on Wednesday (5/30/18), will be found here.

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

[5/30/18 Edit – Comments are due June 29, 2018. The full published notice can be found here.]

[6/11/18 Edit – HUD has extended the comment deadline for this notice to July 6, 2018. The pre-publication copy of the extension can be found here.]

HUD Publishes 2018 HCV Implementation Notice

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, HUD published notice PIH 2018-09, titled “Implementation of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2018 Funding Provisions for the Housing Choice Voucher Program.” This notice provides information about the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program implementation in 2018. Topics in this notice include calculation of calendar year (CY) 2018 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP); $75 million of HAP set-aside funding; tenant protection vouchers; funding for administrative costs; special-purpose vouchers; and other topics.

The notice also provides a brief summary of FY 2018 HCV account totals (for additional coverage, please see NAHRO’s Section 8 coverage of the FY 2018 Omnibus budget bill [members only]):

  • HAP Renewal Funding – $19.6 billion;
  • Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPV) – $85 million;
  • Administrative Fees (both Ongoing and Additional) – $1.76 billion;
  • Mainstream Program – $505 million;
  • Tribal HUD-VASH renewals – $5 million;
  • HUD-VASH vouchers – $40 million; and
  • Family Unification Program – $20 million.

For additional information, please click below.

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HUD Awards Public Housing Capital Funds

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

Today HUD awarded the FY 2018 Public Housing Capital Fund grants to housing authorities in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The grants total more than $2.6 billion.

A list of the individual housing authority grants is available here.

An excerpt from the HUD press release states, “The grants announced today are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which offers annual funding to approximately 3,100 public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. These housing authorities use the funding to complete large-scale improvements such as replacing roofs or making energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.”

HUD Updates PHAs on Effects of Possible Rescission

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On May 18th, HUD sent an email to PHA Executive Directors informing them of some of the potential effects on HUD Public and Indian Housing programs related to the rescission package proposed by the President. Rescissions are a method by which a President can propose canceling some previously appropriated spending amounts. The President’s package of rescissions has been submitted to Congress. Congress has 45 days to act on the submission and pass it through legislation. If after 45 days, Congress does not pass the rescission package, then the funds will become available for HUD to spend. The rescission package impacts programs from across the federal government, including 2015 – 2017 unobligated balances in the Public Housing Capital Fund.

If Congress does not act on the package (both the House and Senate need to pass it with a simple majority vote), then the effects of the package will be minimal. During the 45 day period, where Congress has the opportunity to pass it, the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Jobs Plus and the FY 2015 – 2017 Emergency Disaster grant awards will be on hold. The rescission has no impact on funds HUD has already awarded to PHAs, including the FY 2017 Capital Fund awards made last year.

If the rescission package is passed, then the following programs will be impacted by the amounts listed below.

  • Modernization Grants – $15,915,042
  • Emergency Disaster Grants – $3,697,949
  • Safety and Security Grants – $618,513
  • Financial & Physical Assessments – $13,152
  • ROSS Grants – $930,206
  • Jobs Plus Grants – $15,602,447
  • Receiverships – $1,717,970
  • Technical Assistance – $439,236
  • Total Proposed HUD Rescission – $38,934,515

NAHRO will continue to provide further updates as new information becomes available.

HUD’s full letter can be found here.