Community Development

Senior Housing Focus: Aging in Place Webinar

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

 

NAHRO would like to share information on an upcoming webinar conducted by Community Catalyst on aging in place for low-income and chronically ill seniors. Below is the invitation from Community Catalyst for their webinar on Thursday, December 1, 2016, at 1pm to 2:30pm eastern time.

Aging in Place: Integrating Health and Housing for Low-Income and Chronically Ill Seniors

Thursday, December 1, 2016 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT

RSVP Here

This is the third webinar in a series Community Catalyst is hosting to engage with national, regional, state and local partners who are working or want to start working in the health and housing space.

This call will provide an overview of the issue from what is being discussed and worked on from the federal, state and local levels, featuring leaders in these areas.

Speakers will discuss the growing research and recognition that the aging population requires more effective integration of housing and health care systems and highlight impact that affordable housing has on older adults’ ability to live at home and in the community. There will be ample time for questions and answers between participants and speakers, allowing for dialogue and learning for those working in both the health and housing areas.

This webinar will feature:

In response to the growing national and local discourse about the connections between housing and health outcomes, we at Community Catalyst see a clear interest in identifying the role health policy advocates can play in protecting and expanding access to quality, affordable and appropriate housing for vulnerable populations. In addition to the demonstrable connections between housing and health outcomes, housing is a fundamental human right that is under threat in many communities.

Please RSVP here to participate on December 1st.

We hope you will join us in this opportunity to connect stakeholders working on initiatives related to aging in place for low-income and chronically ill seniors with those from other sectors to address housing issues.

Carol Regan, Senior Advisor

Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation

This Community Catalyst Learning Community webinar is part of an ongoing effort to help advocates from across the country share best practices, explore new ideas and learn from each other’s experiences. The Learning Community connects advocates, giving them a needed forum to effectively collaborate with and learn from their peers.

HUD Publishes Notice on the Modernization of the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS Program

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

Last week, HUD published new guidance (notice CPD-16-17) for Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) grantees explaining the changes to the HOPWA program  that resulted from the passing and signing of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) on July 29, 2016. The passage of HOTMA was a huge victory for NAHRO and its members because it provided housing authorities with the effective tools and mechanisms to improve the operation of their programs. The new law also provided long-awaited amendments to the HOPWA statue that modernizes the program’s allocation formula, and addresses administrative provisions and adds program definitions. HUD’s new notice describes how the HOTMA provisions will effect HOPWA formula allocations for FY 2017 and beyond. The notice also details the program changes that became effective on July 29, 2016 versus the program changes that must be implemented by HUD through future rulemaking.

Learn more about the modernization of the HOPWA program in next edition of the NAHRO Monitor – available November 15, 2016 (members only).

HUD Extends AFH Submission Deadline for Small Local Governments

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On October 24, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the extension of the initial Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) submission deadlines for small consolidated plan program participants that received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $500,000 or less in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 or in a subsequent FY; or in the case of a HOME consortium, whose members collectively received a CDBG grant of $500,000 or less.

Previously, HUD established the first AFH due date for small consolidated plan program participants to be 270 days (approximately 9 months) before the program year for which a new 3-5 year Consolidated Plan is due, starting on or after January 1, 2018. HUD is now extending the initial due date to 270 days before the program year which a new 3-5 year Consolidated Plan is due, starting on or after January 1, 2019 – the same date that qualified public housing agencies (QPHAs – PHAs with a combined unit total of 550 or less) are required to submit their AFHs.

Learn more about HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Final Rule and subsequent AFH requirements for states, local governments, and PHAs by accessing NAHRO’s AFFH Resource Page (members only).

NAHRO Presents at HUD on the Lead Safe Housing Proposed Rule

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

On October 6, NAHRO participated in a HUD organized convening on the proposed Lead Safe Housing Rule. NAHRO’s Director of Policy and Program Development, Georgi Banna, along with the National Center for Healthy Housing’s Chief Scientist, Dr. David E. Jacobs and the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative’s Executive Director, Ruth Ann Norton were on a panel moderated by HUD-PIH’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramirez that discussed the need to combat lead poisoning in children and the role of housing in that battle.ghhi-lead-2016-10-06_16-49-58_000

A video of the Lead Safe Housing Rule Convening has been posted on HUD’s YouTube Channel. Clicking Georgi Banna will begin at NAHRO’s statement.

Comments on HUD’s proposed Lead Safe Housing Rule are due to HUD on Monday, October 31, 2016. NAHRO submitted its comments this week. More information on the HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule and NAHRO thoughts and comments on it can be found in the current edition of the NAHRO Monitor.

HUD Family Options Study: HCV Most Effective and Rapid Re-Housing Least Costly

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On October 25, HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) released a report titled Family Options Study: Long-Term Impacts of Housing and Services Interventions for Homeless Families, which seeks to identify the most efficient and cost-effective way to house and serve homeless families with children.capture

The report presents the long-term (37 months) outcomes of HUD’s Family Options Study, which tracked how homeless families in emergency shelters across 12 U.S. communities responded to various homelessness interventions. Between September 2010 and January 2012, over 2,000 families were enrolled and randomly assigned to participate in one of four homelessness interventions: housing subsidy, community-based rapid re-housing, project-based transitional housing, and usual care (defined as any housing or services that a family accesses in the absence of immediate referral to the other interventions).

The study found long-term housing subsidies, typically Housing Choice Vouchers, had the greatest impact on reducing family homelessness and improving non-housing family outcomes (i.e., increased adult well-being, child well-being, food-security, and less economic stress). While not as effective as housing vouchers, rapid re-housing programs were significantly less expensive, with an average per-family monthly cost of approximately $800, compared to voucher at $1,172/month, transitional housing at $2,700/month and emergency shelter programs at $4,800/month.

Read more about HUD’s study and findings here.

 

 

HUD Finalizes Rule to Expand Housing Protections for Survivors of Violence

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On October 24, HUD announced the impending publication of a final rule that will expand the housing protections for victims of  domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (hereinafter known as “victim”) regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age. The final rule will fully codify 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 victim. HUD’s final rule expands the universe of HUD rental assistance programs subject to the VAWA 2013 statute beyond Public Housing and Section 8 programs to also include:

  • Housing Trust Fund (HTF) – a program originally not listed under VAWA 2013;
  • HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program;
  • Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program;
  • HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless programs;
  • Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities;
  • Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly;
  • Section 221(d)(3) Below Market Interest Rate (BMIR) Program
  • Section 236 Rental Program

These programs, along with properties assisted through the USDA Rural Housing programs and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, are collectively referred to as “covered housing programs.”

Overall, HUD’s final rule:

  • Codifies the core protections under VAWA 2013 across HUD’s covered programs by ensuring survivors are not denied assistance as an applicant, or evicted or have assistance terminated due to the individual’s victim status, or for being affiliated with a victim.
  • Provides a model emergency transfer plan for housing providers and explains how housing providers must address their tenants’ requests for emergency transfers.
  • Offers protections against the adverse effects of abuse that can often have negative economic and criminal consequences on a survivor. For example, a perpetrator may take out credit cards in a survivor’s name, ruining their credit history. Covered housing providers may  not deny tenancy or occupancy rights based solely on adverse factors that are a direct result of being a survivor.
  • Makes clear that under most circumstances, a survivor need only to self-certify in order to exercise their rights under VAWA, there by “ensuring third party documentation does not cause a barrier in a survivor expressing their rights and receiving the protections needed to keep themselves safe.”

HUD’s final rule is currently pending publication in the Federal Register. Once published, the rule’s regulations will become effective after 30 days.

An in-depth analysis of the final rule can be found in the October 30, 2016 edition of the NAHRO Monitor (members only).

 

HUD Awards $500 Million in Disaster Recovery Funds; Pledges Expedited Assistance for Southern States

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

Last week, HUD Secretary Julian Castro awarded $500 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia to help recover from severe flooding earlier this year. These recovery funds will help the most impacted counties that experienced the greatest level of damage to their housing stock. CDBG-DR grants can provide support for housing redevelopment, business assistance, and infrastructure repair.

According to HUD’s press release, “[i]n the hardest-hit counties of Louisiana (6 counties), Texas (3 counties), and West Virginia (2 counties), more than 102,000 households experienced some level of damage to their homes including more than 41,000 families who saw the most serious level of damage or destruction and unmet needs.” The following allocations of funds are based on each state’s proportional share of serious unmet housing needs:

Grantee
Amount
State of Louisiana
$437,800,000
State of Texas
$45,200,000
State of West Virginia
$17,000,000
TOTAL
$500,000,000

Also last week, Secretary Castro announced that HUD will expedite assistance to the States of North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia to address the impacts of Hurricane Matthew. The Department will help by: assisting the affected states and local governments in re-allocating existing federal resources toward disaster relief; granting immediate foreclosure relief; making mortgage insurance available; making insurance available for both mortgages and home rehabilitation; offering Section 108 loan guarantee assistance; and providing information to FEMA and the State on housing providers that may have available units in the impacted counties.

Friday Night Wrap-Up

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

Summer may officially be over, but it still feels very much like July here in DC (mostly because it’s about 197 degrees today); Congress returned to Capitol Hill on Monday, picking up where they left their negotiations over the upcoming fiscal year.

It’s a foregone conclusion at this point that a continuing resolution will be necessary to avoid a government shutdown on the first day of the new fiscal year, October 1. Prior to Congress’ early departure for the August recess in July, some lawmakers floated the idea of a six month CR that would delay final FY 2017 spending decisions until after the new Congress and the President swear into office (and right around the time the debt ceiling is set to expire).

This idea seems to have varying amounts of (seemingly dwindling) traction on Capitol Hill. However, the main driver behind the push is the House Freedom Caucus, which still feels burned by the work on appropriations, the budget, and taxes that was done very quickly at the end of calendar year 2015 without their input or support. Ideally, the House Freedom Caucus would like to entirely eliminate the Lame Duck session of Congress immediately following the election and adjourn the 114th Congress for the final time when lawmakers leave Washington for the election recess in October. Understanding that this is extremely unlikely to happen, they’ve targeted the CR as one of the main drivers of action during the Lame Duck session and are aiming to avoid quick spending decisions in December.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who in the past had seemed somewhat open to a longer-term CR, signaled this week that he would like to move a CR that would expire on December 9 to the Senate floor as early as next week. Recognizing that a CR that expires in March was unlikely to gain enough Democratic support in the Senate to pass and, even if it did pass, would be vetoed by the President, Majority Leader McConnell made the decision to move quickly on a shorter-term bill to allow ample time for the House to work out their issues and approve a CR. Rumors are circulating of issues and Senators who could raise an objection to a CR blocking it from moving forward, though it doesn’t appear any actual plan to object has been substantiated. So, at this point, I am planning to watch for a vote on a two(ish) month CR in the Senate next week, but I will not be surprised when an issue like Zika delays it. 

Whether or not the House Freedom Caucus will cause major problems for Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) in his attempt to pass what is (eventually) sent over by the Senate is still unclear. The position of the caucus has not changed, but appears that progress was made today in a closed-door meeting with the House Republican Conference. A shutdown during an election year is highly unlikely, especially considering that House Democrats would probably support a straight CR, but I wouldn’t rule out considerable drama and suspense leading up to the end of the fiscal year. Remember last year, even though there wasn’t much of a threat of a shutdown, House Freedom Caucus members still managed to oust Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) from both his Speaker position and Congress (though the jury is still out on the actual reason why he resigned).

Another complicating factor that makes a longer-term CR even more unlikely is the score the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently assigned to a theoretical year-long CR for FY 2017: $1.08 trillion, which is $10 billion higher than the allowable cap set by the 2015 budget deal. This is caused by several factors, mainly spending cuts (CHIMPS) from FY 2016 that do not automatically continue into FY 2017. If a long-term CR is approved, appropriators will have to either find ways to offset the additional spending, cut specific programs, or allow across the board spending cuts in order to avoid triggering the automatic sequestration that is still in place until FY 2020. The longer the CR, the more difficult offsetting that spending becomes.

To make matters more complicated, only the non-defense discretionary accounts are over the cap, not defense, so drafting any CR that would violate the FY 2017 cap would transform a simple date change in the existing appropriations law to either a much more complicated task or a huge political fight over cutting defense spending. And in election years when Congress can delay controversial decisions, the delay typically wins out.

I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to provide a very short update next week that the Senate has approved a CR that expires on December 9 , but we’ll keep you updated if anything changes throughout the week.

 Have a great weekend!!

-Tess

 

HUD to Publish List of Regulatory Waivers Granted for the Second Quarter of CY 2016

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On Monday, HUD will publish in the Federal Register a list of regulatory waivers that the agency has granted for the second quarter of calendar year 2016.

The pre-publication list can be found here.

(9/12/16 Edit – The published list in the Federal Register can be found here.)

GAO Study: CDBG Communities Lack Alternative Sources of Income Data for Determining Project Eligibility

~ Jenny Hsu ~ Leave a comment

On September 6, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report examining HUD’s policies related to communities that disagree with their Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) eligibility determinations based on 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) data.The findings of the report are based on the GAO’s analyses of ACS data and HUD’s policy guidance to grantees, as well as interviews with CDBG administrators, stakeholders and community development groups, including NAHRO.

In order for a project to qualify for CDBG funding under the objective of providing benefit to low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons on an area basis, HUD instructs communities to use ACS data to show that a majority of the proposed service area consists of LMI residents. Some communities believe the ACS produces inaccurate results due to its smaller sample size and larger error rates. When a community disagrees with an eligibility determination, local income surveys may be used instead.  However, the GAO finds a number of challenges small communities face when conducting local income surveys, including: resource constraints, administrative burdens, and difficulty obtaining a sufficient number of survey responses. Furthermore, alternative ways to demonstrate eligibility are limited because other sources of income data are not as reliable and comprehensive compared to the ACS.

The GAO report does not make any specific recommendations to Congress on the sources of data issue, but it does point out that the Census Bureau is currently exploring ways to use external data, such as data from the Social Security Administration and IRS, to supplement the ACS. These recommendations are expected by March 2017.

Learn more about this GAO report in the September 15, 2016 edition of the NAHRO Monitor.