COVID-19

HUD Publishes Eviction Moratorium Guidance for PHAs

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD published guidance on implementing the eviction moratorium found in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The guidance is titled “Eviction Moratorium COVID-19 FAQs for Public Housing Agencies” and is 5 page document answering commonly asked questions about how PHAs should be implementing the eviction moratorium. The guidance notes that the temporary eviction moratorium applies to the public housing program, the housing choice voucher program (including the project-based voucher program), and the moderate rehabilitation programs administered by HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH). The moratorium is in effect for a 120-day period beginning on March 27, 2020.

The guidance document can be found here.

HUD’s Section 3 Still Required, Very Limited Reporting Extension (Updated)

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

While HUD’s Offices of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) and Community Planning and Development (CPD) have provided a number of waivers and flexibilities for the Public Housing program, Housing Choice Voucher program, HOME Investment Partnership program, Community Development Block Grant, and Continuum of Care (CoC) program, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) has not waived any of the Section 3 statutory and regulatory requirements.

[Updated Text Begins] On April 17, 2020, FHEO released updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for Section 3 Covered Recipients which addresses 13 questions on how COVID-19 affects Section 3 compliance. Question 2 specifically asks “Are Section 3 Compliance requirements waived during the virus condition?” and FHEO’s answer is “No, the Section 3 statutory and regulatory requirements have not been waived.” Updated questions are also asked about Section 3 SPEARS reporting requirements and deadlines. In response, FHEO states that the Section 3 reporting requirement is not waived and Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and community development agencies have an extension until July 31, 2020. Additional extensions are not addressed in the updated FAQ but generally PHAs and community development agencies may request extensions beyond July 31, 2020 but must provide justification and any extension request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. [Updated Text Ends]

[Removed Text Begins] On April 3, 2020, FHEO released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for Section 3 Covered Recipients which addresses 13 questions on how COVID-19 affects Section 3 compliance. Question 2 specifically asks “Are Section 3 Compliance requirements waived during the virus condition?” and FHEO’s answer is “No, the Section 3 statutory and regulatory requirements have not been waived.” Questions are also asked about Section 3 SPEARS reporting requirements and deadlines. In response, FHEO states that the Section 3 reporting requirement is not waived and Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and community development agencies have an extension until June 1, 2020 but “must clearly demonstrate how COVID-19 precluded timely reporting.” PHAs and community development agencies may request extensions beyond June 1, 2020 but must provide justification and any extension request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.[Removed Text Ends]

FHEO has not waived or reduced the Section 3 requirements and reporting so PHAs and community development agencies must continue to create employment, training and contracting opportunities to Section 3 residents and Section 3 businesses. The Safe Harbor requirements have not been reduced either. PHAs and community development agencies should continue to hire staff and procure contracts, if possible, and if unable to meet the Safe Harbor requirements, they should document their efforts “to make every possible effort ‘to the greatest extent feasible’ to make employment and contracting opportunities available to” Section 3 residents.

NAHRO is relaying information from our members on the unprecedented operational and economic concerns affordable housing providers are facing to HUD and is requesting maximum flexibility for PHAs and community development agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

NAHRO will continue to provide the latest information from HUD and Congress on the COVID-19 emergency response to our members and the public through our communication tools including the NAHRO coronavirus webpage and the NAHRO blog.

HUD’s Distressed Cities Technical Assistance Program

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) program supports small units of general local government (UGLGs) that are distressed and have recently been impacted by a natural disaster. Specifically, the Distressed Cities Technical Assistance program is designed to improve the fiscal health and administrative capacity of small units of general local government.

The DCTA program page can be found here.

The DCTA resources page can be found here.

HUD PIH to Host Conference Call on Recently Published COVID-19 Waivers

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) will host a conference call at 3:30 pm ET on Friday, April 17th, 2020, to provide an overview of their recent notice of COVID-19 waivers. The call will be limited to 2,500 participants. It will be recorded and shared.

Call in information can be found below.


Step 1: Dial into the conference.
Dial-in: 1-877-369-5243 or 1-617-668-3633
Access Code: 0551998##
If the automated recording indicates the conference is full, please use overflow information:
US Toll Free: 1-877-369-5243 or US Toll: 1-617-668-3633 Access Code: 0626917#
Step 2: Join the conference on your computer.
Entry Link: https://ems8.intellor.com/login/824736

An Outlook invitation can be found here.

The COVID-19 waiver notice can be found here.

NAHRO’s analysis can be found here.

NAHRO Analysis – HUD Issues COVID-19 Related Waivers for Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

On April 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a series of waivers and program updates, 44 in total, for the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs. The waivers were issued by HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) in Notice PIH 2020-05, COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Waivers for the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant programs, Suspension of Public Housing Assessment System and Section Eight Management Assessment Program. The notice also includes 16 waivers related to Native American housing programs, specifically the Native American housing Assistance and Self-Determination Action of 1996 (NAHASDA) Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) and the Indian Community Development Block Grant programs. In order to provide relevant information to Public Housing Authorities, this Direct News will focus on the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher program waivers.

This notice only addresses program waivers and does not discuss the allocation or release of the supplemental funding that was appropriated as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public law 116-136). The funding notices are anticipated to be release towards the end of April 2020 with the first round of funding being available to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) at the beginning of May 2020.

The purpose of the statutory and regulatory waivers is for HUD to assist PHAs and Tribal housing providers in continuing to operate and provide critical housing services to their local communities. HUD provides a non-inclusive list of critical PHA functions which includes issuing vouchers so families can find housing, processing Requests for Tenancy Approvals (RFTAs) so families can be approved to move into a unit, processing requests for portability moves, ensuring occupancy of Public Housing units, processing minimum rent hardship exemptions, and completing reexaminations for participants who have experienced a decrease in income.

The notice is broken into a number of sections and this Direct News will follow the same layout by discussing the underlining waiver authority by program, the applicability of the waivers, and the duration the waivers will be available.

Continue reading →

HUD Publishes PIH COVID-19 Waivers

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD Public and Indian Housing (PIH) published a list of statutory and regulatory waivers to assist PHAs in dealing with the COVID-19 event. The notice is titled “COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Waivers for the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant programs, Suspension of Public Housing Assessment System and Section Eight Management Assessment Program” (Notice PIH 2020-05).

The staff at NAHRO are in the process of reading through the notice and will post additional information in the near future.

The notice can be found here.

HUD SNAPS to Hold “Office Hours” Webinar on 4/10/2020 from 2:30 pm to 4 pm ET

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs will host another virtual office hours tomorrow (4/10/2020) to discuss COVID-19 planning and response from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm ET for homeless assistance providers and their partners. Presenters from the following agencies will be in attendance:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA);
  • National Healthcare for the Homeless Council (HCH); and
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Prior registration is not necessary. Fifteen minutes before the start time, please click here.

Recording of 4/3/2020 HUD PIH Stakeholder Call Posted

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

The Department has posted a recording of the PIH stakeholder call for PHAs that the Department held on Friday, April 3rd. The recording can be found here (or see below). The slides from the call can be found here.

PHAs Make Coronavirus Requests of Congress

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

In partnership with our sister groups CLPHA, PHADA and the Moving to Work (MTW) Collaborative, NAHRO has drafted and sent a letter to the House and the Senate thanking them for the nearly $3 billion in affordable housing assistance in the CARES Act, and asking for substantial resources and flexibilities, including:

  • An additional infusion of $8.5 billion for the Operating Fund and the Section 8 voucher program;
  • An increased supply of Tenant Protection Vouchers;
  • Additional rental assistance for families in need; and
  • A $70 billion investment in public housing infrastructure.

Almost 800 PHAs and organizations joined NAHRO, PHADA, CLPHA, and the MTW Collaborative in signing the letter. You and your partners can also send the letter to your members of Congress through NAHRO’s Advocacy Action Center.

NAHRO continues to provide the latest information on the NAHRO Coronavirus page.

HUD Updates Guidance for CY 2020 HAP Set-aside Applications

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ 3 Comments

The following email updating HAP set-aside application instructions was sent to PHA Executive Directors earlier today.

The deadline date for the following list of calendar year (CY) 2020 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Set-aside categories is being extended to no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, July 15, 2020:

  • Category 2a: Unforeseen Circumstances
  • Category 2b: Portability
  • Category 3: Project-Based Voucher
  • Category 5: Lower-than-average Leasing
  • Category 6: Disaster


Please refer to PIH Notice 2020-04 for details on the information and documentation required for eligibility consideration under each applicable category of the CY 2020 HAP Set-aside prior to submitting requests.

Additionally, for health and safety reasons during the pandemic, HUD will not accept regular mail or faxes for these applications; therefore, PHAs are required to submit their applications electronically to the 2020Set-AsideApplications@hud.gov email address. Electronic signatures will be accepted on Appendix F and respective supporting documentation.

Finally, this extension does not impact the deadline dates communicated through PIH Notice 2020-04 for Category 1: Shortfall as it remains open throughout the year, or Category 4: HUD-VASH as the deadline for applications is October 1, 2020.

Should you have any questions about this message, please do not hesitate to contact your FMC Financial Analyst, or the FMD staff at 2020Set-AsideApplications@hud.gov.