On March 14, NAHRO will host an e-Briefing on Healthy Federally Assisted Housing: Smoke-Free Public Housing and Lead-Free Housing Rules. Below is a flyer with all of the details. Register online at www.nahro.org/training-calendar.
Section 8
2017 Grade-Level Reading Week in Denver, CO
As part of NAHRO’s partnership with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), we encourage NAHRO members to learn about and engage with GLR on opportunities to improve the educational outcomes of the children living in your affordable housing programs. Below is information on the 2017 Grade-Level Reading Week being held in Denver, Colo. This is an excellent chance to interact with local communities and leaders on educational opportunities.
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is coming home to Denver in June 2017. In many respects, Denver, Colo., is the birthplace of the GLR Campaign. In June 2012, 14 communities were recognized with the coveted title of All-America City for their focus on grade-level reading. And 124 communities signed on as Charter Members of the GLR Community Network.
Since then, The GLR Network has grown to include over 300 communities in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These local campaigns are supported by 2,300 local organizations and 250+ state and local funders, including 130 United Ways.
From June 13-14, local, state, and national funders that support early literacy will gather for the 2017 Funder Huddle. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet other funders in the grade-level reading community, share challenges and successes, learn from and with each other, and collectively drive toward bigger, stronger and better results.
From June 14-16, hundreds of civic and community leaders, public officials and educators from across the country will come together for the 2017 All-America City Awards, America’s oldest and most prestigious community recognition. Each year, the All-America City Awards are given to communities that exemplify outstanding civic accomplishments. This year, the National Civic League and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will recognize communities that have made measurable progress for low-income children on the key drivers of early reading success. REGISTER today!
HUD Publishes PIH Notice on Limiting Payments to Influence Federal Transactions, Anti-Lobbying, and Disclosure Requirements
On March 3, HUD published PIH-2017-04 (HA) titled “Limitations on Payments to Influence Federal Transactions for PIH Programs and PHA Anti-Lobbying Certification and Disclosure Requirements.” According to this notice, PHAs are required to submit the following, if they have received over $100,000 in federally appropriated funds:
- Certification of Payments to Influence Federal Transactions (Form HUD-50071) – for PHAs to certify that they have not and will not make prohibited payments from federally appropriated funds; and
- Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) – for PHAs that have used non-federally appropriated funds for influencing or attempting to influence executive or legislative branch personnel in connection with new funding, renewal funding, changing policy, or changing legislation.
PHAs are prohibited from using federally appropriated funds for lobbying activities. PHAs’ contributions to trade associations are not lobbying activities under this notice, nor do the certification and disclosure requirements in this notice apply to PHA contributions to trade associations. The requirements of this notice apply to all PHAs, including MTW agencies.
The notice also outlines record retention and other responsibilities of both PHAs and HUD Field Offices.
Additional information on the notice will be provided to NAHRO members in upcoming coverage.
The full notice can be found here.
Senate Confirms Dr. Ben Carson as HUD Secretary
Earlier today, the United States Senate confirmed Dr. Ben Carson as the 17th Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was confirmed on a vote of 58 to 41. NAHRO has invited Secretary Carson to speak at the 2017 NAHRO Washington Conference. NAHRO has also invited the Secretary to listen to the concerns of PHAs and RDAs as part of the countrywide listening tour he mentioned during his confirmation hearing. We look forward to working with him.
[3/3/17 Edit – HUD’s press release can be found here.]
MTW Expansion e-Briefing on Tuesday February 21!
HUD Offers Grants to Clean Up Lead-Based Paint Hazards – HUD Press Release
HUD Press Release (February 8, 2017):
HUD OFFERS GRANTS TO CLEAN UP LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARDS
Funding to protect children from lead poisoning
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that it is making grants available to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint hazards from lower income homes in order to protect young children. Additionally, this funding will provide an opportunity for local communities to establish and support programs to control other housing-related health and safety hazards.
Unsafe and unhealthy homes affect the health of millions of people of all income levels, geographic areas, and walks of life in the U.S. These homes affect the economy directly, through increased utilization of health care services, and indirectly, through lost wages and increased school days missed. The housing improvements communities will make will help prevent injuries and illnesses, reduce associated health care and social services costs, reduce absentee rates for children in school and adults at work, and reduce stress, all which help to improve the quality of life.
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint hazards and other housing-related health hazards from lower income homes, stimulate private sector investment in lead hazard control, support cutting-edge research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards, and educate the public about the dangers of hazards in the home.
The grants to States, local governments and the private sector are being offered through HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program, and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Program. In these grant programs, HUD is providing additional funding (healthy homes supplemental funds) to identify and remediate, in homes where lead-based paint hazards are being controlled, other housing-related health hazards.
HUD expects to make approximately 32 awards under these programs. This estimate assumes funding at the same level as Fiscal Year 2016. The actual number of awards made under this funding notice will depend on the amount of Congress appropriates in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget, the number of eligible applicants, and other factors.
HUD requires prospective grantees to submit their applications electronically at www.grants.gov. Any changes to HUD-published funding notices will be made available to the public through a Federal Register publication and published on this government-wide portal. Applicants are urged to sign up for Grants.gov’s notification service to receive periodic updates or changes to these grant offerings.
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HUD Publishes CY 2017 Administrative Fee Rates
HUD has published its Administrative Fee Rates for Calendar Year (CY) 2017. The administrative fees are paid on the basis of units leased on the first of each month as taken from the Voucher Management System (VMS). There are two fee rates: the Column A fee rate applies to the first 7200 unit months leased in CY 2017, while the Column B fee rate applies to all remaining unit months leased in CY 2017. In cases where the CY 2017 fee rates were lower than those provided CY 2016, PHAs will continue to receive CY 2016 rates. PHAs that have been receiving blended fee rates will continue to receive blended fee rates. PHAs that are eligible and wish to receive blended fee rates, can send their request to the Financial Management Division at HUD. Instructions for applying will be detailed in the 2017 Housing Choice Voucher funding implementation notice.
The CY 2017 Administrative Fee Rates Description can be found here.
The CY 2017 Administrative Fee Rate Table can be found here.
(2/14/17 Edit – the link to the “CY 2017 Administrative Fee Rate Table” pointed to last year’s rates. It has been updated to point to the correct CY 2017 rates.)
HUD Updates HCV Forecasting Tool
According to a HUD official, HUD has updated the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program forecasting tool. The updated tool now includes updated information, including a higher inflation renewal factor; a default forecasting HAP proration of 94% for year 2–i.e., 2017–but the proration can be changed depending on scenarios that the user would like to test; and the ability to forecast up until a fourth year. To access the tool, the user needs to log in through WASS.
Additional information about accessing the tool can be found here.
Upcoming NAHRO e-Briefing on HUD Year in Review
On February 7, 2017, 
NAHRO will present, Moving Forward: A Review of 2016 Regulation and
Legislation, part of NAHRO’s Housing Rules!! series.
The NAHRO Policy team will discuss
many areas that HUD and Congress addressed during 2016 and NAHRO reviewed in detail
in NAHRO’s Regulatory and Legislative Year in Review – 2016, which will provide a solid regulatory and legislative foundation as we work with the new Administration and new Congress to keep our affordable housing agenda moving forward.
Registration information for this e-Briefing and other professional development offerings is available through the NAHRO Professional Development calendar.
NAHRO’s Call for Session Proposals for the 2017 Summer Conference is Now Open.
NAHRO’s Call for Session Proposals for the 2017 Summer Conference is now open.
Share your experience as a housing and community development professional by submitting a session proposal for consideration as a presentation at the 2017 NAHRO Summer Conference in Indianapolis, IN. We are looking for sessions on current and emerging issues, best practices, and strategies to handle challenges facing the industry.
Session proposals should fall under one of the following identified topic tracks – Public Housing, Section 8/HCV, H/CD Finance, Community Development, Commissioners, Organizational Management and International.
Deadline to submit: March 15 and proposals must be submitted thru NAHRO’s on-line submission tool.
Submissions should be complete with a clear and concise session title, description, three learning objectives and identified panelists.
The NAHRO Blog: Legislative & Policy Updates from Washington, DC 