U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Releases Guidance on Addressing Encampments

~ Steven Molinari ~ Leave a comment

On June 15th, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released guidance for addressing encampments that can be found here. Unsheltered homelessness and encampments have been considered by USICH to be a crisis in the United States. According to USICH, more individuals that experienced homelessness in 2020 were living on the streets than in shelters for the first time.

The guidance lists seven core principles in addressing encampments, which includes:

  1. Establishing a Cross-Agency, Multi-Sector Response
  2. Engage with Encampment Residents to Develop Solutions
  3. Conduct Comprehensive and Coordinated Outreach
  4. Address Basic Needs and Provide Storage
  5. Ensure Access to Shelter or Housing Options
  6. Develop Pathways to Permanent Housing and Supports
  7. Create a Plan for What Will Happen to Encampment Sites After Closure

This release follows the unanimous vote by USICH to approve the national goal to significantly reduce homelessness. The goal and strategies to achieve it will be published in the newest federal strategic plan to be released later this year.

More information regarding the guidance will be provided in the next edition of the Monitor published on June 30.

HUD Requests Comments on NSPIRE Standards

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On June 16, HUD pre-published its Request for Comments: National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) and Associated Protocols in the Federal Register. The request for public comment is focused specifically on the inspection standards associated with the new NSPIRE inspection protocol that HUD will begin implementing in April, 2023. NSPIRE aims to create a unified assessment of housing quality through inspections across multiple HUD programs. NSPIRE applies to the Public Housing program, Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) units, Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) units, and Project-Based Voucher (PBV) programs. Certain HUD Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs would also be required to adopt theses new standards. These programs include the HOME Program, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program, and Continuum of Care (CoC). A full list of the NSPIRE Standards can be found here. Comments are due 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.

NAHRO will provide an in-depth analysis of the NSPIRE Standards soon.

After NAHRO’s Urging, HUD Expands Administrative Fee Eligible Uses

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On June 13th, HUD published a notice [Notice PIH 2022-18 (HA)] expanding the eligible uses of the administrative fee for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. The notice is titled “Use of Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Mainstream Voucher Administrative Fees for Other Expenses to Assist Families and Lease Units.” Earlier this year, NAHRO had written to HUD recommending that it expand the eligible uses of the HCV administrative fee in order to increase voucher utilization. NAHRO wrote that HUD should “[i]mmediately issue guidance in the form of a new PIH notice clarifying that administrative fees may be used for activities and expenses that help a PHA utilize vouchers . . . .” NAHRO is pleased that HUD recognized–after NAHRO’s urging–the importance of allowing administrative fees to be used for these additional purposes, which will have the end effect of helping more families find and lease homes.

The notice clarifies that administrative fees may be used for the following activities:

  • Administrative Activities: These activities include–but are not limited to the following:
    • Front-line, day-to-day operational activities:
      • applicant intake;
      • lease-up activities;
      • income determinations and reexaminations;
      • unit inspections;
      • disbursing HAP to landlords;
      • policy and operational planning and implementation;
      • financial management;
      • HCV record-keeping and reporting;
    • Indirect overhead activities associated with operating the HCV program:
      • PHA management;
      • human resources;
      • legal;
      • finance;
      • accounting and payroll;
      • information technology;
      • procurement;
      • quality control;
      • central office cost center HCV program expenses;
    • Housing search assistance activities;
      • pre-move counseling;
      • helping a family identify and visit potentially available units during their housing search;
      • helping a family find a unit that meets the household’s disability-related needs;
      • providing transportation and directions; and
      • assisting with the completion of rental applications;
    • Post-lease up activities related to search assistance:
      • post-move counseling and landlord/tenant mediation;
    • HCV owner recruitment and outreach activities:
      • costs associated with materials or webpages specifically geared to owners;
      • costs of landlord liaison staff;
      • associated expenses;
  • Other Eligible Activities (PHAs must change their administrative plans to support these activities; Note: some of these activities have certain restrictions, please see Notice PIH 2022-18 (HA) for specifics on use):
    • Expenses for activities designed to help assist HCV families in leasing units:
      • Owner incentive and/or retention payments;
      • security deposit assistance;
      • utility deposit assistance/utility arrears;
      • application fees/non-refundable administrative or processing fees/refundable application deposit assistance/broker fees;
      • holding fees; and
      • renter’s insurance if required by the lease.

Additionally, administrative fee reserves or outside funding sources may also be used for the listed activities. Similarly, mainstream voucher administrative fees may also be used to assist mainstream voucher families to lease units, though mainstream administrative fees may only be used for mainstream vouchers. The notice also notes that for both regular and mainstream HAP funding may not be used to pay for any of these activities. Finally, the notice provides certain information on reporting the new authorized expenses.

The full notice may be found here.

Applications for the Adult and Juvenile Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Programs Now Open

~ Steven Molinari ~ Leave a comment

The Bureau of Justice Assistance is now accepting applications for funding meant to enhance and or implement services to individuals who were or are involved in the criminal justice system.

There are two deadlines for applications: July 28, 2022 at 8:59 p.m. ET through Grants.gov and August 2, 2022 at 8:59 p.m. ET through JustGrants. The applications are meant to be completed in two steps through both of these websites. Applicants must ensure that their System for Award Management (SAM) registration is current.

Applications are open to state, local, and tribal governments, as well as, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status. The funding would be meant to expand or enhance existing programs that are focused in the following:

  • clinical services
  • reducing recidivism
  • improving reentry
  • providing recovery treatment for those with mental health and or substance use issues
  • other related services to those involved in the criminal justice system

Additional information on eligibility can be found here.

The full notice for applying to this program can be found here.

Operating Fund Shortfall Funding Announced

~ Eric Oberdorfer ~ Leave a comment

On July 13, HUD published its notice implementing the Public Housing Operating Fund Shortfall Funding from the FY 2022 Appropriations Act (Notice PIH-2022-17). The FY 2022 Appropriations Act included a provision that provided $25 million for PHAs that experience, or are at risk of, financial shortfalls as determined by HUD. PHAs that are included on the list of eligible PHAs may apply for Shortfall funding by visiting the OpFund Web Portal. PHAs must apply by July 12, 2022. The list of eligible PHAs can be found here.

NAHRO to Host Webinar on HCV Utilization Resources

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Join NAHRO–tomorrow, June 9th at 2 pm ET–for this webinar focused on HUD voucher utilization resources. HUD staff have been invited to share some of the resources available to PHAs on HUD’s website to help increase voucher utilization. Learn about the various resources available and how they can be used to help your PHA optimize its voucher utilization strategy!

Registration can be found here.

HUD Hosting Payment Standards Webinar

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On June 10, 2022, from 2 pm to 4 pm ET, HUD will host a webinar to aid PHAs in “understanding and using payment standards, exception payment standards, Fair Market Rents (FMRs), and Small Area FMRs (SAFMRs).” In addition to learning what these items are, webinar participants will also learn best practices and tools to use them.

Webinar registration can be found here.

After the webinar has been complete, a recording will be found here.

$10 Million Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity Available

~ Andrew Van Horn ~ Leave a comment

Applications Due July 28, 2022

On June 2, HUD announced that they have begun accepting applications for Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants for fiscal year 2022. Planning Grants exist to help PHAs create plans to revitalize distressed HUD-assisted housing, the community, and the neighborhood of the project into more desirable areas. This type of Choice Neighborhood grant is intended to provide the resources and support PHAs need to create a strategic plan and take initial action steps toward revitalization and is separate from Implementation Grants.

This year’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) contains significant changes from previous years, including the following:

  • an increase in the total amount of funding available for planning grants and thus an increase in maximum award size to $500,000 and number of grants to 20;
  • eligibility of Public Housing developments with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding; and
  • new application evaluation criteria.

In May, HUD held a webinar explaining changes to the application and scoring process. All applications must be downloaded from www.grants.gov. Links to prior webinars detailing the application directions, scoring process, and Choice Neighborhoods background are available on the FY 2022 NOFO page here.

HUD Publishes TPV Funding for FY 2021

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, a pre-publication version of a notice detailing HUD’s tenant-protection voucher (TPV) funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 was published. The notice is titled “Announcement of Tenant Protection Voucher Funding Awards for Fiscal Year 2021 for the Housing Choice Voucher Program.” These vouchers were awarded for a variety of reasons. A special administrative fee of $200 was provided to PHAs in multifamily housing conversion actions. The Department awarded approximately $142 million to recipients for 14,423 vouchers.

The pre-publication notice can be found here.

Voucher Funding Opportunities

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD sent a letter detailing future funding opportunities for PHAs with Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs. The letter states that voucher funding is currently high (including an approximately 92% administrative fee proration). It also provides a table clearly delineating future voucher funding opportunities. The full letter can be found here (due to technical difficulties, the letter cannot be currently published, but will be soon).

The following is a reproduction of the information in the table. Additional information can be found in Notice PIH 2022-14. (* indicates that there are two deadlines for the funding category.)

  • HAP Set-Aside and Admin. Special Fee category deadlines
    • No Deadline
      • HAP Set-Aside – Prevention of Terminations Due to Insufficient Funding (Shortfall) – Provides funding for PHAs that would be required to terminate participating families from the program due to insufficient funds despite taking reasonable cost savings measures.
    • June 15, 2022
      • HAP Set-Aside – Unforeseen Circumstances – Aids PHAs who have experienced an occurrence, within or after the re-benchmarking period, that could not have been anticipated and was out of the PHA’s control.
      • HAP Set-Aside – Portability – Helps PHAs that experienced a significant increase in renewal costs due to portability for tenant based rental assistance under Section 8(r) of the Act.
      • HAP Set-Aside – Project Based Vouchers – Reimburses PHAs for HCV renewal funds that were not included in the CY2021 re-benchmarking because the PHA intentionally held the funds for an upcoming PBV to enter into a Housing Assistance Payment (AHAP).
      • HAP Set-Aside – Moving to Work (MTW) New Cohorts – Provides funding for PHAs that received their MTW designation in CY 2021 where funds were obligated, but not expended in CY 2021.
      • HAP Set-Aside – HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH)* – Supports PHAs administering HUD-VASH that can demonstrate a need for adjustment funding due to at least one of the following situations: (1) PUC Increase (2) Leasing Cost Increase.
      • HAP Set-Aside – Lower-than-average Leasing – Aids PHAs that are leasing at a lower-than-average percentage of their authorized vouchers, and have low amounts of budget authority in HCV program reserves. A list of eligible PHAs can be found here.
      • HAP Set-Aside – Non-Life Threatening (NLT) Inspection Withheld HAP – Reimburses PHAs for cases where the PHA paid the owner HAP that were withheld during CY 2021 in accordance with the requirements of the NLT initial inspection option.
      • Blended Rate Administrative Fees – Increased Administrative Fees for PHAs serving multiple Administrative Fee areas.
      • Higher Administrative Fees – Increased Administrative Fees for PHAs that operate over a large geographic area, as defined as two or more counties.
    • July 8, 2022
      • Special Fees – HUD-VASH – Supports necessary additional administrative expenses incurred to increase lease-up success rates or decrease the time it takes for a veteran to locate and move into a unit. See Appendix C of the notice.
      • Special Fees – HUD-Family Unification Program (FUP) – Supports necessary additional administrative expenses incurred to achieve either of the following activities: 100% FUP/Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) voucher utilization; and Increase access to the program for FUP-eligible youth. See Appendix C of the notice.
    • September 30, 2022
      • HAP Set-Aside – Disaster* – Supports PHAs whose expenses have been impacted by disasters.
      • HAP Set-Aside – Unforeseen Circumstances* – Second and final deadline for additional funding for unforeseen circumstances.
      • HAP Set-Aside – HUD -VASH* – Second and final deadline for additional funding for HUD-VASH.
    • October 28, 2022
      • Special Fees – Disaster – In the event of a future allocation of disaster vouchers during CY 2022, PIH will provide eligibility and application guidance for disaster related vouchers’ special fees. See Appendix C of the notice.
      • Special Fees – Secretary’s Discretion – Provides additional administrative fee funding to cover administrative expenses incurred as the result of a situation outside of the specific categories described in PIH Notice 2022-14. See Appendix C of the notice.
    • December 30, 2022
      • HAP Set-Aside – Disaster* – Second and final deadline to request funding for Disaster assistance.
  • Other Voucher Funding Opportunities (Date is target publication date of notice; unless noted otherwise, these will be published as PIH notices at www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/publications/notices.)
    • June, FY 2022
      • Mainstream Vouchers ($40 million; 4,200 vouchers) – An opportunity for PHAs to receive new Mainstream vouchers and extraordinary administrative fees to help PHAs lease their Mainstream vouchers. See PIH Notice 2022-07.
      • Stability Vouchers ($43 million; 4,000 vouchers) – Supports families experiencing or at-risk of homelessness, those fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and veterans and family members that include a veteran family member that meets one of the preceding criteria. Implements the funds provided in the 2021 appropriation.
      • FYI – Competitive ($15.3 million; 1,500 vouchers) – Provides assistance for FUP-eligible youth under the FYI program. (To be published at www.hud.gov/grants.)
    • July, FY 2022
      • HUD-VASH ($79 million; 8,500 vouchers) – Pairs HCV rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services for homeless Veterans. Awards based on geographic need and performance.
      • FYI – Non-Competitive ($15 million) – Provides assistance for Family Unification Program (FUP)-eligible youth under the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program.
      • New HCV Incremental Vouchers ($200 million; Up to 25,000 vouchers) – Provides rental assistance to families to support affordable housing and provide greater access to areas of opportunity through noncompetitive formula awards.
    • August, FY 2022
      • FUP ($5 million; 380 vouchers) – Provides rental assistance to families whose lack of adequate housing is a primary cause of the separation or imminent separation, of a child or children from their families. (To be published at www.hud.gov/grants.)
    • March, FY 2023
      • Mobility Related Services ($25 million; no additional vouchers) – Provides funding for mobility related services that are modeled after services provided with the Community Choice Demonstration. Preference will be given to PHAs with a higher concentration of HCV families with children residing in high-poverty areas. (To be published at www.hud.gov/grants.)