On May 11, HUD announced the allocation of $1 billion of CARES Act funding through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. To date, HUD has allocated over $3 billion funding to communities to help them combat coronavirus and alleviate economic hardship through funding from the CARES Act.
1st Round of CARES Act Admin. Fees Released
Earlier today, HUD released a press release announcing the first round of administrative fee funding for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The new funding will impact all PHAs, including Moving to Work (MTW) agencies. The funding covers two months worth of administrative fees and may be used for traditional purposes as well as for new costs related to protecting assisted families and employees impacted by the COVID-19 event.
Assistant Secretary Kurtz stated that “HUD is committed to assisting PHAs during this time so that assisted families can stay safe and healthy . . . [p]roviding these additional funds to PHAs will give them more tools to address local needs and respond to the Coronavirus pandemic as effectively as possible.”
Eligible uses of the administrative fees may be found in PIH 2020-08 here (NAHRO summary here).
HUD’s press release on the CARES Act administrative fee funding may be found here.
Allocations of the funding may be found here.
PHAs Receive CARES Act Supplemental Operating Funds
Today, HUD allocated the $685 million in supplemental Operating Fund dollars included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to PHAs. The funding was allocated to PHAs via the Operating Fund formula. In HUD’s press release announcing the allocations, Assistant Secretary for PIH Hunter Kurtz noted “[t]he work of public housing authorities has never been more important than today.” PHAs with public housing programs can use the supplemental funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. HUD issued guidance on how these supplemental funds can be spent on Tuesday, April 28.
A list of allocations can be found here.
Thank you to everyone that contacted your legislators through NAHRO’s Advocacy Action Center to help get the CARES Act passed last March. Your messages of how important affordable housing is during a pandemic played a critical role in the HUD programs receiving supplemental relief funding.
NAHRO is providing additional coronavirus resources on our website.
NAHRO Webinar: Managing During COVID-19: Funding, Flexibility, and Fulfilling our Mission; May 5, 2020 at 2pm Est
NAHRO would like to invite you to a complimentary webinar on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 2pm eastern time – Managing During COVID-19: Funding, Flexibility, and Fulfilling our Mission.
Housing agencies are responding in real-time to the coronavirus and its impact on day-to-day operations and the residents they serve. Hear from federal officials and NAHRO on available resources and flexibilities provided by Congress and being implemented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
You will also hear from local housing officials on how they are adapting their programs in the current environment.
We will be joined on the webinar by:
- R. Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Patricia Wells, CME, NAHRO Senior Vice-President, Executive Director, Oakland Housing Authority, CA
- David S. Gates, CS-PHM, CSO-PH, CME, CMPO, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the County of Lonoke, AR
Bring your questions and comments and join your fellow PHAs for this interactive webinar!
Register for Managing During COVID-19: Funding, Flexibility, and Fulfilling our Mission!
HUD Conference Call on CARES Act Funding
On Friday, May 1 at 3:30 pm ET, HUD will hold a conference call to discuss recent notices on utilizing funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The notices detail funding information for the Public Housing Operating Fund and the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Administrative Fee respectively. The notices and summaries of the notices may be found below:
- CARES Act Funding Notices
- CARES Act Public Housing Operating Fund Funding;
- CARES Act HCV Administrative Fee Funding;
On the call will be Assistant Secretary Kurtz, Deputy Assistant Secretary Bastarache, and “several HCV and Housing subject matter experts.”
[4/29/2020 2:46 pm edit to correct a name.]
Call in information for the call may be found below:
Step 1: Dial into the conference.
Dial-in: 1-877-369-5243 or 1-617-668-3633
Access Code: 0828701##
If the automated recording indicates the conference is full, please use overflow information:
Dial-in: 1-877-369-5243 or 1-617-668-3633 Access Code: 0908594#
Step 2: Join the conference on your computer.
Entry Link: https://ems8.intellor.com/login/825773
A calendar invitation may be found here.
CY 2020 Admin. Fee Rates Posted
Earlier today, HUD’s Financial Management Division sent an email stating that the calendar year (CY) 2020 administrative fee rates have been posted. According to the administrative fee rate description document, “[t]he estimated national proration factor, for June through October 2020 is 81%.”
- CY 2020 Administrative Fee Rates:
All of these document as well as other information on the Housing Choice Voucher program can be found here.
CARES Act Supplemental Operating Fund Guidance Released
On April 28, HUD issued Notice PIH-2020-07 titled “Implementation of Supplemental Guidance to the Federal Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Fund Appropriations.” The Notice provides guidance on the allocation and eligible uses of the $685 million supplemental funding included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, as well as the additional flexibilities provided through the CARES Act to use previously appropriated Capital and Operating Funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. The Notice applies to both MTW and Non-MTW PHAs. Obligations of the supplemental funding will be calculated based on each project’s pro rata Calendar Year (CY) 2020 Operating Fund grants. Using the waiver authority provided in the CARES Act, HUD is waiving the requirement to make payments equal to one-twelfth of the total annual Operating Fund under the formula so that HUD may make CARES Act supplemental funding available to PHAs via a single obligation.
HUD Publishes Notice on Accessing HCV Admin. Fee Funding in CARES Act
Earlier today, HUD published PIH 2020-08 titled “CARES Act – HCV Program Administrative Fees.” This notice details how additional administrative fees allocated in the CARES Act will be distributed to PHAs. The CARES Act allocated $1.25 billion for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program ($850 million for administrative fees and $400 million for HAP). The Department will obligate administrative fees in several actions. This notice details the first action, while forthcoming notices will provide details on future distributions.
Initially HUD will provide approximately $380 million to all PHAs (including Moving to Work agencies). Each PHA will receive approximately 2 months worth of administrative fee at the beginning of May. The amount of funding will be the average of the PHA’s calendar year (CY) 2018 and CY 2019 monthly administrative fee eligibility (at 100% proration or full eligibility) multiplied by two.
- Eligible Uses
- Any currently eligible administrative costs during the period the program is impacted by the coronavirus;
- includes necessary upgrades to IT or computer systems to enhance telework capacities and overtime pay for PHA staff to carry-out HCV Program responsibilities;
- New coronavirus related-activities, including activities to support or maintain the health and safety of assisted individuals and families, and costs related to the retention and support of participating owners:
- procuring cleaning supplies for HCV units and common areas of PHA-owned PBV units;
- relocation of families to health units or other designated units for testing, hospitalization, or quarantine (may include transportation costs to these locations);
- additional costs to supportive services vendors incurred due to coronavirus;
- costs to retain or increase owner participation in the HCV program;
- costs for providing childcare of PHA staff that would not otherwise be incurred;
- costs associated with the delivery of goods, including food and medical supplies that comply with CDC requirements, to program participants;
- public health security-costs to enforce shelter-in-place, stay-at-home, or visitor-restriction policies;
- administration costs associated with the implementation of coronavirus-related activities that are not eligible HCV administrative costs;
- other costs determined by HUD on a case-by-case basis.
- Any currently eligible administrative costs during the period the program is impacted by the coronavirus;
Period of availability – the period of availability for these funds is the duration of the calendar year 2020, unless this period is extended by HUD.
Reporting – Unlike regular administrative fees, these funds must be tracked and accounted for separately. Funds not spent must be returned to HUD. Recipients of CARES Act funding in excess of $150,000 have quarterly reporting requirements, including a detailed list of project uses and activities (see notice for full details).
Ineligible expenses – funds may not be used to repay debts or amounts owed to HUD (including OIG, QAD or other monitoring review findings) or program participants. The funds used for salaries must comply with executive compensation requirements.
The full notice may be found here.
HUD PIH Flyer for Tenants on the Eviction Moratorium
Earlier today, HUD PIH sent an email to PHA Executive Directors, which included a flyer (in PDF format) for tenants discussing the temporary eviction moratorium. This flyer applies to tenants in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, Public Housing program, and Section 8 Mod. Rehab. program.
The flyer may be found on HUD’s COVID-19 Resources and Fact Sheets page.
It can be accessed directly here.
2020 HTF Allocations Announced
HUD has released it’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF) allocations for FY 2020. Allocations for FY 2020 total $322,564,267. Funds are distributed to states via formula, with larger states receiving more funding. All states receive at least $3 million. Larger states, such as California, New York, Texas, and Florida received $50.8 million, $29 million, $16.5 million, and $14.4 million respectively. Housing Trust Fund dollars can be used to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for extremely low-income families with incomes between 0 and 30 percent of area median income (AMI) and very low-income families with incomes between 30 and 50 percent of AMI, including homeless families. HTF dollars can also be used for increasing homeownership for extremely low-income and very low-income families.
A full list of state awards can be found here.
The NAHRO Blog: Legislative & Policy Updates from Washington, DC 