Recent Court Rulings

Defective Pre-Termination Notice Included Undesignated Charges

July 17, 2019    
Facts: A Section 8 resident signed a HUD model lease for a unit. The term of the lease was for one year, and the resident remained in the unit after the first year on a month-to-month basis. The owner filed for eviction based on the nonpayment of rent in the amount of $1,402.
Recent Court Rulings

Resident Breached Lease by Failing to Pay Rent

July 17, 2019    
Facts: A resident of a HUD-assisted site received a rent subsidy that reduced her monthly portion of the rent to $139 of the total rent of $532. The owner sent the resident a “Notice of Termination of Lease” informing her that her lease would be terminated effective Dec. 31, 2016.
In the News

Senate Confirms Two HUD Assistant Secretaries

July 17, 2019    
The Senate recently confirmed Hunter Kurtz to be HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing (PIH) and Seth Appleton to be HUD Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research (PD&R). Prior to the Senate confirmations, neither PIH nor PD&R had assistant secretaries during...
In the News

HUD Secretary to Chair White House Council on Affordable Housing

July 17, 2019    
President Trump recently signed an Executive Order to establish the White House Council on Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing Development. The council is headed by HUD Secretary Ben Carson and consists of members across eight federal agencies. They will engage with state, local, and tribal...
In the News

JCHS Report Sheds Light on Lack of Affordable Housing Production

July 17, 2019    
Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) recently released its annual report, “The State of the Nation’s Housing 2019.” The report examines the state of the housing market in 2018, finding that, while the housing market improved in many respects over the...
In the News

HUD Offers $150M to Provide Affordable Housing to People with Disabilities

July 17, 2019    
HUD is offering $150 million in grants to provide affordable housing to approximately 18,000 non-elderly persons living with disabilities. HUD anticipates awarding 300 grants ranging from $20,000 up to $3 million to eligible public housing agencies. HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher...
In the News

HUD Offers Largest Funding Amount to Clean Up Lead in Housing

July 17, 2019    
HUD recently announced a record $330 million in grants to clean up lead-based paint hazards and other housing-related health and safety hazards in low-income housing. These grants are provided through HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Production for Tribal Housing grant programs...
In the News

Senator Kaine Reintroduces Fair Housing Improvement Act

July 17, 2019    
Senator Tim Kaine recently reintroduced the Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2019 to protect veterans and low-income families from housing discrimination. This bill would expand the Fair Housing Act’s protections to prohibit housing discrimination based on source of income or veteran status....
Feature

Use Community Room Agreement to Make Residents Responsible for Damage and Injury

June 13, 2019    
A site’s community room is an ideal place for residents to throw parties or hold resident association meetings. But use of this amenity can cause problems. If residents or their guests act irresponsibly, they may damage the community room and its furnishings. And if someone’s injured...
Income Calculations

How to Handle Balances Held Within and Distributions from ABLE Accounts

June 13, 2019    
ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families. They were created as a result of the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, better known as the ABLE Act. The beneficiary of the account is the account owner, and income...