Certification, Compliance, Crime & Security, Dealing with Households, Feature, Income Calculations, Maintenance, Screening Applicants

Comply with HUD Rules on Lead-Based Paint

July 26, 2009    

Unless it has been removed by a professional lead abatement contractor or during normal renovation or painting, most housing that was built before 1978 has some painted surfaces with layers of old lead-based paint underneath. Because exposure to even small amounts of lead can be permanently...

Comply with New EPA Rules When Renovating Older Housing

June 23, 2009    

In April 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued important new rules on renovation, repair, and painting of housing that was built before 1978. According to the EPA, the new requirements are part of a comprehensive federal effort to eliminate childhood lead poisoning.

The...

Lead Hazard Disclosure: Tell What You Know

May 24, 2009    

Federal law requires housing providers to disclose to potential renters and buyers the presence of lead-based paint hazards on the premises. Almost all housing built before 1978, whether subsidized by HUD or not, is covered by the disclosure law. The penalties for noncompliance can be...

How to Respond to Bedbug Infestation at Your Site

May 24, 2009    

For the first time since the 1940s, bedbugs in the past five years have become a serious problem for housing providers across the United States and Canada.

The costs of dealing with a bedbug problem can easily overwhelm a site's annual budget for pest control. Bedbug control expert...

How to Set EIV Policy, Inform Residents

April 23, 2009    

In late March, HUD announced that it was delaying the effective date of the Enterprise Income Verification System (EIV) and Social Security verification rules it issued in January (as discussed in last month's Insider). HUD has changed the effective date for the new EIV and Social...

Adopt No-Trespassing Policy to Boost Site Security

April 23, 2009    

The Alabama Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (AAHRA) is cracking down on the unwanted presence of drug dealers and those engaging in criminal activity at its public housing sites. In February 2009, the 150-member association of housing authorities in the state revised its...

How to Comply with New Guidance on Reasonable Modifications

March 25, 2009    

Dealing with reasonable accommodations may be trickier than you think. Last year the Department of Justice (DOJ) and HUD jointly issued new guidance on reasonable modifications under the Fair Housing Act. Since then, HUD has issued new statements on the housing rights of disabled applicants and...

Comply with Military Service Law Covering Residents on Active Duty

February 26, 2009    

With tens of thousands of military personnel overseas in 2003 and 2004, Congress rewrote a World War II-era law that provides certain financial protections to members of the military and their families. Today, the conflicts abroad are continuing to require the service of thousands of men and...

HUD Mandates EIV Use, SSN Verification

February 26, 2009    

In late January 2009, HUD issued a final rule refining the income and rent determination requirements in its public and assisted housing programs. The final rule has two major new requirements for PHAs and multifamily housing program owners and managers:

  • It requires the use of...

FAQs About Leasing in the Housing Choice Voucher Program

February 26, 2009    

When you're dealing with households whose rent is subsidized through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, formerly known as the Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance Program, it is important to remember that it is not the same as the Project-Based Section 8 program you are familiar with....

Comply with VAWA Before Seeking Resident's Eviction

February 1, 2009    

In a court case decided in January 2009, a New York owner tried to evict a Section 8 resident, claiming that she had violated her lease by creating a nuisance. In the notice of termination, the owner claimed that the resident engaged in violent behavior during domestic disputes. The violent...

Housing Groups Dispute HUD's Electronic Notification Methods

February 1, 2009    

In late 2008, housing groups and industry professionals met with former HUD Secretary James Preston to urge greater transparency about HUD activities. High on their agenda was discussing how HUD has discarded previous, more formal methods of notifying the public about new policies and...