Dos & Don'ts, Q & A, Recent Court Rulings, HUD Audits, In the News

Study: Post-9/11 Veterans Struggling with Housing Affordability

December 11, 2018    

A recent study from Apartment List, “The Housing Affordability Struggle of 21st Century Veterans,” found that post-9/11 veterans are more likely to struggle with housing affordability than veterans of previous generations. According to the study, post-9/11 veterans have become the...

Public Housing Repositioning Letters Sent to Executive Directors

December 11, 2018    

On Nov. 13, HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing sent a letter to Executive Directors of public housing agencies notifying them of their options related to the repositioning of their public housing properties. In the letter, HUD discusses the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)...

Small Area FMR PHAs May Apply for Additional Administrative Fees

December 11, 2018    

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) recently sent letters to PHAs inviting them to request up to $25,000 in additional administrative fees to reimburse them for the costs associated with implementing Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs). As of April 1, 2018, PHAs in 24...

HUD Publishes Notice on Verifying SSNs for PHAs

December 11, 2018    

HUD recently published Notice PIH 2018-24 entitled “Verification of Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Social Security (SS) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits; and Effective Use of the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System’s Identity Verification Report.” This...

Court Denies Government's Proposed Settlement for NYCHA Violations

December 11, 2018    

Facts: The U.S. government asked a court to approve a proposed consent decree or settlement without admission of liability with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The decree sought to bring organizational...

State-Legalized Recreational Marijuana and Federally Assisted Housing

November 19, 2018    

Q With the recent midterm elections, my state has legalized the use of recreational marijuana. Has there been any change in HUD policy with regard to marijuana use in public housing or Section 8 sites?

HUD to Revise REAC Scoring System

November 19, 2018    

As part of its continuing effort to support “decent, safe, and sanitary housing,” HUD announced, in a Multifamily Communications email, that it has been conducting an internal review of the Real Estate Assessment Center’s (REAC’s) physical inspection system. Secretary...

GAO: HUD Programs Don’t Provide Adequate Staff Guidance for Making DEC Referrals

November 19, 2018    

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report that examined the processes for referring cases of potential noncompliance to HUD’s Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC). The GAO looked at three HUD program offices—the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs,...

Remaining Widow Doesn't Qualify for Elderly Housing

November 19, 2018    

Facts: A Section 202 site that provides supportive housing for the elderly sought to evict the wife of a deceased resident. She moved into the unit with her husband in May 2004 and lived there continuously for the past 14 years. Her husband, the tenant of record and head of...

Applicant Submitted Voucher Documents Past Expiration Date

November 19, 2018    

Facts: An applicant sued a caseworker in her official capacity as an employee of the PHA. The applicant was issued a Section 8 voucher on Oct. 18, 2017, and was given 60 days to find housing for him and his family....

DHS Proposes Rule on Immigrant Access to Assisted Housing

October 16, 2018    

According to a preliminary notice issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Trump administration is considering ways to strengthen the enforcement of rules that require immigrants to demonstrate that they won’t take advantage of public assistance programs after entering the...