During the month of March 2023, A. J. Johnson will be partnering with the MidAtlantic Affordable Housing Management Association for four training sessions intended for real estate professionals, particularly those in the affordable multifamily housing field. All four sessions will be presented via live webinars. The following sessions will be presented:
March 7: Developing Smoke-Free Policies for Multifamily Housing – A smoke-free policy in your apartment community will help protect your property and residents from smoke damage and reduce the risk of fires. You will save money on turnover expenses because apartments will cost less to clean, repair, and repaint. Living in a smoke-free environment promotes healthier hearts and lungs. What are the other benefits of smoke-free housing? Your family, guests, pets, and building staff will all find the air more pleasant to breathe. This three-hour training will assist owners in understanding the steps necessary to go “smoke-free.” It will include (1) a discussion of the legal issues relating to prohibiting smoking; (2) the advantages of smoke-free housing; and (3) the steps to implementing such a policy, including details on what to include in the policy. This session is a must for any property looking to go smoke-free and will provide much-needed reinforcement and guidance for those that already have.
March 9: Implementing Criminal Screening Policies for Multifamily Housing – Property owners may (and should) screen applicants for criminal behavior but must be careful when doing so – and must have transparent and defensible policies relative to screening for past criminal conduct. This 1.5-hour webinar will assist owners and property managers in understanding what is required when implementing a criminal screening policy. The training will outline the HUD guidance relative to criminal screening and will review the type of policies that are – and are not – acceptable. The discussion will center on (1) the types of crimes that are appropriate for screening; (2) the HUD policy regarding the use of arrest records in criminal screening; (3) dealing with convictions for non-dangerous crimes; and (4) the use of individual assessments for rejected applicants. Following the session, participants will be better prepared to develop a criminal screening policy that will not run afoul of fair housing law.
March 28: Intermediate LIHTC Compliance – Designed for more experienced managers, supervisory personnel, investment asset managers, and compliance specialists, this program expands on the information covered in the Basics of Tax Credit Site Management. A more in-depth discussion of income verification issues is included as well as a discussion of minimum set-aside issues (including the Average Income Minimum Set-Aside), optional fees, and use of common areas. The Available Unit Rule is covered in great detail, as are the requirements for units occupied by students. Attendees will also learn the requirements relating to setting rents at a tax-credit property. This course contains some practice problems but is more discussion oriented than the Basic course. A calculator is required for this course.
March 29: Advanced LIHTC Compliance – This full-day training is intended for senior management staff, developers, corporate finance officers, and others involved in decision-making with regard to how LIHTC deals are structured. This training covers complex issues such as eligible and qualified basis, applicable fraction, credit calculation (including first-year calculation), placed-in-service issues, rehab projects, tax-exempt bonds, projects with HOME funds, Next Available Unit Rule, employee units, mixed-income properties, the Average Income Minimum Set-Aside, vacant unit rule, and dealing effectively with State Agencies.
These sessions are part of the year-long collaboration between A. J. Johnson and MidAtlantic AHMA that is designed to provide affordable housing professionals with the knowledge needed to effectively manage the complex requirements of the various agencies overseeing these programs.
Persons interested in any (or all) of these training sessions may register by visiting either www.ajjcs.net or https://www.mid-atlanticahma.org.