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A. J. Johnson

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HUD Implements Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Program

July 26, 2020

On July 15, 2020, HUD published in the Federal Register a Notice implementing the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration Program. This program was authorized by the 2019 and 2020 Appropriations Acts. Background The 2019 Appropriations Act, signed into law…

HUD Issues Final FAST Act Streamlining Rule

July 26, 2020

The Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has issued its final rule implementing Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act legislation. The rule was effective on June 8, 2020. In the final rule, HUD made official the FAST Act changes…

IRS Provides Clarification on COVID-19 Issues

July 24, 2020

The IRS recently issued guidance relating to COVID-19 relief for LIHTC projects (July 1). The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) requested clarification from the IRS on two of the provisions in the IRS Notice (Notice 2020-53): (1) suspension…

Normal Wear & Tear – What is it?

July 19, 2020

A question I often get from clients with regard to the requirement to return security deposits is “What is the difference between normal wear and tear and tenant damage?” It’s an important question, because the landlord/tenant laws in virtually every…

National Fair Housing Alliance Files Suit Against Multiple Assisted Living Operators

July 18, 2020

The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) has filed suit against eight companies that operate 16 assisted living facilities in the Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe metropolitan areas. The suits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the…

A. J. Johnson to Offer Fair Housing Webinar

July 16, 2020

A. J. Johnson will be conducting a webinar on July 23, 2020 on Compliance with Federal and State Fair Housing Requirements. The Webinar will be held from 1:00 PM to 4 PM Eastern Time. This training will equip attendees with…

Webinar on VAWA Plans for LIHTC Properties

July 13, 2020

A. J. Johnson will be conducting a webinar on July 22, 2020 on The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – Guidance for LIHTC Owners & Management Agents. The Webinar will be held at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The Violence Against…

HUD Updates Guidance on CARES Act Eviction Moratorium

July 10, 2020

On July 1, 2020, HUD issued Notice H-20-07, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Eviction Moratorium. This Notice provides background and up-to-date guidance on HUD’s policies and procedures regarding the eviction relief provided to tenants of certain multifamily…

HUD Issues Update Notice on COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Waivers

July 8, 2020

On July 2, 2020, the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) issued Notice PIH 2020-05, Rev. 1 “COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Waivers and Alternative Requirements for the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community…

Webinar on Average Income Requirements & Best Practices

July 7, 2020

A. J. Johnson will be conducting a webinar on July 14, 2020 on Requirements & Best Practices Relating to the Average Income Minimum Set-Aside for LIHTC Properties. The Webinar will be held at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The Average Income…

Illegal Steering – Recent Fair Housing Settlement Shows Feds Lack of Tolerance for the Practice

July 4, 2020

The United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) reached a Settlement Agreement with the Decatur (AL) Housing Authority on June 26 after a HUD compliance review determined that the Authority maintained discriminatory housing practices in three of its…

IRS Releases Major LIHTC Program Guidance – July 1, 2020

July 1, 2020

On July 1, 2020, the IRS released an advanced copy of proposed regulations concerning low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) housing finance agency (HFA) monitoring requirements and Notice 2020-53, which provides COVID-19 related relief to issuers, owners, operators, and tenants of…

Housing Crisis Looms with End of Eviction Moratoriums

July 1, 2020

The United States is on the cusp of a housing crisis. As states begin lifting eviction moratoriums, and with the July rent coming due, millions are still suffering from the economic damage caused by the pandemic. In Congress, Senator Elizabeth…

CAREs Act Eviction Protection for Housing Trust Fund Projects

June 28, 2020

A client recently asked me whether properties with money from the National Housing Trust Fund (HTF) are subject to the eviction moratorium protections of the CAREs Act. This is a somewhat confusing issue so a detailed review of the HTF…

Pre-Termination Notice Requirements for Section 8 Properties

June 27, 2020

Many managers of HUD properties have learned the hard way that failing to give an absolutely correct notice prior to terminating a resident’s lease can lead to eviction delays. If a pre-termination notice is not done in exact accordance with…

A COVID-19 Best Practice Reminder for Multifamily Housing

June 26, 2020

COVID-19 IS A SERIOUS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS THAT CAN SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON. It is unfortunate that months into this crisis, people still have to be reminded about how serious an illness COVID-19 is. The current resurgent outbreaks in multiple…

Smoking in Apartments – Two Recent Court Cases Illustrate Landlord Right to Permit or Prohibit Smoking

June 21, 2020

Two recent court cases have strengthened the rights of landlords to either permit smoking or to prohibit smoking in apartment communities. In Davis v. Echo Valley Condominium Association, Michigan (6th. Cir.), December 2019, a federal appeals court ruled that a…

How to Notify Residents of Confirmed COVID-19 Case

June 20, 2020

I have received a lot of questions lately regarding the rights of landlords and residents when a resident at an apartment community tests positive for the coronavirus. While a landlord is required to notify residents and the public regarding a…

State Eviction Moratoriums for COVID-19 Due to Expire As Unemployment Benefits Dry Up

June 20, 2020

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, most states put a hold on evictions from rental properties. In many states, those moratoriums are expiring at about the same time that more generous unemployment benefits are set to dry up.…

HUD Publishes 2020 Income Limits for HOME, CDBG, HOPWA, HTF, and NSP and 2020 Rent Limits for HOME and HTF

June 17, 2020

On June 17, 2020, HUD published the Income Limits for 2020 for a number of programs, including: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG);HOME Program;Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA);Housing Trust Fund (HTF); andNeighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). HUD has also published…

Paycheck Protection Program – Largest Banks Have Served the Smallest Businesses

June 15, 2020

The Bank Policy Institute (BPI) has released data from a survey of the nine largest retail banks regarding loan originations from the first two rounds of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). It appears that the mega-banks have primarily served the…

HUD and Prince George’s County Housing Authority Enter into Voluntary Compliance Agreement Related to Discrimination Against the Disabled

June 14, 2020

On June 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) reached a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the Housing Authority of Prince George’s County (HAPGC), Maryland after a HUD compliance review determined that HAPGC denied the reasonable accommodation…

Boston and New York Landlords Sue Over COVID-19 Eviction Moratoriums

June 14, 2020

Landlords in New York and Massachusetts have filed legal challenges to eviction moratoriums put into place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that the bans on eviction are unconstitutional. On May 27, 2020, a group of landlords in…

CARES Act Eviction Moratorium applies to the HOME Program

June 13, 2020

The Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) recently sent a reminder to HOME Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) of their responsibility to notify property owners and tenants about the temporary eviction moratorium established by Section 4024 of the CARES Act. The…

National Report on Affordable Housing Preservation Released

June 7, 2020

A Joint report of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC) on the affordable housing preservation situation and needs in the United States was released in late May. The report focuses…

HUD Releasing $800 Million in CARES Act Assistance for Section 8 Properties

June 6, 2020

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provides $1 billion of additional appropriations to Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including to maintain normal operations and take other necessary actions during…

A. J. Johnson Partnering with Mid-Atlantic AHMA for Affordable Housing Webinars

June 5, 2020

A. J. Johnson is partnering with the Mid-Atlantic Affordable Housing Management Association (Mid-Atlantic AHMA) in a series of webinars relating to the development and operation of affordable housing properties. Upcoming webinars include: June 9: Section 8 Management & Best Practices;June…

Warn Residents of COVID-19 Scams

May 30, 2020

Scammers, fraudsters, and other criminals are taking advantage of rapidly changing data and facts associated with COVID-19, both in the workplace and in our homes. Government agencies, corporations, and news outlets continue to warn individuals to be mindful of increased…

HUD Issues Notice on Electronic Signatures

May 27, 2020

On May 26, 2020, HUD issued Notice H20-4, Electronic Signature, Transmission and Storage – Guidance for Multifamily Assisted Housing Industry Partners. This Notice provides guidance to HUD multifamily assisted housing partners on electronic signatures, electronic transmission, and electronic storage of…

Procedures for Requesting a Private Letter Ruling

May 23, 2020

A Private Letter Ruling (PLR) is a written decision by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that is sent in response to a taxpayer’s request for guidance on unusual circumstances or complex questions about their specific tax situation. For certain transactions…

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