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Senate Bill Amending the Fair Housing Act Introduced

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A. J. Johnson
S. 1242, A Bill to Amend the Fair Housing Act, and for Other Purposes, was introduced in the Senate on June 27, 2013, and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The short title of the bill is “Housing Opportunities…

Rural Area Definition – Legislative Update (June 28, 2013)

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A. J. Johnson
Approximately 900 communities across the United States that are currently considered “rural” for purposes of United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs are in danger of losing their rural designation. The communities will no longer be considered rural based on…

HUD Proposed Rule on Pet Deposits for Multifamily Housing

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A. J. Johnson
HUD published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on May 24, 2013 that would change the requirements for owners of HUD-assisted multifamily housing relative to the collection of pet deposits on projects intended for occupancy by elderly or disabled…

HUD Provides Updated Guidance Regarding Assistance Animals

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A. J. Johnson
HUD Issues Notice Clarifying Service Animal Issues   On April 25, 2013, HUD issues FHEO Notice 2013-01, Service Animals and Assistance Animals for People with Disabilities in Housing and HUD-Funded Programs. This notice provides additional clarification of housing provider obligations…

New Veteran Preference for New Jersey Properties

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A. J. Johnson
Governor Chris Christie recently signed into law legislation that will expand access to affordable housing for New Jersey veterans.  This new program allows owners of affordable housing to give a preference for veterans by entering into a preference agreement with…

Administration Proposals to Improve the LIHTC Program

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A. J. Johnson
As part of its 2014 budget, the Obama Administration has made five specific proposals relative to the LIHTC Program.   Allow states to convert some of their authority relating to the issuance of tax-exempt bonds into additional tax credits. (This…

Bipartisan Policy Center Recommendations

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A. J. Johnson
The Bipartisan Policy Center was founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell for the purpose of developing and recommending sound solutions to national problems. The Center has recently issued a…

Handling Income from Investment Accounts

person
A. J. Johnson
As most operators of housing under HUD, Rural Development, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Programs know, there is a considerable difference of opinion in our industry regarding the handling of investment accounts from which regular distributions are taken. This…

HUD Changes Income Verification Rules for PHAs

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A. J. Johnson
HUD has issued Notice PIH 2013-3, establishing temporary guidelines for public housing agencies (PHAs) in fulfilling certain public housing and Housing Choice Voucher program requirements during this period of decreased resources available to PHAs. It offers PHAs four options that…

HUD Publishes Final Rule on Fair Housing Disparate Impact

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A. J. Johnson
 On February 15, 2013, HUD published a final rule in the Federal Register (78 Fed. Reg. 11460) regarding disparate impact liability under federal fair housing law.  Disparate impact is the theory of fair housing law that asserts that certain policies…

IRS Priorities for 2013 Relating to LIHTC

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A. J. Johnson
During 2013, the IRS will review various issues under Section 42 of the IRC, including the following:   Guidance relating to the application of the design and construction accessibility requirements under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. Issues relating…

Effect of Sequestration on Affordable Housing

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A. J. Johnson
As anyone who watches the news knows, if Congress does not act by March 1, 2013, sequestration will kick in. When people talk about sequestration, or “sequester cuts, they are referring to a series of draconian budget cuts, totaling $1.2…

No More Paper Checks for Federal Retirement Benefits

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A. J. Johnson
In an effort to save money, Federal officials began retiring paper checks in favor of direct deposits and prepaid ‘Direct Express’ debit cards in May, 2011. Since then, the Treasury Department has required all new recipients of payments from federal benefits…

Social Security Benefits Verification Now Available Online

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A. J. Johnson
Social Security recipients can now get their benefits verification letter and conduct other business online, as part of enhanced Web services introduced on January 7, 2013 by the federal government. The letters, which state the amount of the recipient’s monthly…

Ten States Increase Minimum Wage

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A. J. Johnson
Ten States Increase Minimum Wage Happy New Year! For workers in ten states, the new year will bring an increase in minimum wages. Nine of the ten states already had minimum wage levels higher than the federal minimum of $7.25…

Rural Designation at Risk for Some Areas

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A. J. Johnson
Some Areas May Lose Rural Designation   Approximately 55 areas around the country with MTSP income limits lower than the National Non-Metropolitan Income (NNMI) limits are in danger of losing their status as rural areas. These areas are found in…

GAO Study of HERA and the LIHTC Program

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A. J. Johnson
As required by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), the General Accountability Office (GAO) of Congress has conducted a study of the impacts of HERA on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program. Findings of the study were…

Setting Up a Home Visit Program

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A. J. Johnson
One of the best practices to assist a management company in determining whether an applicant will be a good resident is a home visit program. Before considering the establishment of such a program, management should be aware of the difficulties…

IRS Publishes Sandy Disaster Relief Notice

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A. J. Johnson
Low-Income Housing Credit Disaster Relief for Hurricane Sandy   The IRS issued Revenue Notice 2012-68 on November 5, 2012, effective after October 22, 2012, providing emergency housing relief as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The Notice allows State Housing Agencies…

Sign Posting Requirements

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A. J. Johnson
Every few years I like to remind clients of the various requirements relating to the sign posting requirements for companies in the property management business. Failure to post the signs can cost as much as $10,000 per violation, so it…

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Guidance

The Professional Property Manager's Guide to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit

An easy to understand and in-depth guide written by a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing compliance, A. J. Johnson.


The Professional Property Manager's Guide to the Violence Against Women Act

Designed to provide professionals in the affordable housing industry with an easy to understand reference manual for issues related to VAWA.

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