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Mandated Mask Wearing in Apartments Must be in the Form of a Written Policy

August 29, 2020

More and more apartment owners and managers are considering mandating the wearing of masks for residents, guests, and others in common areas of apartment communities. While such a policy makes good sense from a public health perspective, it cannot be…

September 1 Webinar on Income Calculation & Verification

August 24, 2020

A. J. Johnson will be conducting a webinar on September 1, 2020, on Calculation and Verification of Income at Affordable Housing Properties. The Webinar will be held from 1:00 PM to 3 PM Eastern Time. A critical aspect of every…

A. J. Johnson Partnering with Mid-Atlantic AHMA – Webinar on Preparing Affordable Housing Projects for Physical Inspections

August 16, 2020

A. J. Johnson is partnering with the Mid-Atlantic Affordable Housing Management Association (Mid-Atlantic AHMA) in offering a webinar on Preparing Affordable Housing Properties for Agency Required Physical Inspections. The webinar will be live and will be held on August 26…

HUD Announces Resumption of REAC Inspections

August 13, 2020

On August 7, 2020, the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced that REAC inspections will resume, under a protocol that will prioritize the inspection of properties in counties identified has being at low-risk for COVID-19. Based on…

A. J. Johnson Offering Webinar on Handling Assets on Affordable Housing Properties

August 10, 2020

A. J. Johnson will be conducting a webinar on August 18, 2020 on Dealing with Resident Assets at Affordable Housing Properties. The Webinar will be held from 1:00 PM to 3 PM Eastern Time. This two hour course provides a…

Multifamily Property Owners in Forbearance Required to Inform Tenants of Protections

August 8, 2020

On August 6, 2020, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that multifamily property owners with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) who enter into a new or modified forbearance agreement must inform tenants in writing…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Webinar on Fair Housing and COVID-19

May 20, 2020

A. J. Johnson will be conducting a webinar on June 2, 2020 on Complying with Fair Housing Law in the Age of COVID-19. The Webinar will be held at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. This one hour webinar will provide property…

COVID-19 Takes Disproportionate Toll on Affordable Housing Residents

May 17, 2020

A new survey by the Federal Reserve (FED) shows that 39% of former workers in households earning $40,000 or less lost work during the current pandemic, and many of these households do not have the resources to make it through…

Joe Biden Releases Housing Plan

May 16, 2020

Former Vice President and presumed Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden has released a comprehensive housing plan – much of which deals with affordable rental housing, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Following are the major elements of the 81-page…

HUD Issues Issues Waivers for Public & Indian Housing Programs, Including Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers During COVID-19 Emergency

April 19, 2020

On April 10, 2020 the HUD Office of Public & Indian Housing (PIH) issued waivers to provide administrative relief and ensuring continued program operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These waivers can be reviewed in their entirety in Notice PIH-2020-05. These…

Minnesota Supreme Court Rules that Payments Made to a Parent to Care for a Disabled Child Count as Income

April 19, 2020

On February 12, 2020, the Supreme Court of Minnesota held that some of the payments made by the state under a program for families with children having developmental disabilities who need to stay at home, which are made to offset…

CARES Act – Impact on Multifamily Housing Operators – REVISED POSTING

April 1, 2020

THIS IS AN AMENDED ARTICLE FROM ONE THAT I POSTED IN LATE MARCH. IT HAS BEEN AMENDED BASED ON GUIDANCE INDICATING THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROJECTS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE TENANT PROTECTION MEASURES CONTAINED IN THE ACT. On…

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