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Section 8

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Section 8

Social Security Administration Changes Rules Regarding Proof of Income Letters

February 28, 2014

On February 4, 2014, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that effective October 1, 2014, SSA field offices will no longer offer benefit verification letters. Budget cuts are responsible for this cutback. Households needing verification of SS benefits should now…

HUD Amends Verification Requirements

December 26, 2013

On December 10, 2013, HUD put online a revised transmittal for Handbook 4350.3, Chg. 4. It provided clarification for verification techniques – primarily those relating to EIV disputes and discrepancies. There is also an important change to Appendix 3, Acceptable…

2014 Income Limits Published

December 22, 2013

On December 18, 2013, HUD published the 2014 income limits for HUD programs as well as for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Tax-Exempt Bond programs. The limits for the LIHTC and Bond projects are published separately from the limits…

Small HUD Projects Get Break from Financial Reporting

October 21, 2013

HUD projects that receive less than $500,000 in total federal financial assistance annually no longer have to have full financial audits performed. HUD Notice 2013-23 eliminates the audit requirement for these projects regardless of existing regulatory provisions. Owners of such…

HUD Changes to Appendix 3 of 4350.3 – Acceptable Forms of Verification

September 4, 2013

Along with the recent publication of Change 4 to HUD Handbook 4350.3, HUD also amended Appendix 3, Acceptable Forms of Verification. Some of the changes are worth noting, as follows (changes are shown in parentheses): Assets disposed of for less…

HUD Notice on Violence Against Women Act of 2013

August 9, 2013

On August 6, 2013, HUD published a Notice titled The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013): Overview of Applicability to HUD Programs. This notice provides an overview of the applicability to HUD programs of the recently enacted…

HUD Notice H2013-21, Implementation and Approval of Owner Adopted Admissions Preferences for Individuals or Families Experiencing Homelessness

August 2, 2013

This Notice provides guidance on the circumstances under which owners of HUD-assisted properties may adopt admissions preferences for the homeless. Prior to this Notice, HUD had strictly interpreted 24 CFR §5.655(c)(1) – (c)(5) to mean that project owners were limited…

HUD Final Smoke Detector Rule for Section 202 and 811 Projects

July 21, 2013

HUD has issued a final rule, effective July 22, 2013, requiring that smoke detectors be installed in all subsidized housing for the elderly and disabled. The final rule, published in the July 20, 2013 Federal Register, requires that smoke detectors…

SAVE System Code 33

June 26, 2013

SAVE System Code 33 All HUD multifamily housing managers are required to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to check the legal background of individuals applying for housing assistance. In June 2012, the Department of Homeland…

HUD Proposed Rule on Pet Deposits for Multifamily Housing

June 22, 2013

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…

UPCS Changes to Fence and Gate Inspection Standards

May 23, 2013

One significant change in the Uniform Physical Condition Standard (UPCS) that became effective on January 1, 2013 relates to the way inspectors will assess deficiencies in fencing and gates. Such findings have been very common in REAC and State monitoring…

Processing Requests for Minimum Rent Exemption

May 23, 2013

Sequestration is resulting in considerable financial difficulty for thousands of people. In California, federal unemployment benefits have been cut for more than 400,000 people. 70,000 children in the head start program will have meals reduced, as will seniors and low-income…

Importance of Updating the Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan

May 13, 2013

While all federally assisted housing properties are required to update their Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plans (AFHMP) at least every five years, HUD requires that the Plan actually reflect the marketing realities of your community. For this reason, it is…

Section 202 Projects May be Impacted by Changes to HUD HAP Contract Renewal Procedure

April 22, 2013

Several changes made to the housing assistance payments (HAP) contract renewal process may have a significant impact on owners of Section 202 properties. These changes were outlined in Notice 2012-08 and clarified on the Frequently Asked Questions section of the…

A Primer on Pre-Paid Debit Cards

April 6, 2013

Federal and State governments are rapidly moving away from cash and paper checks and going to the use of pre-paid cards. Such cards enable consumers without bank accounts to benefit from the shift to electronic transactions from cash and to…

Handling Income from Investment Accounts

March 18, 2013

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…

Violence Against Women Act Ready for President’s Signature

March 4, 2013

On February 28, 2013, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed the House of Representatives after already having been approved by the Senate. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature, which is certain. Title VI, Section…

Increased Focus on Sex Offender Issues Could Impact MOR Scores

February 25, 2013

Increased Focus on Sex Offender Issues Could Affect MOR Scores The U. S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has updated HUD-9834, Management Reviews of Multifamily Projects. This new version of the form will be in effect for…

Violence Against Women Act

February 13, 2013

As you may know, Congress did not extend the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) at the end of 2012. However, the Congressional failure to act only terminated appropriations under the program; the Statute creating the program is still in place…

No More Paper Checks for Federal Retirement Benefits

January 21, 2013

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

January 9, 2013

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

January 2, 2013

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…

Timing of Income Eligibility Determinations on HUD Properties with Revised Income Limits

December 19, 2012

HUD has published Rental Housing Integrity Improvement Project Listserv #293 clarifying the HUD policy regarding timing of applicant eligibility determinations on HUD properties when income limits change after an applicant on a waiting list has been deemed eligible. The issue…

Revised 2013 Section 8 and MTSP Income Limits Released

December 12, 2012

(Update 12/26/13) The 2014 income limits have been released. More information can be found here. HUD has revised and released the 2013 income limits. These new income limits supersede the limits released on 12/4/12. The revision is due to an…

Setting Up a Home Visit Program

December 9, 2012

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…

Generally Allowable Medical Expenses

December 4, 2012

Generally Allowable Medical Expenses The rent calculation for many affordable housing programs, including HUD Section 8 and Rural Development Section 515, is based on the “adjusted” income of households. Adjusted income is the “gross” income of a household, minus…

HUD Publishes Revised REAC Scoring Protocol

October 24, 2012

HUD has made a number of changes in the way REAC inspections will be scored, beginning with inspections on or after January 1, 2013. The changes are noted in Compilation Bulleting Revision 2.3. HUD has added a “point loss…

Dealing with Reverse Mortgages on Affordable Housing Properties

August 24, 2012

Dealing with Reverse Mortgages on Affordable Housing Properties While not common on affordable housing properties such as LIHTC, Section 8 or Section 515, occasionally, an applicant with a reverse mortgage will turn up, and staff must know how to…

Use of Residual Receipts to Offset HAP Payments (Notice H-2012-14)

August 22, 2012

HUD Notice H-2012-14 was published on August 2, 2012 requiring the use of “New Regulation” Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contracts residual receipts to offset project-based Section 8 HAP payments. This Notice applies to Section 8 New Construction/Substantial Rehabilitation…

HUD Eliminates Two Income Exclusions and Adds Others

August 13, 2012

HUD Amends List of Income Exclusions On July 24, 2012, HUD published in the Federal Register additional types of income that are excluded from income for purposes of determining eligibility for HUD housing programs. These exclusions also apply to…

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