Los Angeles Office of Public Housing
Quarterly Newsletter Issue 4: October - December 2009
Serving Southern California

Riverside County Offers Nan McKay Training

The Public Housing Authority (HA) of the County of Riverside hosted a two-day Procurement and Contract Administration training presented by Nan McKay and Associates on October 26-27, 2009. The training was a group-live seminar that included case studies, group discussion, and a Q&A session related to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Handbook 7460.8 REV 2. The HA of the County of Riverside said, "The training covered essential information that Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) need to know to comply with HUD Procurement Regulations in a comprehensive, concise and easy to understand manner."

San Buenaventura Leadership Training

The first Resident Leadership Development Training retreat produced by the Resident Services Department of the HA of the City of San Buenaventura took place on November 18-19, 2009 at the Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel in Ventura under the theme "Moving Ahead."

The focus of the event was to increase the technical and practical knowledge of resident leadership in HUD programs and how requirements affect PHAs and residents. Additionally, the retreat increased teamwork and connections among the members of the five Asset Management Projects (AMPS) citywide to recruit new leadership and maintain the PHA's "High Performer" status.

Thirty-five residents participated in the event. The first day, training and encouragement were offered to the residents by speakers Edward L. Moses (CEO), Kay Doyle (Chairperson, Board of Commissioners), Christy Weir (Mayor, City of San Buenaventura), and Martha Murillo (HUD L.A. Office of Public Housing).

Workshops topics included the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), Capital improvements, local family health resources, establishing partnerships, resident-owned businesses' concepts and needs, leadership exercises, increasing community participation, Admissions & Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP), and a community resources panel discussion. To quote one resident, "This event has opened my eyes and enriched my knowledge of the different types and availability of all sorts of organizations in the community. Speakers….were well prepared, very informative and their presence made the difference. It showed they genuinely cared for the residents and community."

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Updates:

PHAs, please remember to fully obligate your Capital Fund Recovery Grant funds by March 17, 2010!

Housing in Action: HUD Employees Tour City of Los Angeles Public Housing

On December 28, 2009 HUD staff was given a tour of several public housing sites operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). The tour was provided by Ann Lynch and Debra Amenson of HACLA, with sites including: Dana Strain Village, Jordan Downs, Estrada Courts, Pico/Las Casitas, and Pueblo del Sol.

Participants included staff from the Los Angeles Office of Public Housing (LAOPH), the Los Angeles Field Policy and Management Office, and a visiting Housing Programs Specialist from HUD headquarters in Washington, D.C. The tour helped to inform participants about a range of important redevelopment, job training, and asset management activities occurring at each of the locations.

This Quarter's Public Housing Tip

Q: What are some cost-saving measures available to PHAs with regard to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program?

A: On October 23, 2009, HUD issued Notice 2009-44 titled "Cost-Savings Measures in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program." Some of the cost-saving measures outlined in the notice include: family income/matching/ verification and other anti- fraud efforts; ensuring reasonable rents; ensuring accurate utility allowances; portability absorption for port-out vouchers; conducting interim examinations; and lowering subsidy standards.

To access this notice, visit www.hud.gov.

Eye on It: 2009 Semi-Annual ROSS Grant Reporting Period

The Los Angeles Office of Public Housing reminds all grantees/PHAs that all FY2006, FY2007, and FY2008 semi-annual reports and eLogic Models are due on January 31, 2010 for the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Program.

The reporting period should cover June 30, 2009 through December 31, 2009. The Logic Model must be submitted electronically to Ms. Mayfelisa Miso, Los Angeles Field Office Grants Manager.

Every six months, Ms. Miso reviews Progress Reports, Financial Reports and Logic Models. She also releases funds to Housing Authorities, as appropriate.

Please note that this may be the final report for some 2008 Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) grantees. Therefore, the grantees/PHAs are required to respond to "Management Questions" in the Logic Model's final report.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the ROSS Program.

Operating Fund Subsidy Obligation News

HUD plans to obligate initial funding for Operating Fund subsidies for the first four months, i.e., from January to April, 2010, subject to the Continuing Resolution of FY2010. The first round of funding is expected to be available in eLOCCS by Friday, January 1, 2010. The estimated proration percentage is expected to be 100%. For more information concerning the calculation of the initial operating subsidy obligation, please visit online.

Please note that the 2010 utility expense level (UEL) inflation factor is 3.5% and the rental income adjustment factor is 1.48%.

For more information about the calendar year (CY) 2010 Operating Subsidy calculations, please navigate to the CY2010 operating subsidy web page.

General Depository Agreements: More Than Meets the Eye

HUD Financial Analysts discuss common GDA pitfalls for PHAs

Over the past few months, our Financial Analysts have been working hard to track and review submitted General Depository Agreements (GDA). We have also contacted PHAs who have not submitted a complete and acceptable GDA to our office. Throughout this effort we have provided assistance on a number of issues to PHAs regarding this document.

Here are a few of the most common issues:

HUD-51999 (6/91) is the most recent version of the GDA document. Please make sure you complete this version and not on the older HUD-51999 (5/88) version.

Paragraph 12 must be in place for the General Depository Agreement to be acceptable to HUD. Although there is a note at the end of the GDA that paragraphs 11 and 12 may be struck out if not applicable, our General Counsel has determined in the memorandum dated March 6, 2007 that paragraph 12 must remain in the document. Please make sure that all executed GDAs have paragraph 12 intact.

Account numbers need to be entered under paragraph 2. This is an essential component of the document. Please do not forget to complete this section.

No other contract for deposit of monies may be used in lieu of form HUD-51999 (6/91).

Please make sure that your current General Depository Agreement is with an existing financial institution.

It is required that a hard copy be on file with the Housing Authority and the Field Office, and it is the goal of the Los Angeles Field Office to have every PHA meet this requirement.

If you have any questions regarding the status of your current GDA, please feel free to contact the Los Angeles Office of Public Housing Field Office.

Voucher Management System Fiscal Year 2010 Submission Schedule

PIC currently extracts the vouchers leased in each category from the Voucher Management System (VMS) and compares the total to Public Housing Information Center (PIC) family reports to determine the PHA's reporting rate. If the PHA fails to indicate how many vouchers are leased at the end of the month, PIC will show a negative number in red under "reporting rate." The PHAs should report the number of vouchers leased and the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract amount on the last day of the month in this field (see Table 1).

The number of vouchers leased is a count as of that day. The VMS supports the information management needs of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) and management functions performed by the Financial Management Division (FMD) and the Financial Management Center (FMC) of Public and Indian Housing and HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC). This system's primary purpose is to monitor and manage PHA use of vouchers. VMS collects PHA data that enables HUD to fund, obligate, and disburse funding in a timely manner based on PHA use.

Physical Inspection Scores Available for HUD-Assisted Housing

HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) completes physical inspections of HUD-assisted and subsidized properties each year, including housing owned by PHAs and by private housing providers.

Table 1. Voucher Management System Submission Schedule

About 20,000 such inspections are conducted annually to ensure that assisted families have housing that is decent, safe, sanitary, and in good repair.

As part of the Obama administration's effort to promote transparency and accountability, HUD recently added the overall Physical Inspection Scores to the HUD USER website. Results are available for inspections conducted from January 2001 through September 2009 and can be downloaded as a data set. The release of this information on the physical condition of HUD-assisted housing stock and changes in it over time will be of particular interest to researchers, affordable housing advocates, and other stakeholders.

Operating Subsidy Processing

For CY 2010, the Department will use the Subsidy and Grants Information System (SAGIS) to process public housing operating subsidies. SAGIS user manuals and associated training materials were posted on November 16, 2009. Due to system enhancements, it is strongly recommended that all SAGIS users review the training materials available online prior to using SAGIS.

The SAGIS system opened for PHAs with >1,000 units and will open on January 11, 2010 for PHAs with <1,000 units. The deadline for all CY 2010 PHA submissions is March 1, 2010. In order to allow enough time for PHAs to submit their CY 2010 subsidy requests, HUD will provide PHAs with an initial obligation of operating subsidy based on estimates.

PHAs should verify and update personnel information including names, telephone, and email addresses in the Public Housing Information Center (PIC). PHAs are reminded to verify that WASS IDs are active, that fee accountant information is updated in WASS, and that the SAGIS link is present.

SAGIS has undergone extensive improvement since its initial introduction in 2008. HUD would like to extend its appreciation to everyone who assisted in SAGIS' reengineering.

Uniform Reporting Standards: Financial Information Submission

The Uniform Financial Reporting Standards (UFRS), as implemented in 24 CFR §5.801, identify the deadlines for PHAs to submit their financial information to HUD. Unaudited financial statements are required 60 days after the PHA's fiscal year end and audited financial statements are required nine months after the PHA's fiscal year end.

In addition to submitting financial information electronically to REAC via the Financial Assessment Submission System (FASS-PH), a hardcopy of the Single Audit Report and all Management Letters must be sent to LAOPH. These are due no later than nine months after the PHA's fiscal year end. This information is in Notice PIH 2009-38, issued September 22.

Notice PIH 2006-3, issued January 11, 2006, discusses further this requirement and sanctions for failure to comply. Non-compliance will result in monetary sanctions. HUD will impose a 10% penalty against PHAs' monthly administrative fees for failure to file by the deadlines until compliance occurs. Such penalties are a permanent reduction for the year and will not be reversed.

The Financial Analyst Team is in the process of reviewing PHAs' electronic submissions to REAC and hardcopy submissions to the field office for all financial documents from 2006 to 2008. If you have been contacted regarding this matter, please keep us updated as to submission status.

Our PHAs have made a significant effort to inform us when they resubmit audits after missed deadlines and their efforts to keep up with current submittals. This is greatly appreciated. Please remember to contact your REAC Analyst regarding technical difficulties.

Financial Information Submission Schedule

The Monthly Summarization extract is run the first Friday of the month and continues over the weekend. The summarization process starts at about 5pm Pacific Standard Time. If there is an error, that part of the summarization is rerun the next weekend.

Data received and processed before the first Friday cutoff will be included in the reports if its effective date falls within the report date range. PHAs must make sure the HUD form 50058 submissions are completed the Thursday prior to the start of the summarization process.

Monthly summarization reports are generated based on the effective date of the actions. Therefore, the effective month of the action will be included in that month's ending report. For example, if a PHA submitted a HUD form 50058 with an effective action date of January 2010, it will show in January 31, 2010 reports.

Exceptions to first Friday summarization are made when:

• The first Friday falls during a software release,
• The monthly summarization fails to run successfully, or
• Other problems prevent the running of the summarization that weekend.

LAOPH Hosts HCV Homeownership Training

The HUD Los Angeles Office of Public Housing (OPH) provided Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Homeownership Training for PHAs on November 16 and 17, 2009. PHA staff visited from regions nationwide to participate in the event: Southern California; Seattle, Washington; Phoenix, Arizona; and Detroit, Michigan. The training focused on designs of successful HCV homeownership programs, HUD regulations, the mortgage lending process and calculations, and other options for PHAs. Lead organizers included the above guest speakers and Los Angeles OPH employee. Amanda Nogic, Jennifer Orlick and other staff of the Los Angeles OPH also assisted with the coordination of the training. The event was a great success toward furthering homeownership in Southern California.

Introducing New LAOPH Staff

The LAOPH is pleased to announce the addition of five new staff. Tanya Rangel, Public Housing Revitalization Specialist, brings a wealth of HUD experience to our office. Laura Pomella, Financial Analyst, has already tackled several important projects. Amanda Nogic and Jennifer Orlick joined the ranks as President Management Fellows, providing vital program analysis. Finally, Christopher Granger, Federal Career Intern, has been a valuable resource in facilities management. We extend our warmest congratulations to these new employees, who have already become strong contributors to our organization.