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Los Angeles Office of Public Housing
September 2009 Newsletter
Serving Southern California
Welcome Johnson Badalpour
![[Photo 1: Johnson Badalpour]](/local/ca/images/hgv-picw-lanewsletter0909b.jpg) |
Johnson Badalpour |
We welcome Johnson Badalpour as Acting Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Office. He will continue serving our office as a General Engineer, as well as a supervisor. We are grateful for his service.
PIC Moments with Martha
September 2009
Public Housing 50058s must use new development number.
After the September 2009 release all public housing 50058s should use assigned Asset Management Project Groupings (AMP) development number.
During the reformulation of development numbers in the Spring of 2008, HUD moved your building and unit data from old eight character development numbers into new 11 character asset management groups (or new development numbers if you like). At that time we provided the ability for housing agencies to submit public housing tenant form 50058s using either old or new development numbers, informing clients that we would do so for about 12 months.
With the Inventory Management System Public and Indian Housing Information Center (IMS-PIC) system release 6.5 in September 2009 we will no longer accept public housing form 50058s with eight character development numbers if the building/entrance/unit combination was assigned to a new development number. This change in no way affects Section 8 tenant form submissions. Low rent or combined housing agencies that have public housing units in management status that were not transitioned to a new development number should contact their field office.
User Deactivation/Reactivation to Change User Certification
With the 6.5 IMS/PIC release scheduled to take place September 2009, one if the important changes that will replace the Deactivation/Reactivation process will be the User Recertification in IMS-PIC. Every active user in the IMS system must be certified periodically by the security coordinators of their respective housing. Security coordinators must recertify IMS-PIC system users within a recertification window that opens a few days before the beginning of a new certification period. Once a recertification window is closed, all the uncertified users are allowed to access the IMS-PIC system for a few days known as a grace access period, after which they are inactivated. All certified users will continue to have normal system access throughout the certification validity period.
Housing Authority Security coordinators will ONLY have one level of access which is to Certify HA users.
The Field Office PIC Coach will have one level of access which is to certify the Housing Authority (HA) Security Coordinators and the Field Office Users.
Just a reminder that it is important that the Housing Authority email contacts is kept current in PIC.
50058 Received Link to List Head of Household Name
As a result of the newly installed release 6.5 of PIC there is the 50058s received link that provides the names of the Head of Household. Housing Authorities will be able to view the names of the program participants for whom they submitted and PIC accepted successfully a HUD Form 50058. This information is located in PIC under Reports then Delinquency then Delinquency Query.
SEMAP Certifications
The PIC users that are designated as submitting a Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) Certification must ensure that they are active in PIC. Executive Directors: Missing the SEMAP Certification due date because your PIC account is INACTIVE will cause your HA to be determined "Troubled." Logon to PIC now to make sure your PIC account is active. If you cannot access PIC, contact Martha E Murillo at (213) 534-2611, and she will activate your access to PIC. FYE 9/30/09 PHAs your SEMAP is due November 28, 2009.
San Diego PIC Workshop
The Los Angeles Office of Public Housing conducted its second in a series of 2 PIC Workshops for the Southern California Housing Authorities staff. The second workshop was held in the City of San Diego on Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 9:30am to 4:00pm, with 39 registrants in attendance. The workshop was hosted by the San Diego Housing Commission.
Martha Murillo, the PIC Coach for the Los Angeles Office of Public Housing, presented topics of interest and concern that consist of the day to day activities in dealing with PIC. The topics were as follows:
Secure Connection/Secure Systems (WASS) duties
Reset vs. Locked out in WASS
PIC
Reactivation and Deactivation
HA Contacts
Expiration of PIC access
Special Privileges
Understanding PIC Reports
Delinquency Summarization Reports
SEMAP Indicators Reports
Summarization Schedule
Changes with the 6.5 PIC Release scheduled for September 14, 2009.
50058s
Portability
Homeownership
Family Self Sufficiency (FSS)
Special Action Codes
End of Participation (EOP)s
Errors Fatal and Warnings
Coming attractions with September 2009 PIC release
Questions and answers
Other
Voucher Management System (VMS)
Enterprise Income Verification (EIV)
SEMAP Rating Process
Also, Marilyn Patterson had a segment on Building and Units Demo/Dispo and Inventory removals that deal with PIC for those in attendance that have public housing.
The Los Angeles Field Office would like to thank Greg Kamp and the San Diego Housing Commission staff for hosting the workshop and taking care of the logistics.
What's New in the PIH EIV System 9.0 Release for PIH Users?
Release date: Monday, September 14, 2009
Please note the important changes that were recently made to the EIV 9.0 Release.
FUNCTION |
DESCRIPTION |
Debts Owed to PHA's and Terminations (new Module) |
Search for Former Tenant |
-
A new function providing the capability to search for an applicant or participant,
to determine if the individual owes a debt to another PHA anywhere in the nation, or has
been terminated or evicted from the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs.
|
Enter/ Update Information |
-
A new function for PHA level users with the Program Administrator role, to
enter/edit debt information or terminations from the Public Housing and Housing
Choice Voucher programs for EOP tenants.
|
Debts Owed to PHA's and Terminations Report |
-
A new report providing the statistics for debts owed to PHAs and terminations at
various HUD levels (HUD, STATE, HUB, FO, TARC, and PHA).
|
Income Information |
By Head of Household |
-
Masked the tenant SSN (except last 4 digit) and DOB (except year) in all reports
-
Added a new field of ‘Date Received by EIV' for displaying the date when EIV
received income information from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
|
New Hires Report |
-
Masked the tenant SSN (except last 4 digit) and DOB (except year) in all reports
|
Income Discrepancy Report |
Income Discrepancy Report |
-
Moved to display just below the Income Information Module
-
The report now displays information for the MTW tenants with an effective date within the
last 36 months, excluding EOP and portability move-out actions.
|
Verification Reports |
Multiple Subsidy Report |
-
Masked the tenant SSN (except last 4 digit) and DOB (except year) New filters for searching
the Multiple Subsidy Report
-
By all household membersOnly adult household members
-
Only members under the age of 18
-
Enhanced display of the report by rearranging the fields for HOH name, member name, member
SSN, relationship to the household
|
Identity Verification Report |
-
Displays the household and household member statistics at each HUD level and provides
drill down to subsequent levelsProvides the tenant information under 3 tabs per their
verification status Failed EIV Pre- Screening TestFailed SSA Identity Test; and
- Pending Verification
|
Immigration Report |
-
A new report in the sub-group of Verification Reports provides a periodic report to
identify household members who have an IMS/PIC-assigned alternate identification number
(Alt ID), citizenship code of ineligible non-citizen or pending verification.
|
Deceased Tenants Report |
-
Added a new field of ‘Date received by EIV' to indicate the date that EIV received
death data from SSA.
|
Batch Processing |
Batch Processing |
-
EIV processes and displays income information of household members
classified as Foster Child/Foster Adults.
|
Batch Processing - MTW PHA's |
- EIV processes and displays information for all MTW who have a form HUD-50058-MTW in IMS/PIC with an effective date within the last 36 months, excluding EOP and portability move-out actions.EIV calculates and displays income discrepancies for households with form HUD-50058-MTW with an effective date within the last 36 months, excluding EOP and portability move-out actions. EIV Tables no longer saves the income information for any form HUD-50058-MTW, with an effective date greater than 36 months.
- EIV processes and displays income information of household members classified as Foster Child/Foster Adults.
|
Batch Processing – EOP tenants with form 50058 dated within last 15 months |
- EIV processes and displays information of EOP tenants with form 50058 dated within last 15 months.
|
General Changes |
All State reports |
-
Report Selection /State Dropdown menu- The selection of ALL is
moved as the first item in the dropdown menu.
-
All State reports now display the column totals in the last row.
|
Program Level Reports |
-
For only one selected program, the last line of each report run at any level displays totals
for each column.
|
EIV - External Links |
Link to DHS SAVE System |
-
Link to DHS SAVE system. An external link is available to the DHS
SAVE (System Alien Verification for Entitlements) system.
|
Program Level Reports |
-
For only one selected program, the last line of each report run at any level displays totals
for each column.
|
EIV- Link to Welcome Page |
Back to EIV Main Page |
-
EIV 9.0 provides a link back to the EIV welcome page from anywhere in the application.
This link is displayed on the left navigation panel.
|
Upcoming EIV system update training is scheduled
for 09/24/09 10:00 a.m. (PST) to 2:00 p.m. (PST), via webcast or satellite. It can also be viewed at the
Los Angeles Field Office located at 611 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
Please RSVP via email to Martha E. Murillo (Martha.E.Murillo@hud.gov).
Important Notice: All PIH EIV system users are required to view this
training session as a condition of continued PIH EIV system access.
![[Photo 2: Martha at her desk]](/local/ca/images/hgv-picw-lanewsletter0909e.jpg) |
Martha at her desk |
Voucher Management System (VMS) Schedule
VMS MONTH |
VMS TIMEFRAME |
DEADLINE |
September 2009 |
October 15-22, 2009 |
October 22, 2009 |
October 2009 |
November 15-22, 2009 |
November 22, 2009 |
November 2009 |
December 15-22, 2009 |
December 22, 2009
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Be aware that any data entered prior to the 4th of the month may be flagged with a
hard edit error. To avoid any unnecessary delays from having to review those hard
edits, we ask that you submit your data only during the new reporting period.)
Also, effective June 15, 2009, Mr. Thomas M. Vitek will be assigned as the new Financial Analyst
to process any necessary financial documents from FMC.
Thomas M. Vitek, 9APCF
US Dept of HUD
Telephone: (415)489-6497 or Fax (415) 489-6754
Email: Thomas M. Vitek (Thomas.M.Vitek@hud.gov)
Please note that there is now a new Voucher Management Systems (VMS) manual that was published
in April 2009. You may find the manual at this website (http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/pubs/instructions.pdf).
Moving to Work Demonstration
Notice PIH 2009-29, issued August 19, 2009, invites eligible PHAs to apply for admission to the Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration. HUD will approve three additional PHAs to participate in the program. A PHA qualifies as eligible if the PHA:
- Is currently designated as a High Performing agency under PHAS (score of 90 or over)
- Is a current HOPE VI grantee (has a program that hasn't been audited and closed) and
- Administers no more than 5,000 aggregate vouchers and public housing units.
The notice lists 20 PHAs that HUD believes are eligible to apply; however, if you believe you are
eligible under the notice and are not listed, you may submit documentation (MTW-Info@hud.gov) supporting your eligibility.
Applications must be submitted to Dominique Blom, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing
Investments, DHUD, 451 7th Street, SW, Washington Dc 20410 and received by 5PM Eastern Time on December 15, 2009.
The MTW demonstration allows PHAs to reinvent the way the programs operate that:
- Reduce cost and achieve greater cost effectiveness in federal expenditures;
- Give incentives to families with children where the head of household is working; is seeking work;
or is preparing for work by participating in job training, educational programs, or program that assist
people to obtain employment and become economically self-sufficient; and
- Increase housing choice for low-income families
Under the legislation, HUD is authorized to grant statutory and regulatory relief from PH and HCV program rules.
Refinement of Income and Rent Determination Requirements in PH and
Assisted HousingPrograms
The effective date of the subject final rule that was originally published in the Federal Register on January 27, 2009 and scheduled to become effective on September 30, 2009 has been delayed again to January 31, 2010 (pursuant to a notice in the August 28, 2009 Federal Register). This delay will allow the recently confirmed Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing time to review the final rule and consider the comments provided by interested parties.
HCV Cost Saving Strategies
The following are strategies to reduce costs if you are projecting a deficit in HAP expenses for CY 2009:
- Hold the reissuance of turnover vouchers or withdraw issued vouchers
- Reduce Payment Standards and request a waiver from HQ to implement the reduced PS immediately for all families. The waiver must be sent, via overnight express mail, to Sandra B. Henriquez, Assistance Secretary for PIH, Room 4100, 451 7th St SW, Washington DC 40210. Fax a copy to Phyllis Smelkinson at 202-402-7965 or 7964 and to your Field Office
- Delay the implementation of utility allowances
- Deny port moves to higher cost area (see Notice PIH 2008-43)
- Ask PHAs that are billing you for port vouchers if they would absorb
- Use NRA-Admin Fee funds to pay HAP expenses
- Offer transfers for HCV participants to other units, such as PH
- Use other eligible Federal funds, such as HOME funds
- Lastly, terminate assistance of participant families. ADVISE YOUR FIELD OFFICE BEFORE YOU TAKE THIS STEP.
Milwaukee Housing Authority Uses Dog as Part of Housing Inspection Process
![[Photo 3: Pictured: Bedbug sniffing Inspector Gracie]](/local/ca/images/hgv-picw-lanewsletter0909f.jpg) |
Pictured: Bedbug sniffing Inspector Gracie |
We learned of an innovative program at the Milwaukee Housing Authority using a dog to sniff out bed bugs, which are described as an epidemic in the area.
Acquired from a specialized canine training center in Florida for $10,000, Gracie can go to an apartment door and smell if there's a bedbug or live bedbug eggs inside. In all, the Housing Authority oversees 5,300 units of public housing, says executive director Tony Perez. The funds to acquire Gracie came from fees the housing authority has generated, such as developer fees attached to the housing tax credits used to build Convent Hill, and an environmental service contract that the Housing Authority has for City Hall, and other revenue streams the authority has developed to pay for additional services, he said.
Gracie has been sniffing out bedbugs for the past month and has gone on more than 150 inspection missions. "The advantage is that the animal can pinpoint bedbugs without having to go through all the units in a building, or trying to treat a whole building with various methods like raising the temperature in a building to 120 degrees," Mr. Perez said.
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