Los Angeles Office of Public Housing
Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2015
Serving Southern California
San Buenaventura: PBV Success
On February 18, 2015, The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura held a groundbreaking even to celebrate the commencement of the Castillo Del Sol affordable housing development. To finance this development, the Housing Authority utilized 39 Section 8 Project Based vouchers (PBVs), provided by HUD, and 9% tax credit funding, provided by the State of California.
Event speakers included John Polanskey, Chair of the Board of Commissioners; Denise Wise, Housing Authority Executive Director, Marcie Chavez, Director of the HUD Los Angeles Office of Public Housing; as well as representatives from the offices of Congresswoman Lois Capps and California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson.
Once completed, the development will include 39 affordable units and one manager's unit. Project construction is estimated to take approximately one year. The Castillo Del Sol site is located at 3005 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA.
Santa Barbara County: PBV Success
On December 16, 2014, the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara celebrated the grand opening of Pescadero Lofts with a well-attended ribbon cutting ceremony. The robust list of guest speakers highlighted the community of Isla Vista and included federal, state, and local government officials. The speakers included Congresswoman Lois Capps, District 24; Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, District 19; Supervisor Doreen Farr, District 3; Marcie Chavez, Director of the Los Angeles Office of Public Housing; Father John Hedges; and Fred Lamont, Executive Director of the Housing Authority.
This ceremony commemorated years of work. In November, 2013, the Housing Authority broke ground on Pescadero Lofts, a 33 unit development for formerly homeless individuals. The Housing Authority purchased the development site from the County of Santa Barbara's former redevelopment agency. Funding was acquired through the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, as well as from Union Bank. 32 of the 33 units will be subsidized by Section 8 Project Based vouchers from HUD. This development features 26 studio units, 6 one-bedroom units, and 1 two-bedroom Manager's unit. The units are furnished with beds and furniture. The Housing Authority also facilitates community donations through its "Adopt a Room" program. Pescadero Lofts is located at 761 Camino Pescadero, Isla Vista.
San Bernardino: FSS Success!
(San Bernardino, CA.) A new grant of $205,273 to the Housing Authority's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program was just awarded to help families find stable employment and/or advance educational goals to eventually strengthen job skills. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a total of $75 million to housing authorities nationally - all working towards this same goal.
The Community Development Initiatives Department works directly with families to: 1) develop a personalized education and/or professional 5-year action plan; and 2) provide on-going case management assistance to ensure each family/individual is achieving planned goals. Through various community partners and leveraging existing community resources, Housing Authority staff is able to provide assistance for each individual's needs, whether its access to tools to complete their education, job training and placement, or to health and human services.
The way it works is as follows: As a family's income rises, instead of a simple rent increase, an escrow credit is deposited into an interest bearing escrow account. If the family successfully completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds that it can use for any purpose, including paying educational expenses, starting a business, paying debts, or even a down payment for a home.
After her five year commitment, Mrs. Sabrina graduated from the FSS Program and received a check for over $16,000. She saved her money while working as an In Home Care Service Provider and plans to use this money to purchase of her first home. On the FSS program, as a family's income rises, the amount of the additional rent that would be charged to the family is deposited as an escrow credit into an interest bearing account instead of a simple rent increase. If the family successfully completes its FSS contract, the family receives the escrow funds for purposes such as a down payment for a home.
"I've always wanted to be a homeowner, but saving this much money was hard for me until I joined the FSS program," states Mrs. Sabrina. "This program is a stepping stone to bigger things in life, and I highly recommended it to other families!" Mrs. Sabrina is a Housing Choice Voucher participant and wants to purchase the home she currently rents from her landlord. "My landlord is willing to sell the house to us! We are delighted since this is our home already," Mrs. Sabrina gladly states. Congratulations to Mrs. Sabrina and her family!
"Our agency is committed to helping each family not only have a quality place to live, but also to succeed in personal endeavors by providing them with tools that lead to job placement assistance," states Daniel Nackerman, the Housing Authority Executive Director.
Thanks to this renewed funding from HUD, Housing Authority families will continue to receive these much needed services which ultimately benefit the entire community as individuals become self-sufficient and more families in need of affordable housing are housed.
HUD Welcomes Home a Hero
The Los Angeles Office of Public Housing (LAOPH) is overjoyed welcome home Hien Dom, United States Army Captain and HUD Program Analyst. In 2014, Captain Dom was called up to serve in Afghanistan for one year. Hien has now returned to Los Angeles and the LAOPH is proud of this exemplary gentleman.
Hien is the embodiment of national services. The LAOPH has had the privilege of having Hien as a staff ember since 2012. As a Program Analyst, Hien serves HUD by helping PHAs in Southern California to increase the utilization of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Section 8 program.
Captain Hien Dom maintained his status as a career Army Reservist since 1999. He was deployed to the Middle East in 2009 to Iraq and in 2005 to Kuwait.
He began his career at HUD in the Seattle Office of Public Housing, serving under HUD's Master of Business Administration Fellows Program. In Seattle, Hien helped to streamline internal processes and to monitor the viability of more than 40 PHAs in Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. The LAOPH staff wish Hein our absolute best as he continues to serve his country.
Now, Hien is hard at work in the LAOPH and the staff is elated to have their colleague back. Hien was always in our thoughts and we offer gratitude to him and his family for his service.
HUD Personnel Announcements
Nani Coleretti, HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary
The United States Senate confirmed President Obama's nomination of Nani Coloretti to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As the second most senior official at HUD, Coloretti will manage the Department's day-to-day operations, including a $45 billion annual budget and approximately 8,500 employees. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Communications from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master's in Public Policy from University of California at Berkeley.
Lourdes Castro Ramírez, PIH Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Secretary Castro has appointed Lourdes Catro Ramirez as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary to lead the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH). Lourdes has served as President and CEO of the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA), a Moving-to-Work agency, and as as the director of the Housing Choice Voucher program for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. She is a talented and dedicated public servant with an extensive range of executive management, program and policy experiences needed to manage the array of PIH programs.
Unabyrd Wadhams, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations
An additional key management hire in PIH, is the selection of Ms. Unabyrd Wadhams as the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations. Unabyrd brings over 25 years of experience in the areas of housing development, planning, management and field oversight to this position. Prior to her appointment, she served as a Regional Public Housing Director/Field Oversight Manager and, during her tenure, has managed 30 of our 46 field offices.
Dan Wilkerson, Portfolio Management Specialist
Dan has over 30 years of experience in HUD PIH, include stints at the Indianapolis Field Office, Seattle Field Office and, most recently, HUD Headquarters, as well as two years in private industry with Nan McKay and Associates in San Diego. Now that he has escaped the cold and snowy climes (both literally and figuratively) of Washington, D.C. and returned to sunny southern California, he plans to also return to his passion of distance hiking and backpacking.
Take Notice of PIH Notices!
Notice |
Issued/Expires |
Subject/Purpose |
PIH 2014-26 (HA) |
Issued: Oct. 21, 2014
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded, or rescinded |
Asset Building and Financial Literacy Resources - This Notice outlines guidance to inform public housing agencies (PHAs) and other housing providers about financial literacy tools and resources available to help HUD-assisted families enhance their financial literacy and asset building skills. |
PIH 2014-25 (HA) |
Issued: Oct. 16, 2014
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded, or rescinded |
Over Subsidization in the Housing Choice Voucher Program - On September 28, 2007, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on over subsidization in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program due to the issuance of vouchers with unit sizes greater than the number of family members in the household. Pursuant to the recommendation of the OIG, the Department issued clarifying guidance on the matter of categorization of live-in aides, other reasonable accommodation issues and corresponding data entry into the Inventory Management System (IMS)/Public and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC) through the notices cited above. Notice PIH 2010-51 extended and revised Notice PIH 2009-22 to explain subsidy standards in regard to live-in aides and their PHA-approved family member/s and data entry in IMS/PIC for family members of live-in aides. |
PIH 2015-02 (HA) |
Issued: Jan. 9, 2015
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded, or rescinded |
Extension: Administrative Guidance for Effective and Mandated Use of the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System - This notice provides Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) with administrative guidance related to the mandated use of HUD's EIV system, as required by HUD's regulation at 24 CFR §5.233. |
PIH 2015-03 |
Issued: Feb. 27, 2015
Expires: Dec. 31, 2015 |
Implementation of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2015 Funding Provisions for the Housing Choice Voucher Program - This Notice implements the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program funding provisions of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, (the Act) (P.L. 113-235), referred to hereafter as "the 2015 Act," enacted on December 16, 2014. |
PIH 2015-04 (HA) |
Issued: Mar. 12, 2015
Expires: Mar. 31, 2015 |
Expiration of Temporary Compliance Assistance for Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs — Temporary Compliance Assistance - On January 6, 2015, HUD published a proposed rule that would streamline regulatory requirements pertaining to the Housing Choice Voucher program, and solicited comment for a period of 60 days. |
Announcements
Public and Indian Housing One-Stop Tool (POST) for PHAs
PHA staff can use POST to obtain quick access to PIH systems, tools, training opportunities, program requirements, commonly used external websites, PIH contacts, and much more.
Some of the most helpful links are as follows:
- PIH A-Z Index
- News You Can Use
- Calendar of Due Dates
If you have recommendations to improve POST or if you are having difficulty accessing web pages, we want to hear from you! Please email us at POSTforPHAs@hud.gov.
Access POST
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/post
Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC)
PHAs administering public housing units are required to report on planned/completed Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMS) in the Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC) system ANNUALLY as follows:
Calendar Year Quarter |
Federal Fiscal Year |
PHAS Required to Report |
Reporting Period |
1 |
2 |
Fiscal year ending March 31 |
April 1 - April 30 |
2 |
3 |
Fiscal year ending June 30 |
July 1 - July 31 |
3 |
4 |
Fiscal year ending September 30 |
October 1 - October 31 |
4 |
1 |
Fiscal year ending December 31 |
January 1 - February 7 |
Please email EPICHelp@hud.govfor EPIC access and general help questions. Please include your Secure Systems login ID (WASS ID) in your email.
Helpful Resource Links
Two Year Forecasting Tool - PHA staff can use this tool to forecast the relationship between current HCV leasing and future funding. - http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv
REAC Technical Assistance Center - The Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) Technical Assistance Center analyses data and develops objective performance scores. Public Housing Authotity (PHA) staff can use the REAC technical assistance for helpful links. http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/reac/support/tac
Upcoming Deadlines
Financial Data Schedule (FDS) Submission Deadlines
Unaudited submissions are due no later than 2 months after the PHA's Fiscal Year End (FYE); for those entities required to have an audit, the audited submissions are due 9 months after the PHA's FYE. PHAs are required to submit their financial information through the Financial Assessment Subsystem-Public Housing (FASS-PH) system.
Financial Reporting Schedule Due Dates |
Fiscal Year End |
12/31 |
03/31 |
06/30 |
09/30 |
Unaudited Submission |
02/28 |
05/31 |
08/31 |
11/30 |
Audited Submission |
09/30 |
12/31 |
03/31 |
06/30 |
Deadlines and Key Dates
Date |
Description |
HCV |
PH |
April 2015 |
1 |
Maintenance Wage Rate Recommendation |
|
X |
4 |
Voucher Management System (VMS) Reporting Opens |
X |
|
15 |
Moving to Work Plan |
X |
X |
17 |
5-year Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan |
X |
X |
17 |
Annual PHA Plan (Non-Qualified PHAs) |
X |
X |
17 |
Capital Fund Program Annual Statement (Non-Qualified PHAs First-Time Submission) |
|
X |
17 |
Capital Fund Program Performance and Evaluation Report |
|
X |
17 |
Civil Rights Certification (Qualified PHAs) |
X |
X |
22 |
VMS Submission Close |
X |
|
29 |
Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) Employee Recertification |
X |
X |
30 |
Energy Performance Contract Reports, including Measures & Verification Reports |
|
X |
30 |
Semi-Annual Labor Standards Enforcement Report-Local Contracting Agencies (HUD Programs) |
X |
X |
30 |
Annual Energy Performance Information Center (EPIC) Report for PHAs with FYE 3/31 |
|
X |
Date |
Description |
HCV |
PH |
May 2015 |
4 |
VMS Reporting Opens |
X |
|
16 |
Unaudited Extension Request |
X |
X |
22 |
VMS Submissions |
X |
|
30 |
Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) Certification |
X |
|
31 |
Waiver of Due Date for Audited Financial Info. |
X |
X |
31 |
Annual Unaudited Financial Submission Report |
X |
X |
####