Los Angeles Office of Public Housing
Quarterly Newsletter Winter 2014
Serving Southern California
That's a First: A HUD Black History Fact
by Shantae Goodloe
Did you know that Robert Weaver, the first Secretary of HUD was also sworn in as the first African-American to hold a cabinet-level position?
In fact, Weaver set the tone for HUD's work today and is known for a series of firsts: working toward passage of the 1961 low-income rental housing program, the first piece of legislation passed by President John F. Kennedy's administration; championing the 1968 Fair Housing laws to end discrimination; and, connecting housing to jobs in what we now call sustainable communities.
As a result, HUD continues to ensure that people live in inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination. The Fair Housing Act, the law that makes it illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability was signed on April 11, 1968, days after Dr. King's assassination. And it was only the beginning of our work.
Today, HUD's Office of Fair Housing and its Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) partner agencies receive over 9,000 complaints alleging some form of housing discrimination. And HUD continues to investigate individual acts of housing discrimination, and to obtain appropriate relief for its victims. The Department has also increased its efforts to create strong, sustainable communities by connecting housing to jobs, fostering economic development, and helping to build a clean energy economy.
HUD recognizes that the work it does today has an incredible impact on the future of our nation and applauds Secretary Weaver for laying the foundation.
Shantae Goodloe is a Public Affairs Officer in HUD's Office of Public Affairs.
- See more at:
http://blog.hud.gov/index.php/2014/02/04/thats-a-first-a-hud-black-history-fact/#sthash.id8lWT66.dpuf
San Diego Housing Commission Smoke-Free Policy
Effective February 1, 2014
Following a 2012 California law that authorized landlords to prohibit smoking at their rental properties, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) adopted a Smoke-Free Policy for all SDHC-owned apartment buildings.
The SDHC's Smoke-Free Policy prohibits smoking anywhere at the more than 2,000 affordable housing units owned by SDHC. Smoking lighted pipes, cigars or cigarettes of any kind, including electronic cigarettes and cigarettes made from any weed or plant, is not permitted.
Smoking is not allowed in:
- Individual residents' apartments
- Entryways
- Porches
- Balconies and patios
- Interior common areas
- Community rooms
- Community bathrooms
- Lobbies
- Reception areas
- Hallways
- Laundry rooms
- Stairways
- Offices
- Elevators
- Within 25 feet of the buildings
The policy applies to:
- Residents
- Residents' guests
- SDHC employees or contractors working on-site
The SDHC Board of Commissioners approved the adoption of the Smoke-Free Policy on May 10, 2013. The Smoke-Free Policy received the unanimous approval of the San Diego City Council, sitting as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, on June 11, 2013.
SDHC's Smoke-Free Policy takes effect on February 1, 2014, providing tenants with ample notice. On February 1, 2013, SDHC's Real Estate Division began using a lease addendum to notify new tenants and residents who were renewing their leases that SDHC may be implementing a Smoke-Free Policy in the future. Smokers can still live in SDHC-owned apartments, but they cannot smoke on the premises.
Reduced Maintenance Costs
The Smoke-Free Policy is also expected to reduce maintenance costs for SDHC. A 2009 study based on surveys of housing authorities and subsidized housing facilities in New England determined the average cost of rehabilitating apartments:
- $560 for a nonsmoking unit
- $1,810 for a unit where light smoking occurred
- $3,515 for a unit with heavy smoking
- The data were collected and reported by Smoke-Free Housing New England.
Tenant Support
Before moving forward with the Smoke-Free Policy, SDHC surveyed tenants. SDHC distributed surveys to 2,186 tenants living in SDHC-owned housing units. SDHC received 764 completed surveys. Of those who responded, 65 percent said they prefer a smoke-free building.
Tenant Health - National Issue
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a notice on July 17, 2009, that strongly encouraged public housing authorities in the United States to implement nonsmoking policies at some or all of their properties. HUD reissued the notice on May 29, 2012. HUD made its recommendation because "environmental tobacco smoke can migrate between units in multifamily housing, causing respiratory illness, heart disease, cancer, and other adverse health effects for those living in neighboring residences."
Help for Smokers
Any tenant who wants to quit smoking may obtain information from the American Lung Association,
2750 4th Ave., San Diego, CA 92103, or call (619) 297-3901, or visit www.lung.org.
Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB)
Rental Assistance Demonstration
New HUD Designation Granted to HACSB for Replacing Apartments and Rebuilding the Community; Additional Flexibilities for Replacing Waterman Gardens in San Bernardino
HACSB was granted a designation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week to facilitate the revitalization and rebuilding of the Waterman Gardens public housing site into a mixed-use, mixed-income community. The 252-unit housing site recently received approval by the City of San Bernardino's Planning Commission for complete demolition and new construction.
Built in 1942, this is the second oldest affordable housing site build in the County and is in great need of a complete revitalization as a modern community. The new HUD Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program helps change the rent structure of affordable housing and provides techniques for new financing. RAD agencies will be able to use the equity from the housing site as collateral for loans and will receive long term rent assistance from the federal government similar to what private landlords often obtain.
"HACSB is amongst the few (199 out of 3,200 Housing Authorities) to get this award, we are thankful to be among these select few. This is the first step towards a new innovative approach to revitalizing public housing," states Daniel Nackerman, HACSB's President/CEO.
In the near term nationwide, RAD is expected to preserve and enhance 60,000 units of affordable housing and generate more than $650 million in private capital to address the backlog in capital needs faced by public housing authorities in the U.S. This additional capital will also stimulate employment in the construction trades across the country. (Excerpts from the HUD's website)
"This innovative and cost-effective approach greatly enhances our ability to confront the decline of our public housing and older assisted housing stock," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "With the initial implementation of RAD, the Obama Administration has begun to demonstrate that public-private partnership can help preserve our nation's affordable housing and create jobs in the process." (Excerpts from the HUD's website)
This designation will greatly assist with the $200 million neighborhood revitalization undertaken through National Community Renaissance (National CORE), a major non-profit developer headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga.
The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) allows proven financing tools to be applied to at-risk public and assisted housing and has two components:
1st Component - Allows Public Housing and Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab) properties to convert, under a competition limited to 60,000 units, to long-term Section 8 rental assistance contracts; and
2nd Component - Allows Rent Supplement (Rent Supp), Rental Assistance Payment (RAP), and Mod Rehab properties to convert tenant-based vouchers issued upon contract expiration or termination to project-based assistance.
RAD is a central part of the Department's rental housing preservation strategy, which works to preserve the nation's stock of deeply affordable rental housing, promote efficiency within and among HUD programs, and build strong, stable communities.
HACSB Receives $135,678 to Assist San Bernardino County Residents through Self Sufficiency Activities
HACSB was awarded $135,678 by HUD to continue promoting self-sufficiency activities for participants of the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
The agency's Family Self-Sufficiency Program staff work directly with clients to develop a 5-year plan towards economic independence. As a family's income rises, an escrow credit is deposited into an interest bearing escrow account by the Housing Authority. 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 or paying debts. HACSB's Community Development Initiatives Department works directly with families to: 1) develop a personalized education and/or professional action plan; and 2) provide on-going case management assistance to ensure each family/individual is achieving their planned goals.
Through its established partnerships, staff refers families to existing community resources, whether its access various educational programs, job training and placement, and/or to health and human services. "Our agency is committed to helping each family succeed in their own personal endeavors by providing them with case management assistance and references to the various services offered throughout the County," explains Daniel Nackerman, HACSB's President/CEO. 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.
Take Notice of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Notices!
Notice |
Issued/Expires |
Subject/Purpose |
PIH 2014-04 |
Issued: Feb. 4, 2014
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, revoked or superseded |
Funding for Tenant-Protection Vouchers for Certain At-Risk Households in Low-Vacancy Areas – Revision - This Notice amends the eligibility criteria for category 3 properties previously described in Notice PIH 2013-08, Funding for Tenant-Protection Vouchers for Certain At-Risk Households in Low-Vacancy Areas – Final Implementation. |
PIH 2014-03 (HA) |
Issued: Feb. 4, 2014
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, revoked or superseded |
Set-Aside Funding Availability for Project-Basing HUD-VASH (Veterans Assisted Supportive Housing) Vouchers - The purpose of this notice is to announce the availability of a set-aside of approximately $7 million in HUD-VASH funding that will support approximately 1,000 units of project-based voucher (PBV) assistance. |
PIH 2014-02 |
Issued: Jan. 24, 2014
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, revoked or superseded |
Providing Assistance to Non-Low-Income Families under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) - This Notice provides guidance on the requirements of Section 201(b) of NAHASDA, the recent revisions to the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) regulations that became effective on January 3, 2013, and replaces PIH Notice 1999-6. |
PIH 2014-01 (HA)
Related attachment:
HUD-52725 Form |
Issued: Jan. 9, 2014
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded, or rescinded |
Guidance on Reporting Public Housing Agency Executive Compensation Information - This notice provides guidance on how to use the revised HUD-52725 form to report executive compensation. |
Notice |
Issued/Expires |
Subject/Purpose |
PIH 2013-30 |
Issued: Dec. 17, 2013
Expires: This notice remains in effect until rescinded |
Exclusion from Income of Payments under Recent Tribal Trust Settlements - The purpose of this notice is to provide guidance to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs), Indian tribes, tribally designated housing entities (TDHE), and other recipients of HUD programs on the treatment of certain trust settlement payments recently received by members of Indian tribes. |
PIH 2013-29 (TDHEs) |
Issued: Dec. 17, 2013
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded or rescinded |
Providing Interim Funding to Recipients of Indian Housing Block Grants - This Notice provides instructions to tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) on the process for requesting an advance on IHBG funds when there is limited funding under a CR. |
PIH 2013-28 |
Issued: Dec. 16, 2013
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded or rescinded |
Guidance on the Use of Outside Sources of Funds in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program - The purpose of this Notice is to provide guidance to public housing agencies (PHAs) regarding the use of outside sources of funds for Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) expenses in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. |
PIH 2013-27 (HA) |
Issued: Dec. 4, 2013
Expires: This notice remains in effect until amended, superseded or rescinded |
Voluntary Relinquishment of Enhanced Voucher Assistance or Regular Housing Choice Voucher Assistance in Exchange for Project-Based Voucher Assistance in Multifamily Housing Conversion Actions - The purpose of this Notice is to provide procedures Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) must follow when the recipient of an enhanced voucher (or regular housing choice voucher - see paragraph 4 below) voluntarily agrees to relinquish such assistance in exchange for the provision of Project-Based Voucher (PBV) assistance. |
The Energy Performance Information Center (EPIC)
Change in EPIC Reporting Frequency
In order to provide PHAs with some administrative relief, starting October 1, 2013, PHAs will only be required to report on planned/completed Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMS) in the Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC) system ANNUALLY. Under the revised system, PHAs would report at the end of their fiscal year rather than each quarter, 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 - January 31 |
*Reminder: EPIC reports are cumulative. For example, if a PHA installs 10 Energy Star refrigerators in the first quarter in which it is reporting on a grant, it would report that in the Q1 report – if it then installs 5 more Energy Star refrigerators in the next quarter, it is to report 15 in the next quarter's report, not 5.
What is EPIC?
The Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC) is a program designed to collect summary capital fund grant activity and energy efficiency measures (EEM) – planned and completed - being implemented with PIH Capital Fund Formula or Replacement Housing Factor (RHF) grants. It is similar in appearance and functionality to the Recovery Act Management Performance System (RAMPS) program which was used to collect EEM for ARRA grants. PHAs are required to report their activities in EPIC on a quarterly basis after the conclusion of each quarter. PHAs must submit a report for all open Formula and RHF grants.
Accessing EPIC
EPIC can be found at: http://portal.hud.gov/app_epic. Please add this to your Favorites in your web browser for easy future access.
Help!
EPICHelp@hud.gov In your help request, you should include your M number, your full name, your office telephone number, and your PHA code. Additionally, the EPIC login page provides additional information about what to do and who to contact if you encounter problems logging into the system. To access EPIC, go to: http://portal.hud.gov/app_epic. Please add this to your Favorites in your web browser for easy future access.
Announcements
Public Housing Capital Fund Program Final Rule Publication
The Public Housing Capital Fund Program Final Rule was published in the Federal Register October 24, 2013 (Docket No. 5236-F-02) and will be effective on November 25, 2013. This new regulation combines the Capital Fund requirements for modernization and development into a single regulation. It also updates and streamlines many of the Capital Fund and development requirements, incorporates recent energy requirements, and directs more funding towards modernization. This rule along with a new Capital Fund guidebook, which is under development and expected to be available in the spring, will ensure that the Capital Fund Program is more efficiently and uniformly implemented by PHAs and managed more effectively by the HUD Field Offices.
HUD Monitoring of PHA Program Compliance
As part of its internal control efforts, the Department's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) continuously monitors the timeliness and accuracy of tenant information reported to the Public and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC). REAC performs data comparisons of tenant information reported in PIC to data obtained from other Federal databases to validate the accuracy of tenant-reported Social Security Numbers (SSNs), names, and date of birth. The intended outcome of this monitoring is to identify, reduce, and recover improper payments within HUD's rental assistance programs; improve the accuracy and integrity of tenant data; and to verify Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) compliance with PIC reporting and use of the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system.
What REAC monitors and what the PHAs should be monitoring on a monthly (m) or quarterly (q) basis:
- PIC Delinquency Report (m)
- PIC Rexam Report (m)
- EIV PHA Usage Report
- EIV Deceased Tenants Report (m)
- EIV Identity Verification Report (m)
- EIV Multiple Subsidy Report (q)
- EIV Immigration Report (m)
- EIV Income Report (m)
- Tenant Unreported Income (m)
If further assistance and/ or questions regarding the notice of deficiencies for the reports due by the respective deadlines, please contact Martha.E.Murillo@hud.gov.
HUD Secure System Password Reset
Please be advised that your HUD-PIH EIV Coordinator or agency User Administrator cannot reset your HUD Secure System password. For password resets, you must go to: https://hudapps.hud.gov/reac/wass/resetPwd.html, and provide the requested information and then click on the Reset Password button at the bottom of the form.
My Social Security
Beginning February 2014, the Social Security Administration will no longer issue Social Security number (SSN) printouts and their field offices will stop providing benefit verification letters.
Beneficiaries can obtain a benefit verification letter by registering for an account, or by calling the national toll-free number (800) 772-1213, and using the automated application.
Members of the public can register for a "my" Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and safely conduct business online 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Proactive Exchange
New Dates for this year! Please save the dates and mark your calendars!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Time: 10-12pm
If you will like to present at any of our upcoming Proactive Exchanges or have topic suggestions please email Maria.J.Granata@hud.gov. We encourage you to attend in person and will continue to have Live Meeting available for those who can't be here. Hope to see you at our next Proactive Exchange coming up March 13, 2014.
Helpful Resource Links