HUD Partners Share Challenges and Best Practices During COVID-19

HUD Newark Field Office Director Justin Scheid and HUD Region II Fair Housing Equal Opportunity Specialists Vanessa Summers and Lena Mitchell participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Affordable Housing Professionals of New Jersey to talk about housing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Administering Affordable Housing Units During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond" highlighted the challenges of increased housing applications and remote work, sharing best practices with AHPNJ membership. AHPNJ's Vice President Mark Leckington moderated the panel that included Megan York, Vice President, Community Grants Planning and Housing (CGPH); Frank Piazza, Frank Piazza and Associates; Katherine Packowski, Senior Associate, Triad Associates; Sharon Clark, Executive Director, Central Jersey Housing Resource Center; and AHPNJ President Edwin W. Schmierer, Esq.

HUD FOD Justin Scheid outlined recent HUD and American Rescue Plan funding for New Jersey, and what the funding can be used for. HUD Fair Housing's Vanessa Simmons and Lena Mitchell provided an overview of the Fair Housing Act, described fair housing challenges, provided real-life examples that surfaced during COVID-19, and gave sound advice and resources to stakeholders that can keep them from fair housing violations.

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