Northwest Notes

Office of Public Housing

Region X - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
FY 2010, Quarter I

The Director's Corner
FFY 2010 HUD Appropriations Act
(P.L. 111-117)
Enacted December 16, 2009, includes incremental Housing Choice Vouchers under Family Unification Program (FUP) and HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH). The Act also includes funding for HCV Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinators; HOPE VI, Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, public housing capital fund, ROSS, public housing operating fund, HCV renewal and administrative fees and tenant protection vouchers. Be prepared for these and other opportunities for which your PHA may qualify.

On behalf of Office of Public Housing team members in the Seattle, Portland, and Anchorage offices, we hope this newsletter is helpful to you. Let me know if there are items you would like to see in future newsletters.

Harlan Stewart Director, Office of Public Housing Region X, Northwest/Alaska Office

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Housing Authority of Portland's "RAC"
The Housing Authority of Portland's (HAP) plans to build a $46 million Resource Access Center (RAC) to provide temporary shelter, permanent housing and social services for Portland's homeless population were set back by the difficulty of obtaining private financing in the current economic environment. HAP's odds changed when the housing authority was awarded more than $3.2 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to complete the project. The funds arrived just days before the Thanksgiving holiday.

HUD awarded HAP $3.2 million in competitive Public Housing Capital funds from the Recovery Act to provide "gap financing" for the Housing Authority to complete the Resource Access Center. HAP is one of 35 housing authorities nationwide receiving similar awards to complete similar stalled projects

When complete, the LEED-certified Center will include a day shelter, 130 studio apartments for homeless individuals and couples who need permanent, affordable housing, and a modern shelter for up to 90 homeless men. It will also provide services to an estimated one thousand Portland residents every day - individuals who need assistance with housing, employment and treatment counseling, hot showers, storage, and communication services to help with their search for employment and permanent housing. In addition, during a period when numerous construction projects have stalled, building the Center will create approximately 125 jobs in the construction trades industry.

For more information visit the Resource Access Center (http://www.hapdx.org/resourceaccesscenter/)

New EIV Module: Debts Owed to PHAs and Terminations
HUD seeks to identify families who no longer participate in a HUD rental assistance program due to adverse termination and/or assistance, and owe a debt to a Public Housing Agency (PHA). In accordance with 24 CFR Part 982.552 and 960.203, the PHA may deny admission to a program if the family is not suitable for tenancy for such reasons as (but not limited to): unacceptable past performance in meeting financial obligations, history of criminal activity, eviction from Federally assisted housing in the last five years, family has committed fraud, bribery or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with a Federal housing program, or a family currently owes rent or other amounts to the PHA or to another PHA in connection with a Federally assisted housing program under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937.

HUD seeks to collect the following information from all PHAs:

• Amount of debt owed by a former tenant to a PHA
• If applicable, indication of executed repayment agreement
• If applicable, indication of bankruptcy filing
• If applicable, the reason for any adverse termination of the family from a Federally assisted housing program.

HUD has created a standardized notice for tenants and applicants. This notice is pending OMB approval and is not mandatory until the notice displays a valid OMB control number and expiration date. The notice provides information on the collection of debt and adverse termination information, what information is collected, how the information will be used, and an individual's right to dispute incorrect information.

Debt owed and termination information is available only if the PHA enters the information. Until OMB approves HUD's information collection request, PHAs are voluntarily providing this information. PHAs may enter information for former tenants who have left the program within the last 15 months. EIV is updated daily from PIC with new EOP families. If applicable, enter the following information: amount of debt owed, bankruptcy indicator, and reason for termination (select applicable reasons). The information will then become part of the national repository of Debts Owed to PHAs and Terminations.

PHAs should ensure that entered information is accurate. The PHA may modify a tenant record only 3 times. If a former tenant is making payments on an outstanding debt, the PHA should not modify the debt owed amount. EIV will include a repayment agreement indicator with the April 2010 release. The delete function is available for deletion of families who do not owe a debt or left the program in good standing and also for deletion of families who have paid an outstanding debt in full. The family is permanently removed from the master list of EOP families

PHAS Transition Year 2 Information Published
A Federal Register notice was published 1/12/10. It provides new information on PHAS submissions and scoring for PHAs with fiscal years ending on June 2009 through March 2010. Small PHAs with fewer than 250 PH units will not be assessed in Transition Year 2. This will be their alternate year. All other PHAs will be issued a new overall PHAS score under the current PHAS rule.

HUD has been conducting physical condition inspections, and the PHAs are being scored on their current projects.
The Financial Data Schedule (FDS) must still be submitted. The new system is available, and system information is posted.

The unaudited FDS is due 2 months after the fiscal year end.
The audited FDS is due 9 months after the fiscal year end.

HUD will not administer the RASS survey during Transition Year 2.
Look for updates on our website.

Compensating Financial Shortfalls by Reducing HCV Costs
Many PHAs had a stressful financial year in 2009. As a reminder regarding the various actions PHAs may take to address financial shortfalls by reducing costs in the HCV program, refer to Notice PIH 2009-44 issued October 23, 2009. The Notice also discusses when PHAs can terminate assistance or deny a move due to insufficient funding. Remember that in any given fiscal or calendar year, a PHA is not required or expected to lease up to its authorized baseline units under ACC if it does not have the funding to do so.

Some of the cost saving actions discussed in the Notice include:

• PHAs should accelerate efforts concerning income matching and income verification. (use the EIV Income Discrepancy Report to give a "hint" of what may be a discrepancy in family income.) Remember PHAs do not have to wait until the HAP contract anniversary date to review owner rents and reduce them if warranted.
   
• The PHA may always review its utility allowance more than annually to determine if they are too high.
   
• Portability Absorption - Discuss absorbing with the receiving PHA.
   
• Interim Reexaminations - the PHA could require families to report ALL increases in income between reexaminations and conduct more frequent interim income reviews for families reporting no income. The effective date of an annual or interim reexamination of family income is dependent upon PHA policies.
   
• Minimum Rent - the PHA may increase the minimum rent to $50. The effective date for the increased minimum rent is dependent upon PHA policy. A PHA could institute a policy for increases in family contribution to be effective immediately, rather than at the next annual reexamination.
   
• The PHA may revise subsidy standards that exceed minimum HUD requirements to reduce bedroom size eligibility in accordance with 24 CFR 982.402.
   
• Payment Standards - A PHA may opt to lower payment standards for all or some unit sizes.
   
• Reasonable Accommodation - Such request must be granted when an accommodation may be necessary to afford persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, unless it would impose an undue financial and administrative burden on the PHA or fundamentally alter the nature of the PHA's operation.

Reminders & Training
Payment Standard Waivers for 2010
The Department will not be approving payment standard waivers (24 CFR 982.505(c)(3) and/or 982.503(d)) for 2010 until renewal funding allocations are made. Until HUD knows what the PHA will receive in funding in 2010 and its net restricted assets (HAP reserves), HUD will not be able to project funding shortfalls.

Asset Management Technical Assistance for PHAs
Do you need assistance to implement asset management or fine-tune what you have done? HUD has resources available for technical assistance in asset management related areas including project based funding, accounting, budgeting, management, and assessment. If interested, see the Public Housing Asset Management website and contact the Public Housing Office Director.

Contact
Andrea Williamson
Phone: (202) 475-8607
Fax: (202) 485-0289
E-mail: Andrea.D.Williamson@hud.gov

EIV Access for Multifamily Housing Users
PIH staff cannot assist users of the Multifamily Housing (MFH) EIV system. Refer all MFH EIV users to the website.

Voucher Training Available at Your Desktop!
There are several worthwhile webcasts available. These would be useful for finance staff who are new, or who can't keep track of the changes in voucher funding and reporting, which includes most of us. HUD recommends having a copy of the slides in hand prior to watching any of these webcasts.

For any questions related material presented contact the Financial Analyst at the FMC or in the Field Office.

Housing Choice Voucher Training
November 3, 2009
HCV Program Financial Management & Accounting Basics
This webcast is three hours. It discusses the Voucher Program funding, both HAP and administrative fees. It talks about financial management of the program, how to budget and monitor spending. There is an overview of VMS reporting requirements and common errors. It discusses cost allocation for the HCV program using a fee-for-service or indirect cost plans. It covers year-end financial reporting basics.

Agenda, slides and examples can be downloaded from the web page before you view the webcast.

Housing Choice Voucher Program: Net Restricted Asset Financial Reporting
October 9, 2009
This webcast explains Net Restricted Assets and how to calculate them. It discusses eligible uses of HAP and administrative fee.

There are slides available for download.

Housing Choice Voucher Program VMS and 2010 Update
October 8, 2009
This is a preview of 2010 Voucher funding. It includes information on new or enhanced VMS reporting. It has answers for common questions, and issues that came up in 2009. Slides are available for download.

Rental Housing Integrity Improvement Project (RHIIP) and EIV Training Opportunity
Obtain guidance both on new and modified HUD regulations effective January 31, 2010 and on successful implementation of EIV.
When: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 1PM - 5PM, EST
Where: HUD Headquarters, Washington, DC
To reserve your seat in Washington, DC, complete & submit registration form
Training is also available via webcast & satellite - no registration required!
More Information

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