Northwest Notes

Office of Public Housing

Region X - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
FY2010 Quarter III - July 1, 2010

The Director's Corner
HUD FY 2010 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA): Policy Requirements and General Section to FY2010 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs - On June 11, 2010, HUD announced the General Section to FY2010 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs and was posted on its website. The General Section provides the opportunity to become familiar with the policies and requirements applicable to all of the NOFAs that HUD will publish in FY2010, and lists both the programs expected to be included in HUD's FY2010 NOFAs and their anticipated publication time, which is as follows:

June-July:
- HOPE VI Revitalization

July-August:
- Public and Indian Housing Family Self Sufficiency (PHFSS)
- ROSS Service Coordinators
- Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency (HCV/FSS)
- Choice Neighborhoods
- Family Unification Program (FUP)
- Capital Fund Education and Training Community Facilities (CFCF) Program

All of this information is provided to assist prospective applicants in planning successful applications, and is available on the HUD Website and on the Grants.gov Website (http://www.grants.gov/search/).

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 & 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

Grand Opening of HAP's Martha Washington

Exterior of the Martha Washington seen from SW 11th and Main St

The property contains 108 units of affordable housing with both studio and one-bedroom apartments, several of which were designed as ADA units. The Martha Washington will receive operating subsidies including 45 Project-Based Section 8 vouchers, as well as 25 public housing units. Of these, 50 units will be operated as Permanent Supportive Housing that will serve the needs of the homeless and chronically mentally ill populations. Central City Concern will also be providing the supportive services at the building.

Interior unit, nearing the completion of renovation. When completed, modern appliances will be energy efficient, giving way to LEED certification

The renovations aimed to preserve the original, distinctive architecture of this 1923 constructed building, while also providing new, modern amenities for the residents. Receiving various sustainability grants, the energy-efficient fixtures and appliances, as well as sustainable and weatherized construction material has also earned the Martha Washington a Silver LEED Certification.

Housing Commissioner Nick Fish touted the Martha Washington as a crucial milestone in Portland's 10-year-plan to end homelessness. Residents will be able to move into this new affordable housing development at the beginning of July.

Recovery Act in Action: Getting to Work
SEDRO WOOLLEY, WASHINGTON - When the Sedro Woolley housing authority, about an hour north of Seattle, was awarded $189,590 in HUD funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the Spring of 2009, it knew exactly what to do with it. And it did not waste any time doing it.

By October, the King County Housing Authority, which is responsible for day-to-day management of the Sedro Woolley authority's units, had completed plans for and broke ground on the renovation of Hillsview, a 60-unit complex for the elderly and people with disabilities. The work was finished in April.

And it was not a small project. Improvements included the installation of energy-efficient lighting; upgrades to interior hallways, lobby areas, and the elevator; and corrections to uneven floors by installing new plywood and carpeting to assist mobility-impaired residents. All fire and apartment entry doors were replaced. Environmentally-responsible products, including low-VOC paints and carpet made from recycled material, were used. In compliance with the requirements of the ARRA legislation, all fixtures and other purchased items were manufactured in the United States.

The residents are very pleased with the changes. "I love absolutely everything that they have done," said resident Joan Mason. "I'm just so grateful that we had this done for us. I feel like it's a gift to us. It's a pleasure to live here."

Sedro Woolley community

The larger Sedro Woolley community is also happy. With some 14 workers from a variety of trades being put to work, the renovation "helped to spur our local community and economy," said Sedro Woolley Housing Authority Commission Chair Kacy Johnson. "This project was a boon to our business," noted Michael Strom, owner of Old World Construction which served as the general contractor. "Not only did I not have to lay off any workers between October 2009 and January 2010, I ended up hiring six new crew members from the Skagit County area for the duration of the project."

The improvements, secretary to the Sedro Woolley Housing Authority Stephen Norman said, "ensure the longevity of this much-needed public resource" and addressed all of Hillsview's capital needs at once. Had it not been for ARRA funds and the speed with which the Sedro Woolley Authority put them to work, added Norman, "these upgrades would have had to be tackled as three or four separate projects over the course of many years."

Maximize Leverage!
HUD's Capital Fund Financing Program (CFFP) represents a viable development strategy for PHA's. CFFP can even be combined with Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). See complete CFFP information.

LIHTC developments set aside either 40 percent of units for residents earning no more than 60 percent of the area's median income, or 20 percent of the units for residents earning 50 percent or less of the area's median income. Units are subject to rent restrictions regarding the maximum gross rent that can be charged, including an allowance for utilities. Units must be restricted to occupancy by income-eligible households for at least 30 years.

CFFP + LIHTC = LEVERAGE
Consider what combining CFFP and LIHTC could mean to your PHA. HUD's LIHTC database (http://www.huduser.org/datasets/lihtc.html) contains comprehensive information on 27,410 projects and 1,530,000 affordable housing units placed into service using LIHTC between 1987 and 2005.

Capital Funding - Environmental Reviews
Capital Funding is subject to Environmental Review under 24 CFR Part 50 or Part 58. CFP Funds established in LOCCS are placed under threshold review, limiting PHA access to the full amount pending satisfactory completion of the Environmental Review. For more information, visit the website.

Upcoming Environmental Review Training
Orientation to Sustainable Environmental Assessment (OEA)
- Aug 9-13, 2010 (Chicago)
- February, 2011 (Los Angeles)

Environmental responsibilities under NEPA and other authorities have been delegated by 24 CFR 58 to local governments for many HUD programs, such as CDBG, HOME, NSP, TCAP, subsidized and public housing. The assessment process offers an opportunity to promote sustainability in project design and implementation. This course uses interactive exercises with extensive Q & A to provide participants with the hands-on experience needed to fully understand and perform in the environmental assessment area.

View agenda & register online (http://publichealthlearning.com/Modules/Conference/Public/) .

To register by phone call 312-996-6904.

Changes in Unit Tenant Status in PIC and Notice PIH 2010-6
In April, the recent PIC release added new options for PHAs to enter changes in occupancy status for Public Housing units. PHAs can now enter changes in unit status that were previously processed by the Field Office PIC Coach. Some changes will require HUD approval, while others will not require such approval.

Notice PIH 2010-6, dated March 8, 2010 and entitled "Changes to Unit Reporting in Public Housing Information Center (PIC)," discusses the programmatic changes. Attachment A defines the unit status categories and sub-categories. These categories are used in determining unit months for calculating the Operating Subsidy, so it is important to correctly identify all units not occupied by assisted tenants.

Begin by accessing the Job Aid explaining the process in PIC.

Start at the PIC home page. Go to Technical Support, and then pick:
Development - Entering Unit Tenant Status Changes Job Aid to access the Job Aid for Entering Unit Tenant Status Changes, updated 4/23/2010. The Job Aid discusses the user-initiated changes now possible. Most status changes will still be generated by a 50058, for occupied or vacant units.

The changes now initiated by the PHA are broken into ones requiring no HUD approval and those requiring HUD approval. Units can now be designated as occupied by a non-assisted employee, a police officer, non-assisted over-income tenant, or unauthorized occupied.

Proposed changes in status for actions requiring HUD approval can also be initiated in PIC. These include vacant HUD-approved units for casualty loss, for natural disaster, and for undergoing modernization. Changes to non-dwelling, administrative uses, resident amenities, and other non-dwelling uses can also be initiated. Be sure to review the definitions for each category in the Notice 2010-6.

Pages 4 through 6 of the Job Aid have step-by-step instructions for making these changes in PIC. Pages 8 through 10 are screen shots showing the steps. The steps taken by a HUD user to approve the unit changes requiring HUD approval may also be reviewed. Page 15, Attachment A of the Job Aid, has information about unassisted over-income tenants.

Remember that some of the changes do require HUD approval, and may also require additional documentation. PHAs are recommended to contact their PHRS or PIC coach to discuss the changes. PIC coaches will receive an automatic email notification of any submissions

This new option will be especially valuable when there are several units being vacated for modernization work, or when resident manager units have changed.

To discuss the changes to the new release or to walk through the process, please call the field office PIC coaches:

Seattle Office - Suzanne Manville at (206) 220-6231

Portland Office - Alice Ford at (971) 222-2662 or Betsy Marsh at (971) 222-2664

Lead Based Paint Reporting
Lead Based Paint concerns may be brought to the attention of PHAs from a public health department or a medical health care provider. PHAs are required to report each known case of a child with Environmental Intervention Blood Lead Level (EIBLL) to the HUD Field Office using form HUD-52850 (Annual Lead-Based Paint Activity Report) for pre-1978 developments in the low-rent public housing program 30 days after fiscal year end (24 CFR Part 35.1130(e) and under the HCV program regulations (24 CFR Part 35.1225(f)).

See complete details for compliance with the Lead Safe Housing Rule, and take advantage of the Housing Choice Voucher Lead Compliance Toolkit. Online training is available.

Energy Performance Contracting
Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) is an innovative financing technique that uses cost savings from reduced energy consumption to repay the cost of installing energy conservation measures. Normally offered by Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), this innovative financing technique allows users to achieve energy savings without up front capital expenses. The costs of the energy improvements are borne by the performance contractor and paid back out of the energy savings. Other advantages include the ability to use a single contractor to do necessary energy audits and retrofitting to guarantee the energy savings from a selected series of conservation measures.

Learn more today. This helpful website includes case studies, success stories, training materials and contacts.

FSS Coordinator Conferences
Please Note: this year, the Seattle and the Portland Field Offices will be scheduling separate Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator Conferences for housing authorities under their jurisdiction. Dates and locations will be forthcoming.

CFP & ARRA Deadlines Fast Approaching!
Do not let a missed deadline jeopardize future CFP availability to your PHA! The 100% expenditure deadline for 2006 CFP is 07/17/2010.

2010 CFP + RHF grant executed amendments due to the FO by 7/12/2010.

Be an Energy Star!
For timely tips on reducing seasonal energy costs and a directory of energy saving ideas, visit the website (http://www.energystar.gov/).

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