FEDERAL AGENCIES JOIN FORCES WITH WHEDA IN OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PUSH TO REDUCE REGULATORY BURDEN ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS
Federal Rental Alignment initiative to eliminate duplicate physical inspection requirements in Wisconsin subsidized housing

CHICAGO - Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Midwest Regional Administrator Antonio R. Riley, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Stan Gruszynski, Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority Executive Director Wyman Winston announced an interagency agreement to reduce duplicate physical inspections of local subsidized affordable housing - allowing developers and owners to focus on delivering more housing and resources to those in need.

As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to better coordinate federal rental policy, HUD, Treasury and USDA are piloting programs in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Washington to avoid duplicate inspections and reduce regulatory burdens when rental housing projects are subsidized through more than one federal agency. Developers and owners often work with several federal agencies to be able to house the lowest-income tenants. In the past this meant duplicate requirements and extra paperwork.

"This initiative is an important step forward in the administration's desire to streamline government policies and build strong inter-agency partnerships to serve the American public as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible," said Antonio R. Riley, HUD's Midwest Regional Administrator. "It is an excellent example of HUD partnering with federal and state agencies to eliminate burdensome requirements and provide seamless coordination for our customers."

USDA Rural Development's Rural Housing Service Administrator Tammye Treviño said, "Any time we not only improve the efficiency of a government process, but also reduce the burden on our property owners and developers - that's a success. USDA Rural Development is proud to make this agreement with our colleagues at Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Treasury, for we know that reducing duplication between our agencies frees up time and resources that we can better spend providing affordable housing to those who need it most."

"Wisconsin is delighted to be the first state in the country to sign this important MOU alleviating an unnecessary burden on the affordable housing industry," said Wyman Winston, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). "Agents and owners are facing increased costs and this program will reduce staff time and travel costs to prepare for multiple inspections and be less intrusive to residents."

In response to the White House's Domestic Policy Council request for better coordinated federal rental policy, HUD, USDA Rural Development, Treasury, and WHEDA have worked together since April and since have been joined by WDOA to align the often burdensome program requirements of different affordable rental housing government programs.

The MOU approved by HUD, Treasury, and USDA Rural Development is an administrative solution that better aligns and utilizes state and federal affordable rental housing program policies. The press conference and signing ceremony took place at WHEDA's annual Multifamily Housing and Economic Development Conference in Madison, Wis.

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