Feature

Best Practices for Complying with HUD’s Criminal Background Check Guidance

November 15, 2016

This year, HUD and the courts have brought much attention to possible Fair Housing Act violations from criminal screening policies. In April, HUD issued guidelines that spell out how HUD will evaluate fair housing complaints in cases where a site rejects an applicant based on criminal history....

How to Classify Six Items that May Be Treated as Income or Assets

October 31, 2016

When certifying or recertifying households, you must list both the household’s income and its assets. However, deciding whether to treat an item as income or an asset can be tricky. If you treat an item incorrectly, you will make a certification mistake that could result in a HUD audit or...

Eight Site Improvements to Reduce Water Usage at Your Site

September 29, 2016

By Carolyn E. Zezima, Esq.

How to Determine Eligibility of Remaining Household Members

September 14, 2016

HUD Handbook 4350.3, paragraph 3-16, spells out the rules for determining who can stay at an assisted site after the original qualifying household member dies or moves out of the unit. Whether the remaining member can stay depends on several factors, including the type of assisted site involved...

Q&A Regarding Insurance Coverage Requirements for PHAs

August 16, 2016

The contract between HUD and public housing agencies (PHAs) is called the annual contribution contract (ACC). The ACC requires PHAs to maintain adequate loss prevention programs, which include sufficient insurance for sites owned and managed by PHAs.

Understanding Disclosure Restrictions of EIV Data

July 26, 2016

The Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system was developed by HUD to verify income and employment information for applicants and tenants in all of the agency’s assisted housing programs. Information in EIV is derived from computer matching programs initiated by HUD with the Social...

How to Get Building-Wide Cooperation Battling Roaches

June 17, 2016

If a building at your site is infested with cockroaches or other such pests, getting all residents to cooperate with your efforts to control the problem is essential to your building’s well-being. Cockroaches are among the most widespread and persistent of all pest problems. In fact, in a...

Watch for Four Common Household File Mistakes as HUD Resumes MORs

May 19, 2016

As a site owner or manager, you must keep files containing required documents for each household. But it’s easy to make mistakes. And these mistakes can cause you to lose points on a management and occupancy review (MOR).

Q&A Regarding Possible FHA Violations from Criminal Screening Policies

April 15, 2016

HUD’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) recently issued guidance addressing how refusing to rent or renew a lease based on an individual’s criminal history could violate the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Last year, in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive...

Seven Dos & Don’ts for Handling Requests for Assistance Animals

March 31, 2016

Disability discrimination claims, which account for more than half of all fair housing complaints, are often based on disputes over requests by applicants or residents with disabilities to have assistance animals.

The reasonable accommodation provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act (...

What NOT to Do When Dealing with Families with Children

March 14, 2016

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or familial status. In the most basic terms, the familial status provisions ban sites from denying housing to families with children. But you’ll have to do more...

How to Ask HUD for 'Database Adjustment' to Raise REAC Inspection Score

February 15, 2016

If your site was inspected recently, you may have lost points for a condition that violates HUD inspection standards, but that a local law permits or even requires. For example, you may have lost points for having window guards on your site’s windows, even though your local law requires...