Feature

Six Rules for Avoiding Discrimination When Marketing Your Assisted Site

June 13, 2018    

HUD recently suspended the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule. This rule was a 2015 regulation that required any community receiving HUD development block-grant funding to routinely identify instances of racial segregation and provide solutions to counter them. It was intended to fulfill...

How to Handle Resident Income Disputes with EIV Data

May 11, 2018    

EIV, which stands for Enterprise Income Verification, is HUD’s web-based tool to help reduce erroneous and improper payments in the agency’s assisted housing programs. The ultimate goal, HUD says, is to ensure that the “right benefits go to the right person.” Using EIV...

How to Determine Household Size for Income Eligibility

April 13, 2018    

Correctly determining the size of each household at your site is essential because the income limits you must use to check household eligibility are organized by household size. Although determining a household’s size sounds straightforward, it’s not as simple as counting the number...

Use Green Landscaping Practices to Save Money and Resources

March 27, 2018    

By Carolyn Zezima

How to Ensure Fair Housing Compliance When Considering a Smoke-Free Policy

March 15, 2018    

In late 2016, HUD issued a final rule requiring public housing agencies (PHAs) to implement a smoke-free policy. The rule requires each public housing agency to implement a smoke-free policy banning the use of prohibited tobacco products in all restricted areas by Aug. 3, 2018. According to the...

How to Limit Alterations Households May Make

February 15, 2018    

Last year, the United States tallied a record high bill of $306 billion in weather-related disasters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The total amount includes damage from three of the five most expensive hurricanes in U.S. history: Hurricane Harvey cost...

Set House Rules on Extended Absences and Abandonment

January 19, 2018    

Sometimes a household will disappear for weeks at a time. Signs may indicate the household may not come back. No one answers the household’s phone, their mail piles up, and their assigned parking space remains empty. When a unit is left unattended, health and safety hazards such as rotting...

HUD Updates Flat-Rent Requirements for PHAs

December 14, 2017    

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing recently issued Notice PIH 2017-23, clarifying HUD’s interpretation of the statutory amendment related to flat rents.

How to Verify Household Composition Change When Member Moves Out

November 21, 2017    

When a household member leaves, you need to take into consideration possible changes to the household's subsidy and the possibility of having to move the household to another appropriately sized apartment. For example, after a member moves out, the household could still be getting allowances...

Five Tips for Boosting Your Rate of Return of Verification Forms

October 13, 2017    

HUD requires that you verify all information given to you by applicants and residents that affects your assessment of their eligibility for housing and level of assistance. The owner is responsible for determining if a verification documentation is adequate and credible.

Follow 10 Rules for Preparing Rent Comparability Study

September 27, 2017    

At some point in time, you’re likely to need a rent comparability study (RCS) that looks at rents charged at comparable market-rate sites in your area. For example, as a requirement for renewal, most owners with expiring Section 8 project-based contracts must submit a RCS at initial...

Six Strategies to Increase Building Resilience, Reduce Vulnerability to Extreme Weather

September 7, 2017    

Hurricane Harvey, which first came ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in 50 years, has displaced more than 1 million people and damaged nearly 200,000 homes in a path of destruction stretching for more than 300 miles. Low-income and vulnerable communities located in...