Online Alerts

Fed Chairman Comments on Struggle of Low-Income Communities

April 17, 2013    

In statements made at a Federal Reserve System conference on community development, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke noted that while the U.S. economy as a whole appeared to be improving, low-income communities hit hardest by the recession continue to struggle and require multipronged...

Court of Appeals Rules Against Westchester County in Fair Housing Dispute

April 17, 2013    

New York State's Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino will be required to support a bill prohibiting income discrimination in housing that he has fought for years or risk major fines for violating a court order, after a recent decision by a federal appeals court.

Adopting No-Trespass Policy to Boost Site Security

April 17, 2013    

 

As housing providers and housing professionals, you place the utmost importance on providing residents with safe accommodations. One part of your site security strategy may be to use state and local criminal trespass laws to enhance security by issuing oral or written no-...

HUD Investigates San Francisco Public Housing Contracts

March 14, 2013    

 

Recently, federal inspectors launched an investigation into contracting practices at the San Francisco Housing Authority and are looking at all contracts and bids issued by the troubled agency during the tenure of its director, Henry Alvarez.          ...

HUD Cites CHRA for Poor Management

March 14, 2013    

 

According to a recently issued HUD report, poor financial oversight, failures to collect on rent, and inadequate internal and budgetary controls leave the Charlottesville Housing and Redevelopment Authority (CHRA) in Charlottesville, Va., vulnerable as federal money dwindles. The...

GOP Senator to HUD: Cut Waste, Fraud in Light of Sequestration

March 14, 2013    

In a letter dated March 8, Sen. Tom Coburn from Oklahoma wrote to Secretary Shaun Donovan to highlight responsible ways to cut spending in light of the sequester. The Oklahoma Republican emphasized cutting wasteful and fraudulent activities at HUD.

How to Assure Fair Use of Your Site's Community Room

February 21, 2013    

 

Community rooms can serve as an invaluable hub for programs and events for residents of your site. HUD encourages—and federal laws require—equitable access to and usage of your site's common areas and community room for all residents. Handbook 4350.3 (HUD Occupancy...

Former Housing Authority Director Pleads Guilty to Falsely Reporting Data

February 21, 2013    

 

Recently, the former director of the Chelsea Housing Authority pleaded guilty to four federal counts of falsely reporting his salary. Michael McLaughlin was charged last month with knowingly concealing his salary in annual housing authority budgets from 2008 to 2011 and submitting...

HUD Seeks More Detailed Salary Data

February 21, 2013    

 

After reports surfaced in 2011 of excessive compensation at some PHAs across the country, Congress imposed a $155,500 salary cap for fiscal 2012 on the amount of federal funds that can be used to pay PHA executives. HUD has decided to extend that cap and close a legislative...

HUD Issues New Fair Housing Rule

February 21, 2013    

 

HUD recently announced adoption of a long-delayed "disparate impact" rule. The new rule adopts a standard for HUD review of administrative complaints that has been adopted by every federal appellate court to rule on the issue over the past 30 years. According to the rule...

New Albany Housing Authority Initiates Bedbug Inspections

January 24, 2013    

 

The New Albany Housing Authority (NAHA) recently decided to use bedbug-sniffing canines to inspect every public housing site in New Albany, IN. The canines searched through common areas and bedrooms in an attempt to detect bed bugs.