Feature
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 the...
Maintenance
September 7, 2017
Extreme weather frequently knocks over electrical lines. Owners and residents who rely on backup generators for temporary power should be aware of the danger of inhaling carbon monoxide. A 2012 review of the American Journal of Public Health identified 75 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning...
In the News
September 7, 2017
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, HUD has announced that it will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Texas and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes due to the hurricane. The original disaster declaration has been amended four times to expand the...
In the News
September 7, 2017
On Sept. 6, the House of Representatives approved nearly $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief funds Wednesday in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the first of several expected installments to aid recovery in areas devastated by the massive storm.
In the News
September 7, 2017
In August, President Trump signed an executive order that he said would streamline the approval process for building infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and offices by eliminating a planning step related to climate change and flood dangers. The executive order revokes an earlier executive order...
Feature
August 11, 2017
In July 2016, HUD posted a new Resident Rights and Responsibilities brochure on its website. This brochure tells households about their rights and responsibilities as residents of assisted housing. You must give the brochure to the household head whenever a new household signs its first lease with...
Compliance
August 11, 2017
It may be tempting to take shortcuts when keeping records of rehabilitation and repair costs, rather than fully documenting the need for and reasonableness of these costs. But taking shortcuts could backfire, especially if you get audited.
Under HUD rules, you must be able to show that all costs,...
In the News
August 11, 2017
On July 25, the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Appropriations Subcommittee advanced its FY 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill. The committee voted to approve the bill by a vote of 31 to 0. The bill includes a $1.4 billion...
In the News
August 11, 2017
On July 14, a group of Senate Republicans led by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to Secretary Carson asking him to rescind HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. The rule requires cities and towns that receive federal funding to examine their local housing patterns for...
In the News
August 11, 2017
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published a report entitled, “Federal Low-Income Programs: Eligibility and Benefits Differ for Selected Programs Due to Complex and Varied Rules.” It compares the eligibility criteria and benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit (...
