Recent Court Rulings
June 19, 2013
Facts: A police officer searched a Section 8 resident’s unit pursuant to a search warrant and found six empty heroin bags, two crack pipes, and used hypodermic needles. A month later, the local PHA sent a notice to the resident terminating her benefits because she had engaged in drug-related...
Recent Court Rulings
June 19, 2013
Facts: An owner who has participated in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program since 2005 claimed that between March and June 2011, he attended local PHA public hearings to voice complaints against the PHA to the public and to the Board of Commissioners. He criticized the PHA for breaching its...
In the News
June 19, 2013
HUD recently issued proposed rules intended to harmonize its pet deposit policies. Agents and owners of sites designated for the elderly or handicapped aren’t allowed to discriminate against residents or applicants that own or keep a common household pet [HUD Handbook 4350.1, Ch. 32, Sec. 1...
In the News
June 19, 2013
A scathing audit released on June 3 by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Legislative Analyst has highlighted multiple problems within the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA). The SFHA was the first public housing authority established in California and remains the 17th...
The Trainer
June 19, 2013
SCREENING APPLICANTS FOR DRUG & CRIMINAL ACTIVITY; CONTROLLING EMERGENCY REPAIR COSTS
In this month’s feature, we discussed how HUD’s “one-strike” rule sets out specific grounds for denying admission to applicants based on certain drug-related and other criminal activity...
Feature
May 29, 2013
According to HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), disability-related complaints, including those that involve assistance animals, are the most common discrimination complaint they receive. To help explain reasonable accommodation obligations in housing and HUD-funded...
In the News
May 29, 2013
On April 30, HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a joint statement concerning the Fair Housing Act requirement that multifamily housing be designed and constructed so as to be accessible to persons with disabilities. The new guidance aims to help design professionals, developers,...
In the News
May 29, 2013
On May 22, HUD released Annual Adjustment Factors (AAFs) for the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) program for fiscal year 2013. The AAFs, published annually by HUD in the Federal Register, are used to adjust contract rents for units during the initial term of the HAP contract and for all...
Recent Court Rulings
May 29, 2013
Facts: The son of a deceased resident claimed succession rights to his mother’s unit located in a public housing complex. The deceased resident had lived in the unit for approximately 50 years, and throughout her tenancy, paid her rent on time and was in good standing with the owner.
The Trainer
May 29, 2013
HANDLING REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE ANIMALS; COMPLYING WITH DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS
In our feature on responding to residents’ and applicants’ requests for assistance animals, weexplained the federal fair housing requirements and suggested five rules to follow to comply with...
