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HUD recently announced that it has reached a conciliation agreement with the Richmond Housing Authority (RHA) in Richmond, Calif., settling allegations that it discriminated against a resident with disabilities.
HUD recently issued a notice extending until after Oct. 31, 2020, the deadline for cities and other participating jurisdictions to submit assessments of fair housing (AFH), the new reporting and assessment tool required by HUD’s 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule. Based on a review of the first 49 AFH initial submissions, HUD says that many local governments need additional time and technical assistance to adjust to the AFFH process instituted in 2015.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently granted a preliminary injunction against HUD. The court ruled that that HUD didn’t have the authority or compelling reasons to suspend implementation of the use of Small Area Fair Market Rents (Small Area FMRs or SAFMRs) for two years in 23 metropolitan areas. SAFMRs reflect rents for U.S. Postal ZIP codes, while traditional fair market rents (FMRs) reflect a single rent standard for an entire metropolitan region.
As part of the efforts of HUD’s Regulatory Reform Task Force, HUD recently announced that it would not pursue five proposed rules published in the Federal Register and, as a result, is withdrawing the rules from HUD’s Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.
On Dec. 4, 2015, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) into law. The main housing feature of the law includes language giving housing authorities (HAs) and owners/managers the discretionary authority to conduct full income recertifications every three years for households with 90 percent or more of their unadjusted income from fixed-income, instead of annually.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson recently administered the oath of office to the following individuals recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate: J. Paul Compton, Jr. to become HUD’s General Counsel; Suzanne Israel Tufts to be Assistant Secretary for the Office of Administration; Leonard Wolfson as Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations; and Irving Dennis to serve as Chief Financial Officer.
HUD announced a new webpage for the Section 8(bb) Preservation Tool, which allows for the transfer of Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA) budget authority from one multifamily project (Project A) to another multifamily project (Project B).
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), along with six cosponsors in the Senate, recently introduced the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Equitable Rebuild Act. It is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Representatives Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), and Darren Soto (D-FL) will introduce a companion bill in the House.
HUD recently announced the launch of EnVision Centers, a new initiative designed to help HUD-assisted households achieve self-sufficiency. The centers will address the issue of long-term skills and training. And the mobile app will have job listings, and the centers will provide resources and guide GED training programs.
HUD recently published operating cost adjustment factors (OCAFs) for project-based rental assistance Section 8 contracts with an anniversary date on or after Feb. 11, 2018. These factors are used for adjusting or establishing Section 8 rents under the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA), as amended, for projects assisted with Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments.
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