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HUD publishes final rule on civil penalties

HUD publishes final rule on civil penalties

Today in the Federal Register, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a final rule amending HUD’s civil monetary penalty (CMP) regulations.

The rule makes final an interim rule published in June of last year, which included a new methodology for calculating civil money penalties, starting with a “catch up” adjustment correcting previous inaccuracies.

The final rule also provides for 2017 inflation adjustments for civil monetary penalty amounts. While the rule applies across a variety of HUD offices and programs, a few key parts may be of interest to PHAs:

  • 24 CFR 28.10, which covers the basis for civil penalties and assessments for those who make false claims against federal authorities or their agents, has been revised to state that a civil penalty of not more than $10,957 may be imposed for making such claims.
  • 24 CFR 30.25 states that the maximum penalty concerning certain prohibited conduct for applicants of assistance to HUD programs is $19,246 for each violation.
  • Under 24 CFR 30.65, the maximum penalty for failure to disclose lead-based paint hazards is $17,047 for each violation.
  • The maximum penalty for violations listed for Section 8 owners under 24 CFR 30.80 is $37,396 for each violation.

Civil penalties for Fair Housing Act cases have also been revised, as listed in 24 CFR 180.671:

  • If the respondent has not committed any prior discriminatory housing practice, the maximum amount of civil penalty is $20,111.
  • If the respondent has committed only one prior discriminatory housing practice within the past five years, the maximum civil penalty is $50,276.

If the respondent committed two or more within the past seven years, the maximum amount is $100,554.

NMA can bring standard or customized fair housing training to your agency onsite. Email sales@nanmckay.com for details.