The importance of updating PHA policies

HUD issues new regulations, notices, and guidance on an ongoing basis, and PHAs are expected to stay abreast of these changes to remain in compliance and avoid audit findings. However, making sure your agency’s policy documents are in line with HUD can be a daunting, time-consuming task—not only do you need to know what’s changed and why, but you must also revise your policies accordingly.

PHAs who are out of compliance—depending on the reason—may be subject to monitoring and sanctions, or worse, lose out on program funding. Fair housing complaints can result from a lack of clear and current policies, and in the Housing Choice Voucher program, some incorrect policies can affect SEMAP as well.

Fortunately, there’s a solution. Our model policies and revision services take the guesswork out of keeping your policies up-to-date and in compliance, providing you with expert guidance in a timesaving, user-friendly format.

Community development and housing news for June 13, 2019

President Trump signs package to deliver disaster relief funds, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019 bill is proposed, Cities of Service Awards $150,000 to six cities for New Experience Matters Program, and other stories we're following this week.

Breaking news

President Donald Trump signed a package on June 6 that would deliver $19.1 billion in disaster relief.

The bill includes $600 million in nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico, $3 billion for farmers to help cover crop losses, $1.6 billion to help repair damaged highways, $720 million for the U.S. Forest Service to help cover wildfire suppression efforts, and $120 million to help the National Park Service repair damaged public lands. Read more

Question

One of our clients recently reported that he cashed in a 401(k) account. The full value of the account was $25,000. $7,000 was deducted for taxes and the client received the remaining $18,000. What should we count as income, the full gross amount or the net amount received after taxes?

Community development and housing news for June 6, 2019

House Appropriations Committee approves 2020 HUD funding bill, Congress passes disaster relief package including $900 million for Puerto Rico, HUD announces new PIH inspection protocol, and other stories we're following this week.

Breaking news

The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday advanced a $137.1 billion spending bill covering transportation and housing, about $6 billion above current levels.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development would receive most of the increase, bringing its funding to $50.1 billion. The bill would also block a public housing rule on undocumented immigrants from the administration that Democrats say would “threaten the housing tenure of 55,000 children who are citizens or legal residents.” Read more

With numerous families applying for vouchers and public housing assistance, having a good waitlist management style is critical. Families feel more comfortable when they know what's going on with their application, and you'll free up your staff for more productive tasks. However, as agencies know, it can be hard trying to keep track of all applications. Read on for some tips from Michael Lazdowsky, GoSection8.com's subject matter expert on ways you can reimagine your waitlist management setup.