NMA Blog

 Terry Provance has been a trainer and consultant at Nan McKay and Associates since 1999. He recently took the lead role in creating and developing NMA’s PH Occupancy Tracking Tool, which can be used by any rental development, whether or not it’s HUD-assisted, including mixed finance and LIHTC properties. Terry will be presenting the following session at the 2015 NMA and GoSection8 Housing Conference.

Hands-on Learning for Active Solutions

ACOP: Hands-on Development Session
Presenter, Terry Provance

Join us for this intensive hands-on ACOP workshop! We’ll review mandatory changes required under VAWA 2013, service animal and assistance animal policies, and HUD guidance on public housing provisions in the 2014 appropriations act, as well as more recent HUD changes in the equal access and community service PIH notices.

We’ll also discuss some of the important discretionary policies that further the mandatory requirements. Are your waiting list preferences working for you? Is your definition of family compliant with recent regulatory changes? Is your repayment agreement policy effective? Are your termination actions meeting due process requirements? Compliant and specific policies are a critical factor in navigating these complex areas of public housing.

Bring your PHA’s ACOP to this session and be prepared to take notes. Time will be reserved for discussing your policies. Join us for this fast-paced session!

This is an interactive policy workshop. Please bring a copy of your PHA's ACOP.

Terry and other industry experts will be available for limited free one-hour consulting sessions at the 2015 NMA and GoSection8 Housing Conference. Registered participants can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis now. Register online or email [email protected] for more information.

NMA's revision services team has been working hard to get the latest editions of our model policies and Master Books written, published, and shipped to you!

2015: For 2015, the NMA Model Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy (ACOP) and Guide has been brought current with all recent regulatory requirements and guidance, including:

• Updated language regarding nondiscrimination as outlined in Notice PIH 2014-20, which provides guidance on the equal access final rule
• Revised policy changes concerning flat rent requirements mandated under the 2014 appropriations act and outlined in Notice PIH 2014-12 and its accompanying PIH-issued FAQs
• Removal of the ACOP addendum due to the expiration of the temporary compliance provisions set forth in Notice PIH 2013-03 and extended by Notice PIH 2013-26
• Revised clarifications regarding the definition of extremely low-income family, area median income, and other requirements per the implementation of the 2014 appropriations act and the HERA final rule
• Other modifications for clarification and wording

2015: For the 2015 revision, the  NMA HCV Executive Management Master Book has been brought current with all recent regulatory requirements and guidance, including:

• Updates regarding the applicability of the equal access final rule to administrators and owners of HUD-assisted housing per Notice PIH 2014-20
• Additions regarding PHA-owned units to account for Notice PIH 2015-05 on project-based voucher (PBV) guidance
• Updates to all regulatory references concerning 24 CFR part 982, which has been revised to reflect the sunset of the former certificate program
• An entirely new section providing guidance and clarification on service and assistance animals
• Other changes and updates for clarity, accuracy, and ease of reading

2015: For the 2015 revision, the NMA Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Master Book has been brought current with all recent regulatory requirements and guidance, including:

• Updates regarding the applicability of the equal access final rule to administrators and owners of HUD-assisted housing per Notice PIH 2014-20
• Revisions to VAWA certification guidance pertaining to the transmittal of the newly updated form HUD-50066
• Minor modifications to account for Notice PIH 2014-25 on over-subsidization in the HCV program
• Updates to all regulatory references concerning 24 CFR part 982, which has been revised to reflect the sunset of the former certificate program
• Other changes and updates for clarity, accuracy, and ease of reading

2015: For the 2015 revision, the NMA HCV Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Master Book has been brought current with all recent regulatory requirements and guidance, including:

• Updates to all regulatory references concerning 24 CFR part 982, which has been revised to reflect the sunset of the former certificate program
• Revisions concerning the required frequency of inspections—either annually or biennially—per HUD’s implementation of the 2014 appropriations act provisions
• Other changes for clarity, accuracy, and ease of reading

Questions about your revision services subscriptions? Contact Laurie Durrett in our accounting department and she'll be happy to assist you.

NMA revision services provide a yearly update to your NMA Master Books and model policies with explanations and guidance regarding the most current HUD rules and regulations. To stay updated on the latest program information, try a free 30-day trial subscription to the PIH Alert. Email [email protected] to get started.

Subscribers to our annual revision service can expect to receive the latest updates to the NMA Model Administrative Plan and Guide within the next week or so. If you have any questions about your subscription, please contact Laurie Durrett in our accounting department and she'll be happy to assist you.

Shortly after we completed our May 2014 revision of the NMA Model Administrative Plan and Guide, HUD issued two crucial pieces of guidance in the June 25, 2014 Federal Register: the HERA final rule and the implementation notice for the 2014 appropriations act. Because of the importance of this new information, we have decided to publish a second revision for 2014, which also provides updated policies for recently issued Notice PIH 2014-20. Major additions to the October 2014 revision include:

• Extensive revisions regarding project-based vouchers (PBVs) as codified by the HERA final rule
• A new set of policies covering the optional biennial HQS inspections authorized by the 2014 appropriations act
• Other changes mandated by the June 25 implementation notice, including new requirements for utility allowances and a revised definition for extremely low-income (ELI) family
• Updated language regarding nondiscrimination as outlined in Notice PIH 2014-20, which provides guidance on the equal access final rule
• Other minor modifications to bring the content current with HUD regulations and guidance

NMA revision services provide a yearly update to your NMA Master Books and model policies with explanations and guidance regarding the most current HUD rules and regulations. To stay updated on the latest program information, try a free 30-day trial subscription to the PIH Alert. Email [email protected] to get started.

This month's Housing Help Session is an all-purpose refresher course on the latest guidance from HUD.

Do you have questions about flat rent requirements, biennial inspection options, changes in the HERA final rule, the new equal access notice, or how VAWA affects your program? Our NMA expert will take you through everything you need to know and bring you up to date for 2015.

To view the full schedule of upcoming sessions, click here. The links below will take you to the registration page.

Coming up next Friday: a new webinar in our ongoing rent calculation series. Understanding how to calculate income, assets, and allowances correctly is only half of the battle. Knowing how to properly verify all the factors affecting adjusted income is just as important. Let an NMA expert walk you through and explain HUD's verification hierarchy.

Following is the schedule of upcoming Housing Help Sessions. To view the full schedule, click here. The links below will take you to the registration page.