NMA Blog

Patti Zatarain-Menard, the nation's foremost expert on family self-sufficiency, will be leading a session on FSS at The Housing Conference this year

In her capacity with the San Diego Housing Commission, Patti Zatarain-Menard designed, developed, and implemented one of the nation’s largest and most successful family self-sufficiency programs.

For the past two decades, she has worked with Nan McKay & Associates conducting training seminars nationally and undertaking consulting assignments on federally subsidized housing. You can read her five tips for a successful FSS program here. Patti will be presenting the following session at The Housing Conference this September in San Antonio, Texas.

Best Practices for Program Success

Take FSS and ROSS Programs to a New High
Presenter, Patti Zatarain-Menard

• Improve the HCV and public housing bottom line with these two self-sufficiency programs
• Reduce legal vulnerability by improving FSS and ROSS policies
• Be ready for FSS and ROSS new program evaluation from HUD, coming in 2017—no more logic model!

In this interactive session, you'll learn how to calculate your likely return on investment in the FSS and ROSS programs with key, concrete steps. Patti Zatarain-Menard, the nation's foremost expert in FSS, will detail the policies needed to ensure high quality self-sufficiency services and reduce possible legal challenges. She will introduce, for the first time, HUD's proposed FSS and ROSS program evaluation—giving you the lead in self-sufficiency compliance and excellence for the FY 2017 rollout. Finally, she'll set all of this in a quick review of HUD's actual requirements for these programs, including a fast-paced Q&A to catch any concerns.

Patti will also be available for free one-on-one Q&A sessions at the The Housing Conference this September in San Antonio, Texas. Registered participants can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis now. Register online or email sales@nanmckay.com for more information.

Just one week left for early bird pricing! Register by June 30 to receive the best rates for The Housing Conference.

The updated agenda is now available here. Industry experts will present sessions and panels on the latest topics in affordable housing, including:

• Affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) final rule
• Community partnerships
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
• Creating an ongoing leasing plan
• Family self-sufficiency and resident opportunities
• Insurance for development projects
• Rent reasonableness
• Technology strategies
• Strategies for success in HCV audits
• Upcoming legislation
• New inspection protocol for the voucher program
• Best practices in managing portability
• Best practices in managing VASH vouchers
• Best practices in preventing shortfall
• Best practices in public housing unit turnover and vacancy tracking
• RAD post-closing operational transition for PBRA and PBV
• What to consider before applying for the MTW program

Presented by NMA and HAI Group, this year's conference in San Antonio, Texas, will also feature a roundtable panel session with NMA Housing Awards winners.

The Housing Conference

• September 19–20, 2016
• San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk
• 889 East Market Street
• Register now and save $50 on each registration

Visit our website to register!

As noted in Thursday's blog post, HUD has published Notice PIH 2015-12 on “Administering the Community Service and Self-Sufficiency Requirement (CSSR).” The notice, which replaces Notice PIH 2009-48, was issued to assist PHAs’ understanding and administration of the CSSR and in response to an audit report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued on February 13, 2015.

The new notice contains several clarifications to previous HUD guidance. First, the notice expands the exemption from the CSSR for “a member of a family receiving assistance, benefits, or services under a state program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section 601 et seq.), or under any other welfare program of the state in which the PHA is located, including a state-administered welfare-to-work program, and has not been found by the state or other administering entity to be in noncompliance with such a program.” According to a footnote to the notice:

HUD has determined that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) qualifies as a welfare program of the state. Therefore, if a tenant is a member of family receiving assistance under SNAP, and has been found by the administering state to be in compliance with the program requirements, that tenant is exempt from the CSSR.

The second clarification in the new notice has to do with when non-exempt residents must complete their CSSR hours. Prior HUD guidance stated that residents were not permitted to “double up” and should complete eight hours each month of community service or self-sufficiency activities. According to the current notice:

The required community service or self-sufficiency activity may be completed at 8 hours each month or may be aggregated across a year. Any blocking of hours is acceptable as long as 96 hours is completed by each annual certification.

The new notice also contains:

• Several suggestions for combining Family Self-Sufficiency or ROSS program activities to assist with CSSR
• A statement that while PHAs may not substitute resident community service activities for work performed by PHA employees, residents may “assist or enhance” the work of employees through the CSSR
• A revised Attachment B, the sample form for the required certification that non-exempt adults must sign at annual reexamination. The resident certification of compliance has been deleted, leaving only the certification of understanding of the CSSR requirement

To stay updated on the latest program information, subscribe to the PIH Alert and receive a daily email with news and analysis for PHAs and housing professionals.

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: Challenges ahead in housing America's older adults

The HUDdle: How the ROSS program helps public housing residents find jobs (and a follow-up here)

The HUDdle: The right to live in a home free from violence

NLIHC: 2015 edition of Advocates’ Guide now available online

Off the Charts: Senate should follow House and streamline rental assistance for people with fixed incomes