PIH releases 2016 admin fee rates and webcast

In an email to executive directors yesterday, HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) issued the 2016 administrative fee tables for the voucher program. The email indicates that the relevant documents will be posted to the Office of Housing Choice Vouchers home page.

As a document accompanying the tables explains, there are two fee rates for each PHA, Column A and Column B. As usual, the Column A rate applies to the first 7,200 unit months leased in calendar year (CY) 2016, and the Column B rate applies to all remaining unit months leased. These fees apply to PHA-owned units as well as to non-PHA-owned units. As the document also explains:

• PIH will once again follow a “hold harmless” rule. So PHAs that would otherwise have seen their fee rates go down in 2016 will receive the 2015 rates instead.
• The fee rates for each PHA are those rates covering the areas in which each PHA has the greatest proportion of its participants. A PHA with participants in more than one fee area may request that the PIH office establish a blended fee rate schedule that will consider proportionately all areas in which participants are located. Once a blended rate schedule is calculated, it will be used to determine the PHA’s fee eligibility for all quarters of CY 2016. A PHA that received a blended fee rate schedule for 2015 will not receive it automatically for 2016. The deadline for requests is April 15, 2016.
• A PHA that operates over multiple counties may request higher administrative fees. To request higher fees, a PHA must submit specific financial documents to the Financial Management Center (FMC). Documents and submission requirements will be detailed in an upcoming implementation notice and will be due no later than April 15, 2016.
• Current administrative fee disbursements are based on the most recent leasing data available and an estimated proration. PHAs should not assume that the fees actually earned for CY 2016 will match the funds being disbursed. Each PHA’s fee eligibility will be calculated after the Voucher Management System (VMS) data for each quarter is available. Each PHA’s fees will be prorated if necessary to ensure that fees granted do not exceed appropriated funds.
• HUD is anticipating a national proration rate of 80%. Administrative fees for January, February, and March 2016 are prorated at 81%, since the fees were calculated prior to the 2016 appropriations act. Fees will be prorated at 80% effective April 1.
• Under the terms of the final rule on streamlining portability, receiving PHAs must calculate the lesser of 80% of the initial PHA’s column B administrative fee rate (then prorated to the national proration level) or 100% of their own column B administrative fee rate (then prorated to the national proration level). PHAs may use a national proration rate of 80% for CY 2016 billings. A sample calculation is provided.
• In addition to the voucher program, the 2016 administrative fee rates apply to the Moderate Rehabilitation program and the Five-Year Mainstream program.

In a separate email, PIH also announced that the 2016 HCV funding implementation webcast is now available on YouTube. According to the email, housing agency representatives have reported that they are unable to access the webcast through HUD’s webcast archives. This is a temporary situation that is being addressed.

The 90-minute presentation is hosted by officials from the HCV Financial Management Division. Topics include voucher renewal funding, set-aside funding, and administrative fees for CY 2016, as well as other voucher funding and program financial management.