We would like to highlight two more winners of the 2021 NMA Housing Awards—our Resident Service awardees—as well as one other agency whose work impressed us.

East Baton Rouge Parish, LA steps up

For one southern city, last year, during the height of the pandemic, necessity was the mother of invention.

The idea for the Beds for Babies/Beds for Kids program began when a member of the E. Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority maintenance team noticed children’s bedrooms without beds and asked if he could purchase the wood and supplies to build a bed for these children. This problem of infants and young children sleeping on the floor or co-sleeping with parents and siblings was elevated to Director J. Daniels and the entire staff of the EBRPHA. Turns out under the financial stress of COVID-19 some new parents were struggling to buy these pricey items.

Director Daniels and his team found that 50 children had been sleeping with their parents, on sofas or pallets.

The White House hosts a virtual Eviction Prevention Summit, Oregon passes several affordable housing bills, HUD announces key staff appointments, and more.

Recent News

White House Hosts Virtual Summit on Eviction Prevention

The White House's virtual Eviction Prevention Summit featured a panel of administration officials and private breakout sessions on the subject of designing and administering accessible emergency rental assistance programs that reach people with the greatest risk of eviction. Read article

 

Oregon Legislature Passes Bills to Expand Renter Protections and Increase Affordable Housing Supply

During its 2021 legislative session, Oregon passed several bills to build and maintain affordable housing, protect renters, and address homelessness. Throughout the session, the Oregon Housing Alliance and Housing Oregon mobilized affordable housing advocates from across the state to share why a safe, stable, affordable, and accessible home is critical. Read article

 

HUD Announces Key Staff Appointments

HUD has announced several key additions to its staff—a talented and diverse group of individuals ready to tackle the nation's housing challenges. Read article

HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman sworn in, HUD restores AFFH requirement, HUD awards $1.1 billion for EHVs, and the University of Chicago releases new research on homelessness.

Breaking news

Adrianne Todman Sworn in as Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

On June 14, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge issued the oath of office to Deputy Secretary Todman, who most recently served as the CEO of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). Read article

 

HUD Publishes Interim Final Rule to Restore Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Requirement

The publication provides a robust definition of the duty to affirmatively further fair housing. Under the restored AFFH regulatory definition, HUD funding recipients must commit to taking steps to remedy their unique fair housing issues. The interim final rule will go into effect on July 31. Read article

 

HUD Awards $1.1 Billion in American Rescue Plan Funds for Emergency Housing Vouchers

70,000 vouchers are being awarded for 626 public housing authorities administering HCV programs. The awarded funds are part of the $5 billion the American Rescue Plan Act enabled HUD to allocate. These vouchers went to communities with the greatest need for EHVs, where local housing authorities demonstrated their capacity to administer assistance. Read article

Having your staff take their first steps into the world of Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) can be both exciting and intimidating, but that doesn’t mean they have to go in alone. NMA’s Assisted Housing 101 Handbook is here to help your staff gain a solid understanding as they begin their affordable housing careers.

HUD posted an updated version of the HCV Two-Year Projection Tool, HUD Multifamily announced the third notice of CARES Act Supplemental Operating Funds, and HUD removed onerous restrictions that limited Puerto Rico's access to Disaster Relief Funds.

Breaking news

HUD posted an updated version of the HCV Two-Year Projection Tool

The Two-Year Tool (TYT) helps analyze a PHA's utilization situation so agencies are more informed to optimize over a multi-year period. Read more

 

HUD Multifamily announced the third notice of CARES Act Supplemental Operating Funds for Section 8, Section 202, and Section 811

On April 13, 2021, HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs posted Notice H 2021-01 which announced the continued availability of “COVID-19 Supplemental Payments” (CSP) for Section 8, Section 202, and Section 811 properties. Read more

 

HUD removed onerous restrictions that impacted Puerto Rico's access to Disaster Relief Funds

On April 19, 2021, HUD announced the obligation of $8.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds for Puerto Rico along with the removal of onerous restrictions that limited access to CDBG-DR recovery funds. Read more