On Dec. 6, HUD sent an email with an attached letter that contains links to several resources to implement small area fair market rents (FMRs) to PHA executive directors. The resources mentioned in that letter are the following: Small Area FMR Notice PIH 2023-32; Documents highlighting best practices for Small Area FMR implementation: Approaches to ZIP Code Groupings; Landlord Training and Outreach; Software and Staff Training; Small Area FMR Summary and Words of Wisdom; Tenant Outreach and Pre-Implementation; Tenant Support During Implementation; and Use of Two-Year Tool. The letter als ..read more

On Nov. 30, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register titled “Notice of Certain Operating Cost Adjustment Factors for 2024.” Operating cost adjustment factors (OCAFs) are annual factors used to adjust certain Section 8 rents. These OCAFs are calculated as “the sum of weighted component cost changes” for certain publicly available cost indices. Some indices reflect data collected at the state level, while some indices reflect data collected at the national level. The nine cost indicators used in calculating OCAFs are the following: State-level data; Electricity; Fuel Oil; Natural Gas ..read more

On November 30, HUD released a proposed rule for public inspection that would require PHAs/owners that administer public housing and or project-based rental assistance (PBRA) to provide tenants with 30-day notice prior to the commencement of a formal judicial eviction procedure for lease termination. According to HUD, “…the proposed rule would curtail preventable and unnecessary evictions by providing tenants with time and information to help cure nonpayment violations.” In their reasoning for proposing the rule, HUD uses the interim final rule titled “Extension of Time and Required Disclosure ..read more

HUD has announced that it will distribute nearly $25 million in Housing Mobility-Related Service awards to 7 PHAs. According to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, these awards will “boost access to housing vouchers for families who need them most.” With these funds, more PHA’s will be able to administer housing mobility programs – increasing access to opportunity neighborhoods for families with children in the HCV program. The HCV Mobility Services Program provides mobility-related services and implements administrative policies to help PHAs address common barriers HCV families face obtaining housing ..read more

On November 15, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register titled “Family Self-Sufficiency Achievement Metrics (“FAM”) Score.” The notice describes updates to the FAM Score that HUD has implemented to track the program performance of PHAs that receive FSS program coordinator grants. The FAM Score is meant to provide HUD, Congress, PHAs, and other entities information on the performance of individual FSS programs. According to HUD, this is meant to help grantees determine how their programs compare to others across the country and their success in helping participants graduate from the FSS ..read more

On November 15, HUD released a notice titled “Small Area Fair Market Rent Implementation Guidance for FY2024 Designated Metropolitan Areas” (Notice PIH 2023-32). The guidance provides certain implementation details for the recent expansion of the mandatory use of Small Area FMRs. The Department has designated 41 new metropolitan areas where PHAs will be required to use Small Area FMRs for the Housing Choice Voucher program. Small Area FMRs will be required in those areas on October 1, 2024, but payment standards based on those small area FMRs will not be required to be updated until January 1 ..read more

The final week of the NAHRO Day 3 webinar series has been rescheduled to Thursday November 30 at 1:30pm ET. In the final webinar, titled “Building Resident and Owner Financial Resiliency,” panelists will discuss strategies that promote wealth building and barrier reduction. Panelists will also discuss the state of tenant accounts receivable (TARS) in public housing. Esusu, a leading financial technology platform leveraging data to empower renters and improve property performance, will also provide data on how reporting on-time rental payments has impacted renters across the country. Panel ..read more

On November 7, HUD announced the suspension of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) deadline requirements through December 31, 2025. The suspension is included in the 2023 HOME appropriation, which adds a provision continuing the suspension of the 24-month commitment requirement. The suspension would extend to any CHDO funds that were deobligated in 2018 or that would be deobligated through 2025. Enforcement of the CHDO commitment deadlines will cease by HUD until end of the suspension date. For more information, please contact y ..read more

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD or the Department) has posted additional documents on its Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) Resources page. These documents have, in the past, included revised HUD-50058 forms for non-Moving To Work (MTW), MTW, and MTW expansion programs. These forms provide information on the families that participate in programs like Public Housing or the Housing Choice Voucher program. These forms include the following: Form HUD-50058; Form HUD-50058 MTW; and Form HUD-50058 MTW Expansion ..read more

The fourth week of the NAHRO Day 3 webinar series will be this afternoon, Thursday November 9 at 1:30pm ET. This week’s webinar, titled “Centering Impacted Communities in Advocacy,” explores advocacy for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs). Speakers will share strategies towards garnering support for funding, redevelopment, partnership, and other aligned priorities. Additionally, speakers will convey the importance of residents’ and program participants’ perspectives. The session is led by the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District located in Alabama. To register for the Day 3 webinar seri ..read more