The White House Rental Policy Working Group which includes officials from the White House, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agricultural Rural Development has unveiled a pilot program, the Physical Inspections Alignment Program, as part of the Obama Administration’s recent goal to streamline Federal rental housing policy. The Rental Policy Working Group is a coordinated strategy to engage state, local, and private stakeholders to identify administrative changes that will increase programmatic efficiency and enhance the ability of communities to create and preserve affordable housing. NH&RA has participated in the Rental Policy Working group as a private sector stake holder for the past two years. Executive Director Thom Amdur notes, “This Pilot program is a very positive step forward in reducing duplicative work and improving the efficiency and efficacy of our multifamily affordable rental housing programs.” The states chosen for the pilot program are Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Washington and Oregon.
Previously, housing units were subject to multiple inspections if the property was financed by more than one Federal funding source. But under the Physical Inspections Alignment Program, these six states will test ways to reduce regulatory barriers such as avoiding duplicate inspections on physical property for federally subsidized rental housing developments. The ultimate goal of this program will eventually be for states to schedule a single periodic inspection that would qualify developers and owners for multiple federal agencies. These programs will eventually save local, state, and federal resources and will likely reduce significant burdens on affordable housing operators and low-income tenants.
To read more about the White House’s Rental Policy Working Group, click here.
To read more about the Physical Inspections Alignment Program, click here.
