HUD

HUD sent a proposed rule to Congress on April 17 that would eliminate what it says is a regulatory loophole that allows people to live in subsidized housing without having their immigration status checked.

HUD sent PIH Notice 2019-06 to all public housing authorities and private owners of HUD-subsidized housing a notice to remind and encourage them to install working CO detectors in their properties.

HUD released its annual notice on voucher funding, PIH 2019-8, Implementation of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2019 Funding Provisions for the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

HUD released the income limits for FY 2019 used to determined eligibility for public housing, Section 8, Section 202 and Section 811. HUD also released the Multifamily Tax Subsidy Program income limits for FY 2019, which are used for low-income housing tax credit and tax-exempt bond properties.

The State of Minnesota issued a draft of its 2019 Action Plan. This plan directs how the state will meet needs and priorities in 2019 using HUD resources, and will be submitted to HUD to receive federal housing and community assistance funding for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, National Housing Trust Fund, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS and Emergency Solutions Grant. A public hearing on the draft plan will be held on May 7 at 4 pm CDT at Minnesota Housing’s office – 400 Wabasha Street, Suite 400, St. Paul.

The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (Council) published its Implementation Plan, outlining a detailed work plan for how the Council—chaired by HUD Secretary Ben Carson—will accomplish the goals specified in Executive Order 13583 of December 12, 2018.In addition to developing an “OpportunityZones.gov” website, the Council and its Executive Director Scott Turner will be conducting listening tour sessions of rural, urban and suburban Opportunity Zones and other distressed communities throughout the remainder of 2019.

President Trump named Scott Turner as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Turner will work with HUD Secretary Ben Carson who chairs the council to direct federal funding to opportunity zones. Turner served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 through 2017 and played in the NFL from 1995 to 2004 for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos

HUD is seeking comments and recommendations on how to best align HUD policy, practices, planned action, regulations and guidance with Opportunity Zones. This request for information aligns with Executive Order 13853 which created the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council and directed federal agencies to prioritize or focus Federal investments and programs on urban and economically distressed communities, including qualified opportunity zones. Comments are due on June 17.

HUD published the Renewal Funding Inflation Factors (RFIFs) to adjust Fiscal Year 2019 renewal funding for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program of each public housing agency. HUD posted the 2019 table and 2019 data on its website.

On April 4, 2019, HUD published a proposed regulation to implement the policies of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended. As proposed, the new rule would represent an overhaul of HUD oversight and administration of Section 3 by integrating requirements into regular program oversight and enforcement mechanisms and removing a separate compliance review process.

HUD issued a notice on implementing several sections of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155 of the 115th Congress) that was signed into law by President Trump on May 24, 2018. Section 209 of the bill made several amendments pertaining to small public housing agencies (PHAs) that administer 550 or fewer combined public housing units and vouchers under section 8(o) that predominantly operate in a rural area.

HUD is directing multifamily property owners/agents and public housing agencies that wish to appeal their REAC physical inspection score to a 2017 document titled Technical Reviews and Database Adjustments Guidelines.