With the pandemic stretching beyond one year, HUD Multifamily Housing communities are reviewing community policies intended to be “short-term,” including extended absence exceptions to house rules.
On April 15, HUD updated the Frequently Asked Questions associated with the Section 202 Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA), applications for which are due May 26.
The House Financial Services Committee considered 17 bills as part of its hearing on housing infrastructure legislation on April 14, including a draft bill that would provide $2.5 billion for the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program. The funding can also be used to provide residents with access to high-speed internet.
On April 9, the White House delivered its topline funding requests for fiscal year 2022 (FY22) to Senate and House appropriators. The topline request seeks a 15.1%, or $9 billion, increase to HUD funding compared to fiscal year 2021 funding.
The request includes $180 million to support 2,000 units of new permanently affordable housing for older adults and persons with disabilities through the Section 202 and Section 811 program, respectively, but does not say how much the requested level for each program.
House Committee on Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) is circulating a sign-on letter to her House colleagues in support of strong rental assistance funding levels for several HUD programs, including Section 202 Housing for the Elderly and Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance. Once the signatures have been gathered, the letter will be sent to House majority and minority appropriators. Representatives have until April 21 to sign the letter.
On March 26, LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan sent a letter to housing authorizing committees on our wish-list for affordable housing within any infrastructure package. President Biden is expected to release an outline of his infrastructure proposal, Build Back Better, the week of March 29 and congressional hearings have begun on the topic.
LeadingAge’s housing priorities for an infrastructure bill include:
On March 22, HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing released new tools for residents and owners. HUD has a new guide for tenants and owners, “Rights and Responsibilities for Tenants & Property Owners” and a new guide for tenants, “Managing Your Finances During COVID-19 Pandemic.” Both are available in English and Spanish.
Deborah Royster, Chief Executive Officer of Seabury Resources for Aging and LeadingAge Board Member, joined LeadingAge’s daily COVID-19 call. Seabury’s mission is to provide personalized, affordable services, and housing options to help older adults in the greater Washington, DC, area live with independence and dignity.
On shifting Seabury’s services to address the pandemic, Ms. Royster said there was a “very sudden and dramatic change in how we deliver our services to our clients in their homes and help prevent social isolation.”
On Thursday, April 16, Toby Halliday, Director of HUD Multifamily Housing’s Office of Asset Management and Portfolio Oversight (OAMPO), will speak on LeadingAge’s daily COVID-19 3:30pm ET call.
OAMPO has broad jurisdiction over the operational and asset management aspects of HUD’s multifamily housing portfolio, including Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202, and Section 811. Mr. Halliday and OAMPO are pivotal LeadingAge partners.
USDA Rural Development updated its FAQs for multifamily housing providers on April 6. USDA Multifamily Housing reminds owners that their assigned Servicing Official remains their primary contact.
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