This notice reiterates HUD’s long-standing policy that public housing agencies may not charge application fees to households applying for admission to public housing or the Housing Choice Voucher Program. [Download.]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Stephen Goldberg
PIH 09-21 Non-Smoking Policies in Public Housing (7-17-09)
Citing statistics on the negative health effects of second hand smoke and concerns raised by President Obama in the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, P.L. 111-31, signed on June 22, 2009, “[t]his notice strongly strongly encourages Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to implement non-smoking policies in some or all of their public housing units.” Examples of implementation measures already enacted by some PHAs range from instituting designated smoking areas to prohibiting smoking for new residents. The notice counsels PHAs to consult with resident boards before implementing any non-smoking policies at their public housing properties. [Download by clicking here and scrolling down the HUD CLIPS page to PIH Notice 09-21 and clicking.]
24 CFR Parts 5, 92 and 908 – Refinement of Income and Rent Determination Requirements in Public and Assisted Housing Programs: Proposed Delay of Effective Date (02/11/09)
This notice proposes a temporary delay in implementing final rule HUD regulations excluding persons based upon SSN: 74 Fed. Reg. 4832 (January 27, 2009), that would have required public and assisted housing residents to provide a valid social security number to qualify for the program. Importantly, this notice also clarifies that the social security number requirement would not apply to individuals in families who do not claim eligible immigration status under HUD’s non-citizen regulations, thus alleviating some of the concerns raised by housing and immigration advocates regarding the effect the version of the rule issued on January 27 would have on so-called “mixed” families in which not all family members claim eligible immigration status. Comments on the February 11 (delay) notice are due March 13, 2009 and can be submitted either online at www.regulations.gov (search Enterprise Income Verification) or by mail to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410–0500. [Download.] The National Housing Law Project and the National Low Income Housing Coalition sent a memo to HUD on February 3 expressing concerns and commenting on the rule issued on January 27 prompting the proposed delay set forth in the instant notice.
74 FR 4048 – Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Supplemental Information to Application for Assistance Regarding Identification of Family Member, Friend or Other Person or Organization Supportive of a Tenant for Occupancy in HUD Assisted Housing (01/22/09)
In this notice, HUD proposes imposing a requirement that federally assisted housing providers give applicants for occupancy a standard form notifying applicants of their statutory right under 42 USC 13604 to include in their application, if they wish, the name and contact information of a third person to assist in securing special care or services that the applicant might need during the tenancy or with any tenancy issues that might arise. HUD’s proposed rule requires that the completed form be kept confidential. Comments on the proposed rule are due on March 23, 2009. [Download.]
74 FR 4215 – Announcement of Funding Awards for the Housing Choice Voucher Family Self Sufficiency Program for Fiscal Year 2008 (January 12, 2009)
The goal of the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program is to support local strategies that coordinate Housing Choice Voucher assistance with public and private resources to help participating families achieve economic independence. This announcement lists all the PHAs and other entities across the country that received FSS awards for FY 08 and the corresponding award amounts. [Download.]
Notice PIH 2008 – 43 – Housing Choice Voucher Portability Procedures and Corrective Actions (December 3, 2008)
This notice guides PHAs regarding portability moves. The notice “describes the conditions that must exist in order for a PHA to deny a family’s request under the portability procedures as a result of insufficient funding in accordance with 24 CFR part 982.314(e)(1)” and sets forth the penalties that will be imposed on PHAs that wrongfully deny such a request. This Notice updates and supersedes the portability guidance originally issued in HUD Notice PIH 2004-12. [Download]