Feature

Protect Yourself When Law Enforcement Officers Seek Confidential Information or Access

August 30, 2016    
Suppose people showed up at your management office with official-looking badges and asked to see a copy of a resident’s file. Chances are you may not have encountered a situation like this before. Many well-meaning managers would probably hand over the file, especially if the agents said they...
Related Tools: Use Form to Gather Law Enforcement Information
Compliance

Best Practices for Complying with HUD's Guidance on Criminal Background Checks

August 30, 2016    
In the May issue, we discussed HUD’s new guidance on criminal background checks. The new guidelines spell out how HUD will evaluate fair housing complaints in cases where a site refuses to rent or renew a lease based on an individual’s criminal history. The new guidance has brought...
In the News

Democratic VP Nominee Tim Kaine Calls for LIHTC Expansion

August 30, 2016    
In an opinion piece recently published on CNN.com, the Democratic nominee for vice president, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, called for expanding the low income housing tax credit as part of a plan to “make housing fair in America.” According to Senator Kaine, the Democratic nominees’...
In the News

Senators Urge HUD to Issue Guidance on How Nuisance Ordinances May Violate Laws

August 30, 2016    
Twenty-nine senators, led by Senator Al Franken (D-MN), recently sent a letter to HUD Secretary Julián Castro urging HUD to provide written guidance regarding how local nuisance ordinances may violate the Fair Housing Act and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The letter states, “Nuisance...
In the News

IRS Releases 2016-2017 Guidance Priority Plan

August 30, 2016    
On Aug. 15, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released its 2016-2017 priority guidance plan and a fourth-quarter update to its 2015-2016 priority guidance plan. Through this plan year, the 12-month period from July 2016 to June 2017, the IRS plans to address 281 projects. Compared to the prior...
Feature

Include Key Elements to Ensure Effective Nonpayment Settlements

July 28, 2016    
An owner seeking to evict a resident can’t begin an eviction lawsuit without first legally terminating the tenancy. This means giving the resident written notice, as specified in the state’s termination statute. If the tenant doesn’t move or fix the issue, for example, by paying...
Compliance

Instruct Staff Not to Accept Rent Checks from Nonresidents

July 28, 2016    
From time to time, you or a staff member may get a rent check from someone other than the resident named on the lease. If you deposit the check and it turns out that the resident is illegally subletting his unit to the person who sent the rent check, you could run into problems. A court may rule...
Related Tools: Give Staff Instructions for Handling Rent Payments from Nonresidents
Compliance

Understanding Possible NAU Violations in 100 Percent LIHTC Buildings

July 28, 2016    
The tax credit law allows low-income units to remain qualified even when a household goes over-income. But to maintain the unit’s low-income status, when a household’s income exceeds 140 percent of the income limit (or 170 percent in deep rent-skewed units), you must follow the next...
In the News

Housing Bill Seeks to Protect Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

July 28, 2016    
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) recently introduced legislation that would provide legal protections to ensure access to safe housing for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Building on protections in the Violence Against Women Act and the Fair Housing Act, the “Fair Housing...
In the News

Study Finds Little Evidence of LIHTC Impact on Neighborhood Mobility

July 28, 2016    
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications recently released a new working paper titled “The Effect of Low-Income Housing on Neighborhood Mobility: Evidence from Linked Micro-Data.” The paper assesses the impact of LIHTC developments on...
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