According to U.S. Census data released in June 2011, more than half—51.6 percent—of all the country's businesses that responded to the 2007 Survey of Business Owners were operated primarily within homes or other noncommercial spaces. And because the data was compiled before the...
One way households may steal electricity is by stealing from the building supply. Households may tamper with wiring and hook up directly to your building's metered electricity supply. A resident who does this taps into power that you're paying for. Another way to steal electricity is...
Last month, the Insider discussed how to determine whether an absentee's confinement in a hospital or nursing home is temporary or permanent. Problems with noncompliance can arise if you don't count the income of an absentee who should be considered a member of the household....
Sometimes verification sources don't return the forms that you send them to verify certain information such as a household member's income or student status. In these situations, you must try to verify the information by telephoning the sources. To stay in tax credit compliance, you'...
It's easy to make a mistake when calculating the rent you charge low-income households at your tax credit site. For instance, a staff member might have made an error in arithmetic when adding a household's utility allowance, or staff may have used the income limits for the wrong...
According to HUD's latest report on U.S. Rental Housing Characteristics, vacancies in assisted rental housing are much lower than the national average. Fewer units are affordable to low-income renters. In fact, according to the 2011 Housing and Homelessness policy statement distributed by...
Many managers assume that applicants with Section 8 vouchers are automatically eligible for tax credit housing. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Households that are eligible for Section 8 assistance may not be eligible for tax credit housing. Or, if eligible, they may not be able to...
When certifying or recertifying household income, knowing how to count assets properly is an area that often throws site staff. It can be tricky, but understanding when to treat an item as income or an asset is essential—counting an item as an asset when it's not may lead you to...
Two years ago, the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency notified some 90,000 families associated with its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program that their personal information might have been compromised when a laptop was stolen from an OHFA employee's home. The computer contained names...
When new tax credit households move into your site, you can help them to start out on the right foot by ensuring that they have a clear understanding of their obligations for adhering to lease provisions and the house rules for your site. The orientation meeting sets the tone for the...
Site owners and managers beware: This is the time of year when accidental carbon monoxide poisonings peak. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that's produced when fuel is incompletely burned. In the winter months, faulty furnaces and fuel-burning appliances, and snow-covered or...
The world's population is aging at a rapid pace. The U.S. Census Bureau states that, in the next 10 years, people over 65 will outnumber children under 5 for the first time.
People are living longer, and they're living on their own. At least two million low-income seniors...
