Feature

Feature

How to Reduce Fire and Injury Risks from Lithium-Ion Batteries

February 23, 2023    

Give residents safety tips for charging and maintaining e-bikes.

 

HUD Moves to Implement New VAWA Requirements

January 31, 2023    

HUD recently requested public comment on plans to implement the key changes the VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022) made to the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. Since the 2013 amendments, VAWA has applied to the LIHTC program. However, neither the Treasury Department nor the IRS has...

How to Make Sure Next Available Units Are Technically “Available”

January 2, 2023    

In the LIHTC program, if the income of tenants of a low-income unit in the building increases above the limit allowed, the next available unit (NAU) of comparable or smaller size in the building will be rented to tenants having a qualifying income. This is the NAU rule and it applies whenever a...

Keep Household Information Confidential to Avoid Liability, Protect Residents

November 30, 2022    

From time to time, your site may get phone calls, letters, or other inquiries for information about residents. The request can seem innocent, or it may seem official. And some requests will be. But granting even innocent requests can cause trouble. Sites are responsible for ensuring the privacy...

IRS Publishes Final Average-Income Regulations

October 31, 2022    

The IRS recently published a final rule to implement Congress’s 2018 authorization of a third set-aside option for LIHTC sites. Under the LIHTC program, all tax credit owners must formally notify the IRS of their minimum set-aside election for their building or site when they file IRS Form...

How to Get Cooperation on Household Transfers, Avoid Noncompliance

September 30, 2022    

It’s not unusual for a household to request a transfer to a new unit at a tax credit site. The household may want to get away from noisy neighbors, want a bigger unit, or have a better view. Or there may be a change in household composition or a reasonable accommodation request for a unit...

What You Need to Know When Updating Utility Allowances

August 30, 2022    

If residents at your tax credit site pay for their own utilities, the amount of each unit’s utility allowance affects the maximum monthly rent you can collect from the household. The utility allowance is generally based on an estimate of reasonable household consumption and cost for the...

What to Include in a Good Management Report for LIHTC Sites

July 28, 2022    

One of the most important jobs for the manager of a tax credit site is keeping the owner informed of how well you’re managing the site. The owner wants to know on a monthly or quarterly basis how well the site is doing financially and to be assured that there are no compliance problems...

Give LIHTC Program FAQ Sheet to Site Visitors and Applicants

June 20, 2022    

Tax credit site managers often find themselves spending much time and expense processing applications for ineligible households. Hearing about a good deal, casual visitors may submit applications not realizing that they’ll be considered over-income or student households. One way to...

Biden Administration Announces Housing Supply Action Plan

May 27, 2022    

President Biden recently unveiled a sweeping plan that aims to create and preserve hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units in the next three years and help close the country’s critical housing supply shortfall within five years. The plan follows recent remarks by President Biden...

3 Marketing Practices to Help Your Site Expand Its Applicant Pool

April 28, 2022    

LIHTC site owners and managers know that to comply with the vacant unit rule, you must make “reasonable attempts” to rent vacant units to qualified low-income households. The tax credit program’s vacant unit rule allows you to claim credits for tax credit units even if they...

How to Comply with the Latest Housing Provisions in VAWA 2022

March 31, 2022    

On March 16, President Biden signed into law the latest reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a 1994 law that provides resources for survivors and prevention of gender-based, domestic, and sexual violence. VAWA’s renewal took on added urgency because of an alarming...