Feature

How to Annualize Five Types of Employment Income

June 30, 2016    
To calculate household income for determining whether a household is eligible at a tax credit site, you’re required to follow the rules set out in HUD Handbook 4350.3. Sections 1 and 3 of Chapter 5 of the HUD Handbook (Determining Income and Calculating Rent) set out the rules you must follow...
Income Calculations

How to Count Absent Members When Calculating Household Size and Income

June 30, 2016    
A household can consist of one or more persons. A household may report to you that one of its members will be absent from the unit. For instance, an applicant may report that she has a daughter who’s away at school. Or an applicant may report that his wife recently had a stroke and will be...
Dealing with Households

Provide Appropriate Reports to Get Police to Respond Effectively to Drug Activity

June 30, 2016    
During the summer months, you may notice an increase in drug activity at your site. Unemployed youth are out of school with more time to be idle. And if a significant percentage of your households consist of single parents who are working multiple jobs with kids being raised by themselves, your...
In the News

Housing for Homeless Students Act Introduced

June 30, 2016    
Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) recently introduced the “Housing for Homeless Students Act” (H.R. 5290), which would allow full-time students who are or recently have been homeless to qualify for housing at tax credit sites. H.R. 5290 would exempt individuals from the student rule...
In the News

House Republicans Unveil Tax Reform Blueprint

June 30, 2016    
The House Tax Reform Task Force, led by House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), recently released a tax reform blueprint, “A Pro-Growth Tax Code for All Americans,” as part of House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) “A Better Way” agenda. According to the plan, the...
In the News

JCHS Releases 2016 State of the Nation’s Housing Report

June 30, 2016    
Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) recently released The State of the Nation’s Housing 2016, its latest annual report on U.S. housing trends. While the report finds that the housing market continues to recover post-crisis, it highlights serious challenges,...
In the News

GAO Recommends HUD as LIHTC Program’s Joint Administrator

June 30, 2016    
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued the second of three reports on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program entitled, “Low Income Housing Tax Credit: Some Agencies’ Practices Raise Concerns and IRS Could Improve Noncompliance Reporting and Data Collection....
Feature

Q&A on Site Inspections

May 31, 2016    
Most tax credit managers know that state housing agencies must regularly inspect sites for compliance with the tax credit program. The agencies inspect units to make sure they’re suitable for occupancy and look at household files to make sure they’re accurate and complete. But many...
Compliance

Immediately Address 'Exigent' Health and Safety Hazards to Keep Site Compliant

May 31, 2016    
During an inspection, Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspectors look at specific areas of the site for health and safety hazards. Most of these hazards can cost you points on your inspection score but don’t necessarily subject you to other, more serious penalties.
Dealing with HUD

What Inspectors Can and Cannot Do During REAC Inspections

May 31, 2016    
IRS Revenue Procedure 2016-15 provides that the REAC protocol is among the inspection protocols that satisfy both Section 1.42-5(d) and the physical inspection requirements of Section 1.42-5T(c)(2)(ii) and (iii). According to Revenue Procedure 2016-15, one of the qualifications for an inspection to...