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The Joint Center for Housing Studies recently released The State of the Nation’s Housing 2011, the Center’s annual report describing the challenges facing the housing industry, with a particular emphasis on affordable housing.  With the tightening of rental markets, a record high 19 million American households are paying more than half of their income for housing, causing affordable housing residents to feel the squeeze.   

HUD officials ha

Summary:  On June 2, 2011, HUD awarded nearly $15 million under the Family Unification Program (FUP) to fund 1,931 Housing Choice Vouchers to help reunite foster children with their parents or prevent them from ever entering the foster care system.

My name is Emily Pasi and I am the newest addition to NAHRO’s Washington, D.C. office.  During the summer months, I will be working with NAHRO as an intern dabbling in congressional relations, policy and programs, and media outreach.  This fall, I will be beginning my senior year at Penn State University. With a major concentration in public relations, I am also working on completing two minors in business and political science.

During my years at Penn State, I have been actively involved with Penn State’s Lawrence G.

The NAHRO team has a new addition: Emily Pasi, our summer intern.  For the next few months Emily will be working with the Policy and Program Development staff, along with John Bohm and our Congressional Relations team.  She will be introducing herself shortly, but I'm pleased to let you know that one of her assignments will involve posting to this blog on a regular basis.  So watch this space for Emily's daily updates from Washington on housing and community development policy and programs.

Summary:  On Monday, June 3, 2011 HUD issued a notice (PIH Notice 2011-29) to among other things, renew PIH Notice 2010-10 regarding HUD’s program requirements that apply to Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and supplementary guidance that PHAs and inspectors may rely upon when conducting inspections. The second section deals with the issue of electrical receptacles.

Summary: HUD has issued a notice (PIH Notice 2011-27) to implement the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program funding provisions of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (PL 112-10) enacted on April 15, 2011. The 2011 Act establishes the allocation methodology for calculating housing assistance payments (HAP) renewal funds, new incremental vouchers, and administrative fees. 

Date of Publication:  June 2, 2011

In case you missed it, HUD posted FY 2011 formula allocations for CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA on Friday, May 27.  HUD's press release announcing the allocations is available here. 

Summary:  Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS - Grants funded under this initiative will advance HUD’s implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS). HUD’s FY 2011 NOFA also addresses the Department’s Fiscal Year 2010-2015 Strategic Plan and the Opening Doors Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. These actions address goals to: prevent and end homelessness; increase the supply of affordable housing; and increase the coordination of mainstream housing resources and other health and human services.

NAHRO and its partners recently submitted the following letter to the editor of the Washington Post:

The undersigned national organizations representing elected officials and housing practitioners are strong supporters of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.   We are disappointed that the Post’s recent reporting on the program has favored misleading, blanket assertions while ignoring HOME’s twenty-year track record of success providing decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities for millions of low- and moderate-income Americans.

Summary:  This Notice provides public housing agencies (PHAs) and HUD Field Office staff with an overview of the Capital Fund Program awards process including the Capital Fund Program formula grant and, where applicable, the Replacement Housing Factor (RHF) grants(s). The Notice identifies general requirements for all PHAs as well as, specific requirements for qualified and non-qualified PHAs. The HUD PIH website for the Capital Fund Program is located at: