HUD’s New VMS Release: Improved Features With No New Data Submission Requirements

Summary:  On April 29, 2011 HUD implemented with a new version of the Voucher Management System, while conducting a webcast on the same day.  There are no new data reporting fields or data entry requirements for HUD’s April 2011 VMS release, but rather a new tabular format for entering data fields.  Among the noteworthy new features in VMS are:

• Pre-populated data shown for prior month, average of the last 12 months, and average of the calendar year-to-date data are all provided for user validation and reduction in keying errors;
• Integrates PHAs' HUDCAPS data with VMS for the first time;
• Requirement for individual tab saving to prevent data loss prior to monthly submission; and
• Executive Summary – detailing allocation and balances, recap worksheet, utilization graphs, and projection worksheets to provide the financial status and unit months available that the PHA can support in CY 2011.  HUD’s report is a work in progress and all calculations in the projection worksheet are not presently accurate.  HUD advised PHAs to wait until the Department notifies them that the programming is complete before using this Executive Summary report

With respect to Net Restricted HAP Assets (NRA), Unrestricted Net Assets (UNA) and Cash/Investment fields, PHAs are encouraged to review PIH Notice 2010-16  to ensure that the information reported to HUD is consistent with the Department’s reporting guidance.   PHAs’ NRA balances as of December 31, 2010 are not pre-populated at this time.  In the near future, HUD plans to pre-populate agencies’ NRA amounts.  In the meantime, NRA figures shown for all PHAs will be $0. 

HUD has almost completed the reconstruction of PHAs' NRA, UNA and Cash/Investments which is critically important to agencies' operations. Furthermore, NAHRO believes that completion of this exercise will reveal the depth and breadth of under-payment and exorbitant offsets PHAs have experienced over the last two years.  Last year, NAHRO and Casterline Associates, Inc. made available information that PHAs may still find helpful in the reconstruction and ongoing reporting of their NRA and UNA. To review this information, please see NAHRO's June 4 Direct News at /guidance-phas-reconstructing-their-nra-and-una.

HUD’s webcast materials include: 

• VMS Release Broadcast April 2011 Posting;
• VMS April 2011 Release Screens - Copies of the new VMS input and report screens; users are advised to print these screens and refer to them when viewing the webcast; and
• VMS April 2011 Output Screens  - Copies of the output PHAs will receive when they print each of the new input and report screens

HUD’s webcast is available at:  http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/multimedia/videos.   PHAs with questions are encouraged to contact HUD via e-mail at:  PIH.Financial.Management@hud.gov