COMMUNITY-ORIENTED FLEXIBILITIES TO IMPROVE PROGRAM DELIVERY

NAHRO members are deeply embedded in their communities and understand their local needs and circumstances better than anyone. Congress must ensure that agencies have the flexibilities to meet these needs. New regulations must be proven
effective and workable before implementation, allowing agencies to continue providing critical services to their communities, even when they face unforeseen challenges.

• Expand funding for programs that increase self-sufficiency and stability in low-income families such as the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program.
• Refrain from including indicators outside of a PHA’s control when revising public housing and Section 8 assessment systems.
• Approve temporary provisional inspection scores as HUD works to implement the new National Standards for the Physical Assessment of Real Estate (NSPIRE) and NSPIRE-Voucher.
• Allow local housing and community development providers to nimbly respond to evolving local circumstances facing their communities through expanded statutory and regulatory flexibilities, similar to those provided in the CARES Act.
• Create and fund a workable Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) policy that does not penalize entities on impediments outside of their control.
• Provide resources for PHAs to make informed decisions regarding tenant selection processes, while ensuring they continue to have the flexibility needed to meet local considerations.
• Fund climate resilient planning, design, and recovery before and after natural disasters strike.