Recording of April 3 HUD Call Now Available
On Friday, April 3, Assistant Secretary Hunter Kurtz and members of HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) hosted a call with PHAs and industry groups on topics related to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.
This information is also available on NAHRO’s COVID-19 resource page. During the call, NAHRO CEO Adrianne Todman said a few words on certain topics–including the urgent need for funding to be distributed and appropriate statutory and regulatory waivers to be issued—as did representatives from the other industry groups. Participants on the call discussed the contents of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the timeline for waivers, and answered questions from PHAs.
The HUD officials discussed funding in the CARES act and discussed the timeline for future waivers. The staff reiterated that there is $1.25 billion for tenant-based rental assistance in the bill. Of that, $850 million is allocated for administrative expenses in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, while $400 million is allocated for Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) for the HCV program. The staff also mentioned the 120-day moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent or other fees, which is applicable to both public housing and the HCV program. Additionally, the bill includes $685 million for the Operating Fund. Officials noted that HUD PIH updated a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on March 31 and stated that the new waivers notice should be published by the end of the week of April 6.