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A. J. Johnson

A. J. Johnson

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Dealing with Federal Immigration Agents at Apartment Communities

February 2, 2025

Not surprisingly, we are starting to receive inquiries from property managers about how they should respond if federal immigration officials enter a property searching for individuals without legal immigration documents. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at apartment communities are…

Rent Rules Under Final HOME Rule

January 28, 2025

The final HOME rule changes the HOME Program rent determination rules. One change permits the use of a PHA utility allowance for HOME units. The second and more significant change allows owners to collect more than the HOME rent for…

Understanding Security Deposits and Fees in HOME Rental Projects

January 24, 2025

The Final Rule for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), effective February 5, 2025, establishes specific rules regarding security deposits and fees that property owners and managers must follow. These regulations are designed to protect tenants while maintaining fair housing…

Understanding Income Determination Methods in the HOME Program Final Regulation

January 16, 2025

Understanding Income Determination Methods in the HOME Program The new final HOME regulation maintains specific income targeting requirements that necessitate accurate income determination for participating families. This article outlines the various methods and requirements for determining annual income under the…

Navigating the HOME Final Rule- Key Updates on Property Standards and Inspections

January 12, 2025

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently updated the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Final Rule, emphasizing enhanced property standards and inspection requirements for participating jurisdictions (PJs). These updates aim to improve safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, and…

A. J. Johnson Partners with Mid-Atlantic AHMA for December Training on Affordable Housing – February 2025

January 9, 2025

In February 2025, A. J. Johnson will partner with the MidAtlantic Affordable Housing Management Association for four live webinar training sessions for real estate professionals, particularly those in the affordable multifamily housing field. The following sessions will be presented: February…

HUD Strengthens Tenant Protections in New HOME Rule

January 8, 2025

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has published the Final Rule for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which will take effect on February 5, 2025. The new rule significantly enhances tenant protections and lease requirements, establishing a…

HUD Publishes Final Rule Updating HOME Regulations

January 5, 2025

HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (also known as the HOME program or HOME) provides formula grants to states and local government units to support various activities to produce and maintain affordable rental and homeownership housing. The program also offers tenant-based…

USDA Updates Audit Requirements for Rural Housing and Community Facilities Programs

January 4, 2025

On December 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service (RHS) issued a final rule updating audit and financial statement requirements for its Multi-Family Housing and Community Facilities programs. These changes align the agency’s regulations with recent revisions…

HUD Issues Final Rule Updating HOME Investment Partnerships Program

January 3, 2025

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a significant update to the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program regulations. This final rule, which will be published in the Federal Register on January 6, 2025, aims to modernize…

HUD Extends HOTMA Compliance Deadline for Community Planning and Development Programs to 2026

December 30, 2024

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced an extension of the compliance deadline for implementing specific provisions of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) final rule for Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs. This extension…

Rural Development Updates Form 3560-8, Tenant Income Certification

December 21, 2024

On December 10, 2024, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) Office of Multifamily Housing (MFH) announced an updated Form RD 3560-8 Tenant Certification for the July 1, 2025, implementation of the changes to income and asset calculations due to the Housing Opportunity…

Trump Nominates Scott Turner as HUD Secretary

December 21, 2024

In a significant move relating to affordable housing, former President Donald Trump has nominated Scott Turner as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Known for his leadership and commitment to community development, Turner brings a…

Treasury Posts Support of HFA Disincentives for Qualified Contracts

December 19, 2024

In a December 12, 2024 post, the U.S. Department of Treasury expressed strong support for Housing Finance Agency (HFA) attempts to prevent or limit qualified contract requests for LIHTC projects. According to recent Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies data,…

HOTMA Implementation Guide- Key Updates for Multifamily Housing Owners

December 8, 2024

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released updated guidance on implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA). This comprehensive overview highlights essential deadlines and requirements for Multifamily Housing (MFH) owners, as outlined in…

Federal Housing Policy Response to America’s Housing Crisis- Key Takeaways from the National Housing Task Force Report

November 24, 2024

The National Housing Crisis Task Force, a bipartisan coalition of practitioners and policymakers, has released a comprehensive federal policy agenda to address America’s deepening housing crisis. The report, released in November 2024, and titled “From Crisis to Transformation: A Federal…

USDA Rural Development Announces Passbook Savings Rate Change for Multifamily Housing

November 22, 2024

USDA Rural Development has announced a change in the Multifamily Housing Passbook Savings Rate. Effective January 1, 2025, the rate will be adjusted to 0.45%. What This Means for You This change will impact how asset income is calculated for…

A. J. Johnson Partners with Mid-Atlantic AHMA for December Training on Affordable Housing – December 2024

November 12, 2024

During December 2024, A. J. Johnson will partner with the MidAtlantic Affordable Housing Management Association for two live webinar training sessions for real estate professionals, particularly those in the affordable multifamily housing field. Following the webinars, AJ will review testable…

Impact of the Election on Affordable Rental Housing Production

November 9, 2024

While it is too early to predict with any certainty what the election of Donald Trump will mean for the affordable housing industry, we can make some assumptions based on the policy positions he has outlined so far. Trump’s election…

USDA Proposes Mandatory Deed Recording Requirements for Section 538 Rural Rental Housing Program

November 8, 2024

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a new rule requiring separate deed restrictions to be recorded for properties financed under the Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP). This proposed change aims to ensure…

IRS Announces Historic Increases for 2025 Tax Credit Multipliers and Small State Minimums

October 26, 2024

On October 22, 2024, in Revenue Procedure 2024-40, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed significant increases for key tax credit multipliers and minimum thresholds for 2025, setting historic highs in several areas. These changes impact the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit…

HUD Issues New Guidance on Solar and Rooftop Leases for Multifamily Housing

October 19, 2024

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released new guidance on solar, cell tower, and rooftop leases for HUD-assisted and HUD-insured multifamily housing projects. This guidance aims to streamline the process for property owners to enter into…

A. J. Johnson to Participate in 29th Annual Mid-Atlantic AHMA Fall Conference

October 14, 2024

A. J. Johnson will participate in the Mid-Atlantic Affordable Housing Management Association (AHMA) 29th Annual Fall Conference, which will take place in Richmond, VA, from November 19-21, 2024. This year’s conference promises to be invaluable for professionals in the affordable…

Rural Development Issues Emergency Call System Guidance

October 11, 2024

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) has issued an Unnumbered Letter providing guidance to Multifamily Housing (MFH) staff and program participants regarding emergency call systems, also referred to as “pullcords” in MFH units. Installing and using emergency call systems in MFH…

2025 Social Security COLA Announced

October 10, 2024

The federal government announced on October 10, 2024, that the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025 will be 2.5%, slightly lower than the 3.2% increase for 2024. This increase will provide an additional $50 per month for…

New York City Reaches Landmark Settlement Agreement on Fair Housing Practices

October 6, 2024

In a significant development for fair housing in New York City, Parkchester, a major residential complex in the Bronx, has entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement to address allegations of discriminatory rental practices. The deal, reached with the New York…

Rural Development Service Announces Change to HOTMA Implementation Date

October 5, 2024

On October 3, 2024, the Rural Housing Service (RHS) announced a change in the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) implementation date. On September 20, 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that the compliance date for…

HUD Adds Income Exclusion for Veterans Disability for HUD-VASH Participants – IRS Adopts for LIHTC

September 28, 2024

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a Notice in the August 13, 2024, Federal Register announcing policy changes to the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program to improve access for veterans experiencing homelessness. Homeless veterans often receive…

HUD Extends HOTMA Implementation Date

September 24, 2024

On September 24, 2024, the HUD Office of Multifamily Housing (MFH) published Housing Notice H 2024-09, extending the date that Owners must fully comply with the HOTMA final regulations to July 1, 2025. MFH will soon release a series of…

Determining the Cutoff Date for HUD Required Annual Reexaminations

September 21, 2024

In dealing with clients on HUD-assisted properties that require annual reexaminations, we still find some confusion among managers relative to the cutoff date by which residents must report for the yearly reexamination interview. Managers of HUD-assisted properties understand that the…

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