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Understanding Lump Sum Payments and Income from Investments

April 12, 2023

Introduction to Lump Sum Payments and Investments The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has specific guidelines for determining annual income when it comes to lump sum payments and income from investments. These guidelines help establish eligibility for housing…

Nondiscrimination Policies for Persons with Disabilities in Housing

March 23, 2023

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act, owners are prohibited from following policies or practices that discriminate against persons with disabilities. This includes policies or practices that have a disparate impact on persons with disabilities.…

Understanding Unlawful Refusal to Rent or Negotiate for Rental in HUD Housing

March 20, 2023

HUD prohibits owners from refusing, directly or indirectly, to rent or negotiate for the rental of a dwelling based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, or those of a person associated with the…

American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2021 Introduced

May 9, 2021

On April 23, 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver introduced the American Housing & Economic Mobility Act of 2021 (S. 1368 and H.R. 2768. These bills reintroduce bills from the prior Congress, with some additional provisions. Among the…

IRS Issues Clarifying Guidance Relating to COVID-19 Occupancy Relief

March 27, 2021

In January 2021, the IRS published Notice 2021-12, extending and expanding on the COVID-19 relief provided by Notice 2020-53 that was issued in July 2020. Section IV.E of Notice 2021-12 provided an extension to satisfy certain occupancy obligations. It stated…

A. J. Johnson Partners with Mid-Atlantic AHMA for March Training Series

February 28, 2021

During the month of March 2021, A. J. Johnson will be partnering with the MidAtlantic Affordable Housing Management Association in a series of live webinars for real estate professionals, particularly those in the affordable multifamily housing field. The following live…

HUD Issues COVID-19 Suspensions and Waivers for HOME Program

April 17, 2020

On April 10, 2020, HUD issued guidance regarding suspension and waivers for requirements for the HOME program as a result of COVID-19. The memorandum authorized HOME participating jurisdictions (PJs) to use HOME tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) funds to facilitate urgent…

HUD Issues New Guidance on Annual & Interim Recertifications During COVID-19 Emergency

April 11, 2020

On April 2, 2020 the HUD Office of Multifamily Housing issued an updated Questions and Answers (Q&A) for the Office of Multifamily Housing Stakeholders – Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the HUD Multifamily webpage. As part of the Q&A, the processing of…

Complying with HUD’s New Guidance on Assistance Animals

March 29, 2020

On February 8, 2020, I posted an article on the new HUD guidance on how to assess requests to have an animal as a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law. This new guidance which is known as the “Assistance Animal…

Understanding the Role of a Notary

February 29, 2020

In the affordable housing industry, verification of income and other eligibility elements is a common requirement. In most cases, third party verification is required, meaning that the provider of the income provides a verification of the income. While such verifications…

Excess Subsidy Repayment Agreements

January 25, 2020

When households receiving federal rental assistance – such as Section 8 – receive more assistance than they are entitled to based on their income, the residents are required to repay the excess amount. In order to ensure that these repayments…

Online Certification May Not Always be Adequate Verification of Disability

August 4, 2019

A recent court case demonstrates that online verifications of disability may not always be adequate for purposes of proving the need for a reasonable accommodation under fair housing law. The case is Fitzsimmons v. Sand & Sea Homeowners Association, November…

Housing & the 2020 Presidential Election

July 28, 2019

Earlier this year, three Democratic presidential candidates – Senators Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren – released plans for solving the affordable housing crisis. Two more 2020 hopefuls, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro and Any Klobuchar have more…

IRS Issues New Guidance on General Public Use Rules – Revenue Procedure 2019-17

June 23, 2019

The IRS has issued Revenue Procedure 2019-17, which allows projects with tax-exempt bonds issued on or after April 3, 2019, to apply the general public use rules for residential rental housing in the same manner the rules are applied for…

Update on Criminal Screening for Occupancy

January 13, 2019

A recent fair housing settlement in New York City illustrates the importance of having screening policies for criminal records that only screen for criminal behavior that presents an actual threat to people or property. A New York City property management…

HUD Guidance on How Low Physical Inspection Scores Will be Handled

January 11, 2019

On October 29, 2018, HUD issued Notice H-2018-08 to provide guidance to HUD Multifamily staff regarding actions that should be taken when privately owned properties governed by various HUD housing programs score less than 60 or REAC inspections. The notice…

PHA Options in Repositioning Public Housing

January 5, 2019

On November 13, 2018, HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) notified Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) of the options available relative to the repositioning of public housing projects. PHAs have three options relative to how they will ultimately deal…

HUD Issues Utility Allowance Factors for 2019

December 31, 2018

HUD published in the November 23, 2018 Federal Register the Utility Allowance Adjustment Factors (UAFs) for 2019. HUD permits owners to use these adjustment factors to adjust baseline utility allowances that were prepared in accordance with Housing Notice 2015-04. The…

Minimum Wage Update – 2019

December 30, 2018

As we enter 2019, the minimum wage will change in a number of states and localities. As affordable housing professionals, it is always a good idea to be aware of the minimum wage in the states in which you have…

The Relationship Between Housing and Overall Quality of Life

January 25, 2016

The Relationship Between Housing & Quality of Life When examining ways to increase affordable housing opportunities, ensuring that opportunity is not limited by where a person lives is critical. Unfortunately, today where people live depends on large part on…

Claiming Credits without an IRS Form 8609 – Guidance from the IRS Audit Guide

September 6, 2015

Claiming Credits without an IRS Form 8609 – Guidance from the Audit Guide IRC §42(l)(1) requires that taxpayers complete a certification with respect to the first year of the credit period. This certification is made by completing Part II…

Importance of Regular Review of Company Handbooks & Policies

December 27, 2014

Many property management companies create operations and compliance handbooks and policies to assist staff in understanding the company’s operational procedures. Once completed, the handbooks and policies are rarely (if ever) reviewed and updated. A periodic audit of a company’s employment…

New Staff Member for A. J. Johnson Consulting

December 12, 2014

It is with great pleasure that I announce the addition of a new full time staff member to A. J. Johnson Consulting Services, Inc. Effective February 1, 2015, Linda Moss will be joining us as a Compliance Analyst. We…

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