Today, HUD released PIH Notice 2020-05, which outlines waivers the Department is making available to execute its blanket waiver authority granted through the CARES Act. CLPHA is pleased to see that many of the waivers that we urged HUD to make available in our March 19 letter are included in this notice. However, we are still reviewing the notice and will soon provide a more detailed analysis. CLPHA will also host a special member call to review the notice in detail, which we will announce shortly.
PHAs will be required to keep written documentation of the waivers used and their effective dates, as well as communicate with residents about all waivers in use. The period of availability varies by waiver, with most expiring on July 31 or October 31, 2020. Available waivers include:
- Extensions for Annual Plan submission deadlines
- Delayed annual examinations and alternative income verification options
- FSS contract extensions
- Exempting waitlist openings from public notice requirements
- Alternative requirements for HQS inspections
- Exempting changes to Admin Plans requiring board approval
- Allowing alternative formats for voucher briefings
- Exempting changes to ACOP requiring board approval
- Suspending the community service requirement
- Carrying forward last year’s SEMAP and PHAS scores
- Extensions for 50058 and 50058 MTW reporting
For questions about the notice, please contact Senior Research & Policy Analyst Emily Warren at ewarren@clpha.org.