Custom Search

11.10.2007

RFP: Strategic Planning Session

Connecticut NAHRO is soliciting proposals for development, coordination and presentation of a strategic planning session for its executive board. The proposal should include but not be limited to the following topics:

1. Mission Statement
2. Goals 1year, 3year, 5year
3. Tasks As Related To Goals (Vice-Presidents And Their Committees)
4. Development Of A Work Plan And Budget For Goals And Tasks
5. Program Calendar Based On Goals And Tasks
6. Public Relations Program
7. Other Issues As Board And President See Fit
8. Final Written Strategic Plan (Within 30 Days Of Session)

The Strategic planning will take place in a one-day session 6-8 hours, depending on needs and time schedule of executive board members, at a mutually agreeable place and time during the first quarter of 2008.

Proposals should include the education and experience of the submitting/presenting party in the development of strategic plans as well as their knowledge and experience of affordable and public housing and the redevelopment industry.

PRICING: The proposal response should include a flat fee for services in the development and presentation of the plan. The final written Strategic Plan is to be presented to the Executive Board at the second regular board meeting after the session.

Connecticut NAHRO reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals as they see fit in the best interest of the organization.

Please send proposal, by November 30, 2007, to:

Carol Barlow, Executive Assistant
CONN-NAHRO
P. O. Box 822
Canton, CT 06019


Veto Threat Clouds HUD Funding Proposal

BY BARRY G. JACOBS

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE • NOVEMBER 2007

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), like the rest of the federal government, has started fiscal 2008 without a regular appropriations bill in place and an uncertain funding outlook as a Democratic majority in Congress seeking more money for domestic programs confronts a Republican White House determined to hold the line on spending.

Both houses have approved HUD funding bills with increases in major programs, but President Bush has threatened to veto the final measure—one of several such warnings. In the meantime, the government is operating under a continuing resolution that generally keeps funding at fiscal 2007 levels.

The Senate passed its version of the HUD appropriations bill (H.R. 3074) in September, approving $16.599 billion for Sec. 8 vouchers, including $14.936 billion for renewals, and $5.813 billion for Sec. 8 project-based assistance, including $5.523 billion for contract renewals.

The comparable House figures are $16.33 billion and $14.745 billion for vouchers and $6.48 billion and $6.239 billion for project-based Sec. 8.

Other funding provisions include: public housing operating fund, $4.2 billion in both bills; public housing capital fund, $2.5 billion in the Senate bill, $2.439 billion in the House bill; HOME, $1.97 billion in the Senate, $1.64 billion in the House; homeless assistance, $1.585 billion in the Senate, $1.561 billion in the House; Community Development Block Grants, $3.705 billion in the Senate, $3.929 billion in the House; Sec. 202, $735 million in both bills; and Sec. 811, $237 million in both bills.

The Senate version of the bill, which also includes funding for the Transportation Department and other agencies, calls for about $3 billion more than the president’s budget request, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a statement of administration policy warning that the measure faces a veto.

“In combination with the other FY 2008 appropriations bills,” OMB said, “it includes an irresponsible and excessive level of spending and includes other objectionable provisions.”

The administration message objected specifically to the appropriations levels for Community Development Block Grants and public housing, along with continued funding for the HOPE VI program, which it has been trying to kill.

Congress, administration act

to address mortgage crisis The subprime mortgage crisis has become the dominant housing issue in Washington, with Congress and the administration moving to provide relief to homeowners facing foreclosure because of sharp increases in mortgage payments.

The crisis was the impetus for House passage of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) modernization legislation (H.R. 1852), with an amendment to make FHA refinancing available to borrowers in default.

The amendment would allow homeowners to refinance if their current loans have adverse terms or rates, or if they lack access to mortgages with reasonable terms and rates because of adverse market conditions. FHA could insure refinancing loans for borrowers in default or at imminent risk of default, provided that the loans meet reasonable underwriting standards.

The bill would also allow FHA to insure no-downpayment mortgages and adjust mortgage insurance premiums to reflect the risk of individual loans.

In addition, the bill would raise FHA mortgage limits, in part to help FHA regain some of its lost market share and in part to address the impact of the market disruptions on the jumbo mortgage sector, where rates have risen sharply.

As reported out of the Financial Services Committee, the bill would have raised the basic one-family mortgage limit from 95 percent to 100 percent of the area median house price and increased the floor and ceiling limits, which are now 48 percent and 87 percent of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit, to 65 percent and 100 percent of the Freddie Mac limit.

However, the bill was amended on the floor to provide even higher limits—the lesser of 125 percent of the area median house price or 175 percent of the conforming loan limit, with HUD authorized to raise the limits by as much as an additional $100,000.

On the administrative side, HUD announced an initiative, called FHASecure, to allow for FHA refinancing of non-FHA adjustable-rate mortgages that have gone into default after the rates have reset because the borrowers can’t make the higher payments. The arrearages under the old loan could be included in the FHA mortgage.

Many subprime mortgage borrowers, especially those with so-called “2- 28” loans, where a low teaser rate is increased after two years, face the loss of their homes because they can’t afford the sharp payment increases when the rates adjust.

Financial services committee reports out housing bills

The House Financial Services Committee has reported out two public housing bills, including a reauthorization of the HOPE VI program for the revitalization of severely distressed public housing, and a bill to revise the policies and procedures for the construction and refinancing of Sec. 202 elderly housing projects.

The HOPE VI bill (H.R. 3524) includes a one-for-one replacement requirement for all public housing units demolished or disposed of under a revitalization plan, either on the old public housing site or within the jurisdiction of the public housing authority (PHA).

The replacement housing would include on-site mixed housing in which at least one-third of the units are public housing units, unless HUD determines that such on-site replacement is infeasible. Other replacement housing could be provided in other parts of the PHA’s jurisdiction through acquisition or development of additional public housing units or other housing subject to comparable eligibility, rent, and affordability restrictions. All replacement housing would have to be provided in ways that promote the deconcentration of poverty.

Public housing residents displaced by the HOPE VI plan would be entitled to a replacement housing unit. In addition, they would have to be provided relocation assistance that meets the requirements of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act.

A revitalization plan would also have to provide opportunities for public housing residents to participate in the planning process.

A separate bill (H.R. 3521) would allow PHAs that own or operate less than 500 public housing units to exempt themselves from the asset management requirements imposed by HUD for the public housing operating fund program.

The bill would also prohibit HUD from imposing any restriction on management and related fees for a public housing project if the fee is determined to be reasonable by the PHA, unless the restriction is established through a negotiated rulemaking process that begins no earlier than April 1, 2009. The restriction could not go into effect before Jan. 1, 2011.

The Sec. 202 bill (H.R. 2930) provides for the delegation of processing to state and local housing agencies when projects receive Sec. 202 capital advances and funding from other sources. HUD would retain the authority to approve rents and development costs.

The bill would also allow Sec. 202 owners to establish a tenant selection preference for homeless elderly persons, if supportive services will be available.

The current provisions on the use of rental assistance savings from the refinancing of Sec. 202 loans would be revised to include the reduction or reconfiguration of obsolete units, the payment of a developer’s fee, and the payment of equity to the owner, sponsor, or seller. The 15 percent limit on the portion of the cost of increased supportive services that could be paid from rental assistance savings would be eliminated.

To prevent displacement of elderly residents when a project is refinanced or recapitalized, the bill would provide project- based rental assistance under a senior preservation rental assistance contract for a term of at least 20 years, subject to annual appropriations.

Banking committee OKs consolidation of homeless programs

The Senate Banking Committee has approved legislation (S. 1518) to consolidate the competitive homeless assistance programs under the McKinney-Vento Act, a move long favored by the administration and homeless advocates.

The move would affect the supportive housing program, Shelter Plus Care, and Sec. 8 moderate rehabilitation single-room occupancy programs.

The bill would also expand the eligible uses of homeless assistance funds to include aid for certain doubled-up households who can’t afford their own housing, and for families and individuals at risk of becoming homeless.


Barry G. Jacobs is editor of Housing and Development Reporter, the nation’s premier source for in-depth, factual coverage of all aspects of affordable housing and community development. The two-part publication includes informed reports and insightful analyses in “HDR Current Developments,” and an always up-todate compilation of essential documents in the “HDR Reference Files.” Jacobs is also the author of the annually updated HDR Handbook of Housing and Development Law.

Rousting the Cops

Rousting the Cops
One man stands up to the NYPD's apartheid-like trespassing crackdown.

by M. Chris Fabricant
villagevoice.com

On a hot August night last summer in the South Bronx, David M. was walking toward the front door of his friend Dee's high-rise public-housing building. As he approached the door, he saw an NYPD paddy wagon stationed on the corner and a police officer starting to climb out. So David thought better of it and decided not to visit Dee, to just keep walking.

Then he heard footsteps behind him. Soon his face was pressed against the wall of Dee's building, with his jeans pulled down to his ankles and his T-shirt pushed into his armpits as gloved hands ran over his body. The police officer kept shouting at him to give up the stash, and David kept insisting he didn't have anything.

Twenty minutes later, David was shirtless, chained to a few other people in the back of the paddy wagon, and charged with trespassing. He spent the next four hours in the back of the sweltering NYPD meat wagon as police rounded up other young men for trespassing.

David eventually became my client, but there is nothing unusual about his story. Every attorney in my office has had dozens of similar cases. David's story is unique in one way: He is fighting it. Unlike virtually all of my clients, he wasn't worn down by the methodical torture of Bronx Criminal Justice and taking a guilty plea.

Before coming to the Bronx Defenders (where I am a staff attorney), I had never had a misdemeanor case, and rare was the client I was certain was innocent. In the Bronx, well over half of my cases are misdemeanors, and I have had a disgraceful number of innocent clients, many of whom plead guilty to a trespassing charge, either in a "Clean Halls" building or a New York City Public Housing building. "Operation Clean Halls" allows the NYPD to stop, search, question, and arrest anyone in or even near the building in an action called a "vertical." Clean Halls has been touted as a tool for keeping drugs and drug dealing out of low-income housing, but once a landlord signs a Clean Halls affidavit, no one can leave their home without their papers.

Trespassing arrests are up a staggering 25 percent since 2002—and this is no crime wave, no trespassing epidemic. The Clean Halls program is a major component of "Operation Impact," which was launched by the NYPD in 2003 and targets neighborhoods like the one David grew up in by flooding them with rookie police officers trying to make as many arrests as possible. In the 28-month period following the launch of the operation, 72,000 arrests were made in the targeted areas. More HERE

RFP: Physical Needs Assessment Services

RFP-07-284

The Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem, NC (hereinafter called "HAWS") is soliciting Request for Proposals (RFP's) and will receive proposal packages from organizations or individuals interested in providing PHYSICAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT SERVICES.

Proposals must be received by HAWS no later than December 6, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. local time at the following address: Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem, Procurement Department (Ground Floor), 500 W. 4th Street, Suite 300, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. NO BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DEADLINE.

A Pre-bid conference will be held November 12, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. local time, at the HAWS Central Office-3rd Floor Conference Room located at 500 W. 4th Street, Suite 300. Interested bidders are strongly encouraged to attend.

Request for Proposal packages may be obtained by those qualified by contacting Tangela Moses-Malloy, Director of Procurement, Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem, 500 W.4th Street, Suite 300, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. (Fax 336-748-3388, e-mail tmalloy@haws.org or tangelamalloy@yahoo.com)

Additional requirements pertaining to the submission package are detailed in the RFP. All questions regarding the request for proposal should be submitted in writing to Tangela Moses-Malloy, Director of Procurement, Housing Authority of the City of Winston-Salem, 500 W. 4th Street, Suite 300, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

HAWS reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to waive informalities, and to award the contract to other than the low bidder, should it be deemed in its best interest.

No oral interpretations will be given to any offer or as to the meaning or intent of the Contract Documents or be effective to modify any of the provisions of the documents.

No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the submission of offers, without the prior written consent of HAWS.

The successful candidate shall be required to possess all applicable licenses and certifications.

HAWS prohibits discrimination in any manner on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, or disability and will pursue an affirmative policy of fostering, promoting and conducting business with minority owned enterprises.

***SECTION 3/MWBE CONSULTING FIRMS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BID***