By Contributor published 7-10-2018 updated 1-2-2020
Notice of Regulatory Waiver Requests Granted for the First Quarter of Calendar Year 2018
A Notice by the Housing and Urban Development Department on 06/29/2018
Project/Activity: HUD granted a waiver of 24 CFR 578.37(a)(1)(ii), for recipients in federally declared emergency and disaster areas within specified Continuums of Care in Texas, Louisiana, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida due to damages and related flooding sustained by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. The waiver permits rapid re-housing projects to provide up to 3 years of rental assistance to any program participants affected by the hurricanes or related flooding, including those already receiving rental assistance through a rapid re-housing project, as well as those who begin receiving rental assistance through a rapid re-housing project within two years after the date of this waiver.
Nature of Requirement: Under 24 CFR 578.37(a)(1)(ii), rental assistance provided by rapid re-housing projects is limited to short and medium terms, which permit up to 3 months of rent, and 3 to 24 months of rent, respectively. In addition, 24 CFR 578.37(a)(1)(ii)(C) requires rapid re-housing projects to limit rental assistance to no more than 24 months to a household.
Granted By: Neal Rackleff, Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
Date Granted: January 3, 2018.
Reason Waived: Waiving the 24-month cap on rapid re-housing rental assistance will assist individuals and families affected by the hurricanes and flooding, including those already receiving rental assistance, as well as those who will receive rental assistance within 2 years of the date of this waiver, to maintain stable permanent housing in another area and help them return to their hometowns, as desired, when additional permanent housing becomes available. It will also provide additional time to stabilize individuals and families in permanent housing where vacancy rates are extraordinarily low due to the hurricanes and flooding. Experience with prior disasters has shown us some program participants need additional months of rental assistance to identify and stabilize in housing of their choice, which can mean moving elsewhere until they are able to return to their hometowns.
Contact: Norm Suchar, Director, Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs, Office of Community Planning and Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7262, Washington, DC 20410, telephone number (202) 708-4300.
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