HUD Offers Rule Waivers in 2018 Disaster Areas

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) recently published a Federal Register notice informing public housing agencies about waivers of HUD requirements they may request in the aftermath of a presidentially declared Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) during calendar year 2018. To obtain a waiver, a PHA in an MDD county must submit a request to HUD no later than four months after the disaster is declared.

The notice states that HUD cannot grant waivers of unit Housing Quality Standard (HQS) inspections or income verification requirements. However, if sources of income are difficult to find, a PHA may use measures indicated in Notice PIH 2017-12, and HUD can consider variations to acceptability criteria to HQS.

The notice lists 21 potential waivers and invites PHAs to request waivers not included in the notice. Some of the waivers include revision of tenant selection policies, waiving the requirement that a PHA publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in order to open its voucher waiting list, and waiver of the voucher rule limiting occupancy at an assisted unit to two persons per bedroom, provided the household consents in writing.

You can find the Federal Register notice at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-09-12/pdf/2018-19708.pdf.