HUD TAKES ACTION IN FINAL DAYS OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

HUD Takes Action

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The Obama Administration has taken a slew of steps to cement its legacy in its final days, including addressing issues in housing.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Friday awarded funds to support both homeless youth and aging-in-place seniors, and issued a final rule regarding household lead exposure in children. ​

Homeless youth in ten communities will receive $33 million through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YDHP), while aging-in-place seniors in HUD-assisted housing will receive $15 million.

The YDHP provides funds for permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing and transitional housing, as well as host homes and other programs. The communities awarded include Connecticut ($6.6 million), Seattle/King County, Wash. ($5.4 million) and Austin/Travis County, Texas ($5.2 million).

"A stable home is the foundation for so many other opportunities in a young person’s life," said HUD Secretary Julian Castro in a statement on the youth homelessness grant. "As a former mayor, I know that some of the most innovative ideas come from the close working relationships that occur at the local level. These local programs are proof of that."

Grants awarded to aging-in-place seniors in HUD-assisted housing will cover costs related to hiring full- and part-time help through the Supportive Services Demonstration for Elderly Households in HUD-Assisted Multifamily Housing.

​"It is so important that we afford our seniors the opportunity to live independently," Castro said in a statement on the aging-in-place grant. "These grants will help owners of HUD-assisted senior developments to offer the services that will allow seniors to remain in their homes for as long as they can."

The final rule on household lead exposure in children changes the definition of "elevated blood lead level" to match the more stringent threshold from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lowering the level to 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood.

The change allows for faster response to children age 6 and younger in HUD-assisted housing who are exposed to lead-based paint. If the child is found to have an elevated blood lead level, the housing provider must test the home and other potential sources of exposure within 15 days, and ensure the hazards are controlled within 30 days, among other mandates.

"Were now able to say that the federal government will speak with one voice when it comes to protecting children from potentially dangerous lead," said Castro in a statement on the rule. "By aligning our standard with CDCs guidance, we can respond more quickly in cases when a child who lives in federally-assisted housing shows early signs of having elevated levels of lead in their blood."

Source: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

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THE LATEST EVOLUTION OF REAL ESTATE WIRE FRAUD

Real Estate Wire Fraud

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Most articles about real estate fraud have focused on the same scenario: hackers breaking into professionals email accounts to learn about upcoming transactions, emailing the buyer to wire money to the hackers account. In reality, there are many other ways hackers insert themselves into communications, such as tricking the real estate professional into installing malicious software on their computer or phone, or changing escrow instructions (or other disbursements) at the office of the real estate professional via email.

Hacking can also be done by less sophisticated methods, including phone, fax or inter-office memo. The latest evolution of the scam, however, is truly insidious.

1. A hacker obtains a REALTOR(R)’s transaction management/e-signature system login credentials by using a phishing email that looks like it’s from the transaction management system.​

• The user first types their credentials into the fake transaction management website, then are forwarded to the real one where their credentials work. They never even notice they’ve been phished. They just think they mistyped a password the first time.

2. The hacker logs into the transaction system to identify target transactions and collect information to fool participants.
3. If the agent uses the same credentials for both email and the transaction system, the hacker now has access to the agents email.

• The hacker may set up an email-filtering rule so emails from the client "skip the inbox" and go right to the hacker.
• Emails to clients can now be sent from the agents real email address. It’s not a spoofed email (which only looks like it’s from the agents account).
• Changing their email password may help, but at this point, the hacker only needs to spoof future emails-and unless the agent notices the filtering rule, the hacker still has access to those email conversations.

4. Because the hacker has information about the mortgage and title company from the transaction system, they can spoof an email from those parties, too. When a client receives a (spoofed) email from multiple parties - which confirms each other’s message – they’re more likely to trust each of those emails.

5. From that point, it’s a typical wire fraud scenario: At the appropriate time, the client is told to wire funds to an account the hacker has access to.

This is only one variation of many that Clareity has seen "in the wild."

Clareity Consulting has written a paper that more thoroughly explains the wire fraud issue and provides concrete guidance on how to reduce the risk. Download the paper by visiting clareity.com/reducing-the-risk-of-real-estate-wire-fraud.

Matt Cohen is chief technology officer at Clareity Consulting.
For more information, please visit www.clareity.com.

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HUD AND VA WORK TO FIND PERMANENT HOMES FOR HOMELESS VETERANS

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced a second round of funding to help provide permanent homes to an estimated 108 veterans experiencing homelessness in seven states.

The rental assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA (see attached list of HUD's voucher awards).

Recently, HUD, VA and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) announced the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States has been cut nearly in half since 2010. The data revealed a 17 percent decrease in veteran homelessness between January 2015 and January 2016-quadruple the previous years annual decline-and a 47 percent decrease since 2010. Additionally, while answering the Obama administration'sMayor's Challenge to End Veteran's Homelessness, several mayors have declared their cities have officially ended it.

"There is momentum across the nation as community after community effectively ends veteran homelessness," says Secretary Juli?n Castro. "Today's funding will help more cities reach this important goal and ensure that we serve the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for us. HUD and its local partners are determined to give every veteran the opportunity to secure a safe, stable place to call home."

"The dramatic reduction in Veteran homelessness in recent years would not have been possible without the pairing of housing choice vouchers with case management and supportive services under the HUD-VASH program to help the most vulnerable Veterans become and remain stably housed," says VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. "The HUD-VASH awards announced today will support the ongoing and important work underway to ensure that homelessness among Veterans is rare and non-recurring."
In June, HUD awarded nearly $38 million to help more than 5,200 homeless veterans find homes. That funding ensured that communities could provide the critically needed housing assistance and case management services to those veterans and their families experiencing homelessness.

In 2010, President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) launched the nation's first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness.Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local communities to confront the root causes of homelessness, especially among former servicemen and women. To support communities as they progress towards the goal of ending veteran homelessness, USICH has identified strategies that increase collaboration and coordination among programs serving veterans experiencing homelessness.

Since 2008, more than 79,000 vouchers have been awarded and approximately 111,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program. Rental assistance and supportive services provided through HUD-VASH are a critical resource for local communities in ending homelessness among our nations Veterans.

In the HUD-VASH program, VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) assess veterans experiencing homelessness before referring them to local housing agencies for these vouchers. Decisions are based on a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of homelessness and the need for longer term, more intensive support in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff offers.

Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. VA offers eligible homeless veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov.

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HUD OFFERS $2 MILLION TO HELP STUDENTS IN ASSISTED HOUSING AFFORD EDUCATION

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​The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced the agency is making $2 million in grants available to help low-income families and young people apply for federal aid for college and other post-secondary educational opportunities.  The funding is being offered through HUD's longstanding Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program.  The available funding will support 'Education Navigators' in up to six Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across the country.

Increased access to higher education can significantly improve life outcomes. The Department of Education estimates that those who earn a bachelor's degree earn two-thirds more than those with only a high school diploma or an average of $1 million more in lifetime earnings.  In addition, college graduates are far less likely to face unemployment.  It's also estimated that within the next four years, two-thirds of all new full-time jobs will require a college education.

HUD Secretary Juli?n Castro says, "Many families find the cost of higher education prohibitive, but know that a degree or training beyond high school is essential to be competitive in today's 21st century global economy. By helping students access federal financial aid, HUD is lifting up students to overcome financial challenges and reach their full potential."

HUD's ROSS Program encourages local, innovative strategies that link public housing assistance with public and private resources to enable participating families to increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.  The ROSS for Education Program, also known as Project SOAR (Students + Opportunities + Achievements = Results), will support hundreds of young people between the ages of 15-20 to apply for U.S. Department of Education's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Lourdes Castro Ram?rez, HUD's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, adds, "By investing in our youth and communities, we're helping to unlock the promise of higher education for all. Project SOAR will help students in HUD-assisted households to access opportunity and achieve their dreams."

Project SOAR is one of several HUD initiatives to increase access to federal financial aid for HUD-assisted families and students:

-HUD is working with the Department of Education to better understand FASFA completion and educational attainment of HUD-assisted tenants through data sharing.
-Alongside the White House's Social and Behavioral Sciences Team, HUD is exploring whether behaviorally informed messages can increase completion of the FAFSA among students with housing assistance.

 For more information, visit www.hud.gov.

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HUD AND DOJ AWARD $8.7 MILLION TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS

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For many individuals convicted of minor crimes, finding jobs and decent housing is so challenging that many are at extreme risk of homelessness or reentering the criminal justice system. Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded $8.7 million to address homelessness and reduce recidivism among this justice-involved population through the Pay for Success model.

HUD's Pay for Success Permanent Supportive Housing Demonstration tests cost-effective ways to help persons cycling between the criminal justice and homeless service systems.

Funded by DOJ and implemented through a HUD/DOJ partnership, this demonstration advances a model that offers a new source of financing to expand permanent supportive housing for the reentry population. This is part of a broader Administration effort to reduce barriers facing justice-involved individuals who are trying to put their lives back on track, including barriers to housing.

"Too often, as people leave the criminal justice system, they don't have the support network to help them get a second chance and they fall into homelessness," says HUD Secretary Julian Castro.

"These grantees have developed successful models that give returning citizens the opportunity to find a job and place to call home while reducing the costs associated with recidivism and homelessness."

"Every person re-entering society from the justice system deserves a fair shot at a life of renewed purpose and meaning," says Attorney General Loretta Lynch. "The Justice Department's partnership with HUD will expand services to help individuals gain access to housing and jobs, and to give those who have served their time a chance to fully rejoin society. Going forward, we intend to continue to promote and develop programs that help our returning citizens stay safe, supported, and secure."

Secretary Castro made the announcement at an interagency event led by DOJ at the Center for American Progress.

Research consistently demonstrates a correlation between homelessness and incarceration. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) estimates that one in five people living prison becomes homeless upon reentry into the community, with an increase of 30-50 percent in major urban areas. Tracking the cycle of homelessness and incarceration in the reverse, the Council of States Governments and NAEH report that over 10 percent of people recidivating from jail and prison are homeless in the months before their incarceration. This rate jumps to 20 percent among individuals with a mental illness.

Pay for Success (PFS) strategies are public-private arrangements that help government test or expand innovative programs while paying only for those activities that achieve agreed-upon target outcomes. These grants will support PFS projects that implement a Housing First model for the reentry population who experience homelessness and are frequent users of homelessness, health care and other crisis services.

Established by President Obama, the Federal Interagency Reentry Council includes 20 federal agencies,that work to:

·         make communities safer by reducing recidivism and victimization;

·         assist those who return from prison and jail in becoming productive citizens; and

·         save taxpayer dollars by lowering the direct and collateral costs of incarceration.

The Reentry Council, recently codified by Presidential Memorandum, is removing federal barriers to successful reentry, so that motivated individuals - who have served their time and paid their dues - are able to compete for a job, attain stable housing, support their children and their families, and contribute to their communities. Reentry Council agencies are taking concrete steps to reduce recidivism and high correctional costs while improving public health, child welfare, employment, education, housing and other key reintegration outcomes.

In 2010, President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) launched the nation's first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Opening Doors: FederalStrategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local communities to confront the root causes of homelessness, including individuals who are in and out of a variety of crisis services such as jails and prisons. Permanent supportive housing lowers public costs by stopping the revolving door between jail and prison and crisis services like those provided in emergency rooms and homeless assistance programs.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov.

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HUD Awards $42 Million of Counseling to Those with Housing Needs

HUD Awards $42 Million of Counseling to Those with Housing Needs

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded more than $42 million in housing counseling grants to hundreds of national, regional and local organizations to help families and individuals with their housing needs and to prevent future foreclosures. HUD's housing counseling grants and the additional funding they leverage will assist more than 1.4 million households find housing, make more informed housing choices, or keep their current homes.

June is National Home ownership Month, a time HUD recognizes how home ownership enhances lives and contributes to thriving communities. "Dare to Own the Dream" is the theme of this month-long recognition, reinforcing the long-held belief that owning a home remains one of the cornerstones of the American Dream. The grants awarded were announced at a White House gathering to mark National Home ownership Month.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro says, "Housing counselors provide potential homeowners with the tools they need to ensure they're ready and responsible. Their efforts give countless families a real shot at the American Dream of homeownership. The counseling organizations HUD supports are on the front lines in providing the full spectrum of services households need-from locating affordable rental housing, offering advice on how to become a homeowner, and preventing foreclosure."

More than $40 million will directly support the housing counseling services provided by 31 national and regional organizations, five multi-state organizations, 17 State Housing Finance Agencies (SHFAs) and 181 local housing counseling agencies. In addition, HUD is awarding $2 million to four national organizations to train housing counselors who will receive the instruction and certification necessary to effectively assist families with their housing needs.

National and regional agencies distribute much of HUD's housing counseling grant funding to community-based organizations that assist low- and moderate-income families to improve their housing conditions. In addition, these larger organizations help improve the quality of housing counseling services and enhance coordination among counseling providers.

Counseling improves housing outcomes for homebuyers, homeowners, and renters. Last month, HUD published research findings summarizing the impact of housing counseling has on families' housing options and choices. In addition, recent research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Urban Institute continues to find substantial benefits to housing counseling for families who purchase their first homes and those struggling to prevent foreclosure.

Grant recipients address the full range of families' housing counseling needs. This includes helping homebuyers evaluate their readiness for a home purchase, understand their financing and down payment options, and navigate what can be an extremely confusing and difficult home-buying process. The organization also help households find affordable rental housing and offer financial literacy training to individuals and families struggling to repair credit problems that restrict their housing options.

In addition to providing counseling to homeowners and renters, these organizations assist homeless persons in finding the transitional housing they need to move toward a permanent place to live. Finally, grantees also assist senior citizens seeking reverse mortgages. These agencies provide counseling for the rapidly growing number of elderly homeowners who seek to convert equity in their homes into income that can be used to pay for home improvements, medical costs, and other living expenses.

Housing counseling agencies support fair housing by assisting borrowers in reviewing their loan documentation, to avoid potential mortgage scams, unreasonably high interest rates, inflated appraisals, unaffordable repayment terms, and other conditions that can result in a loss of equity, increased debt, default, and even foreclosure. Likewise, foreclosure prevention counseling helps homeowners facing delinquency or default employ strategies, including expense reduction, negotiation with lenders and loan servicers, and loss mitigation, to avoid foreclosure.

For more information, visit www.hud.gov.

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HUD AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARD $9.2 MILLION TO PROVIDE STABLE HOUSING TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

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To help prevent victims of domestic violence living with HIV/AIDS from falling into homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced more than $9 million to support eight local programs across the country working to protect and house these victims.

DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women and HUD's Office of HIV/AIDS Housing collaborated to provide these grants under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro says, "Every person, especially those fighting the effects of HIV/AIDS or looking to escape an abusive situation, deserves to live in a safe and stable environment.  Through this collaborative effort with the Justice Department, we're able to help those living at the intersection of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence to secure the housing and health services they need to build a better future."

"This joint effort will help low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS who have survived domestic violence secure the vital services they need to reclaim their lives and restore their futures," says Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. "The Justice Department is committed to safeguarding the rights and opportunities of all Americans, including the most vulnerable among us.  And in the days ahead, we will continue our work to ensure that every American - from every background - has the safety, security, and support that they deserve."

Through this demonstration program, HUD will provide funding for housing assistance and supportive services to low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Grantees are required to form partnerships between local HIV housing and service providers and domestic violence and sexual assault service providers for client outreach and engagement and for comprehensive supportive services to ensure client success in the program.  Descriptions of the funded projects can be found here.

This demonstration follows a recommendation by the Federal Interagency Working Group on the Intersection of HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women and Girls, and Gender-Related Health Disparities to enhance Federal efforts in addressing HIV and intimate partner violence (IPV) among homeless and marginally housed women and girls. While the Working Group focuses on women and girls, the housing assistance and supportive services provided through the demonstration will be open to all eligible clients regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or age.

Since 1992, the HUD's HOPWA Program, managed by the Office of HIV/AIDS Housing, has provided national leadership and resources that support the development and operation of high-quality supportive housing programs. Under the HOPWA Program, HUD makes grants to cities, states, and nonprofit organizations to provide housing assistance and supportive services to low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. By providing assistance with housing and related services, the HOPWA program helps persons living with HIV/AIDS enter into housing, access and remain in medical care, and adhere to complex treatment regimens. More information on the HOPWA program is available here.

The Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), headed by Principal Deputy Director Bea Hanson, provides leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of VAWA and subsequent legislation.  Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. More information is available at www.justice.gov/ovw.

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