ACC

Annual Contributions Contract, a grant agreement between the owner and the PHA, which governs the development of PBV units and commits the PHA to execute a PBV HAP contract upon timely completion of such development in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.

ACS

American Community Survey, an annual survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides statistical insight into the lives of U.S. citizens.

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits the discrimination against people with disabilities as it regards to employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government' programs and services.

AHS

American Housing Survey is sponsored by the HUD and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey is the most comprehensive national housing survey in the United States.

AHAP

Agreement to Enter a Housing Assistance Payment Contract between the owner and the PHA. The HAP contract was entered into following new construction or rehabilitation of the contract units by the owner pursuant to an Agreement.

AHP

Affordable Housing Program grants are awarded by Federal Home Loan Banks through a competitive application process to bank members working with housing developers or community organizations to create rental or homeownership opportunities for lower-income households.

AMP

Asset Management Project, a group of Public Housing projects designated by a Public Housing authority as an operating affinity group.

ARF

Asset Repositioning Fee is a form of Operation Subsidy paid following triggering event that progressively decreases over a period of two (disposition) to three (demolition) years.

Brownfields

Brownfields are vacant or underutilized industrial and commercial properties that are environmentally contaminated.

Budget Authority

A budget authority has the permission by law to enter financial obligations.

Capital Fund

Program administered by HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing that provides annual grants via formula to all Public Housing authorities for Public Housing development, financing, modernization, and management improvements. High-performing Public Housing authorities receive a bonus under the formula.

CDBG

Community Development Block Grant program, a flexible program administered by HUD that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs.

CFFP

Capital Fund Financing Program, an initiative of HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing that allows a Public Housing authority to borrow private capital (through a bond or conventional bank loan) to make improvements to its Public Housing in return for pledging, subject to appropriations, a portion of its future-year annual Capital Funds for debt-service payments.

CFP

The Capital Fund Program provides financial assistance in the form of grants to public housing agencies (PHAs) to carry out capital and management activities including those listed in Section 9(d)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act). Capital Fund grants can also be entered into with resident management corporations (RMCs) (see 24 CFR 964.225(h)). CFP financial assistance may also be provided to mixed-finance projects that contain public housing units provided Amendments are entered into under the Mixed Finance ACC Amendment and Capital Fund ACC Amendment. Regulations on Capital Funds are at 24 CFR part 905.

CFR

Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation.

Codes most relevant to SAC are the following:

• 24 CFR part 970 Public Housing Program
• 24 CFR part 903 public housing agency plans
• 24 CFR part 58 Environmental Review Procedures for Entities Assuming HUD Environmental Responsibilities
• 24 CFR part 50 Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality
• 24 CFR part 964 Tenant Participation and Tenant Opportunities in Public Housing

Codes that are less common, but relevant to SAC applications:

• 24 CFR part 905 The Public Housing Capital Fund Program
• 24 CFR part 971 Assessment of the reasonable revitalization potential of certain public housing required by law
• 24 CFR part 972 Mandatory Conversion

CHAP

Commitment to Enter into a Housing Assistance Payment Contract (under RAD), a document executed by HUD and the Public Housing Authority or owner for projects that have been selected during the Rental Assistance Demonstration competition under the first component of the Demonstration. The CHAP describes the terms under which HUD will enter into a housing assistance payment (contract). This could also be understood as HUD’s authorization to the Public Housing authority to continue with their plan to convert one or more projects or asset management projects from Public Housing to project-based Section 8 assisted housing.

Closing

The step in the transaction during which any converting units are released from legacy contracts (e.g., the Public Housing Annual Contributions Contract), the new project-based rental assistance (PBRA) or project-based voucher (PBV) contract and RAD Use Agreement are executed, any debt and/or equity financing agreement is entered into, and the terms and conditions are recorded. The closing is the event at which conversion of subsidy takes place; “conversion” has not occurred until the completion of closing.

CNA

Capital Needs Assessment, an instrument that HUD uses to capture data on the physical condition of Public Housing properties to project a project’s future capital investment needs in the short and long terms. Submitting a CNA is required for the Rental Assistance

Demonstration, except where new construction is proposed. See PNA. A CNA and PNA are quite similar but vary based on the format and on the requirements of each program.

CNI
or
Choice Neighborhood

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a program administered by HUD to fund local collaborative initiatives to transform high-poverty areas into mixed-income neighborhoods. Choice Neighborhoods program leverages significant public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods.

CPD

Community Planning and Development is an office within HUD.

Contract Rent

The total amount of rent specified in the Housing Assistance Payment contract as payable to the owner for a unit occupied by an eligible family.

CSS

Community Supportive Services is a division of the HUD HOPE VI program. Public housing residents living at HOPE VI sites to be revitalized can partake in CSS programs.

Davis Beacon

Statutory requirement that persons working on federally assisted projects be paid at least minimum prevailing wage rates.

DDA

Application reference number provided in the HUD IMS/PIC management system for all SAC applications, the DDA is characterized by seven unique digits to identify each application, for example: “DDA0012874” is an application number.

DDTF

Demolition and Disposition Transitional Funding, a program administered by HUD to replace the RHF program that provides 5 years of funding for units removed from a PHA’s inventory due to demolition or disposition on or after October 1, 2013. This funding is included in the PHA’s annual Capital Fund grant and follows the same obligation and expenditure requirements as that program. Also, see RHF.

DOFA

Date of Full Availability occurs when at least 95% of the units in a development are ready to be occupied (i.e., have certificates of occupancy). The DOFA is especially critical as it establishes when a development can access operating subsidy from a PHA’s Operating Fund.

DOT

Declaration of Trust is a restrictive covenant on projects assisted through a Public Housing Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) that obligates PHAs to operate public housing projects in accordance with the ACC, the United States Housing Act of 1937, and HUD regulations and requirements. When a property is disposed of and no longer owned by the PHA the DOT will get removed.

DSC

Debt Service Coverage, a measure of the cashflow available to pay current debt obligations, measured as the ratio of net operating income to total debt service.

ELIHPA

and

LIHPRHA

The Emergency Low Income Housing Preservation Act (ELIHPA) of 1987 and the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Resident Homeownership Act of 1990 (LIHPRHA) were laws put in place to preserve the viability of affordable Section 236 properties.

EA

Environmental Assessment is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the proposed action.

EDSC

Elderly/Disabled Services Coordinator Program is a community supportive service by HUD for public housing residents.  EDSC is not the same as the former ROSS-Elderly & Persons with Disabilities Program or current ROSS-Service Coordinators Program that is awarded by competition through the SuperNOFA each year. Only PHAs that received funding in 1995 through the EDSC program are eligible to receive operating subsidy to fund this activity. At that point, the group of eligible PHAs was frozen and only those PHAs could receive renewals of this funding.

Environmental Review
or
ER

An environmental review is the process of reviewing a project and its potential environmental impacts to determine whether it complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related laws and authorities. All HUD-assisted projects are required to undergo an environmental review to evaluate environmental impacts. Part 58 and Part 50 are the sections of HUD regulations that implement that National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Part 50 applies to programs where HUD performs the environmental reviews, and Part 58 applies to programs that allow a responsible entity to perform the environmental reviews. Part 50 applies when program legislation does not delegate the authority to assume responsibility to the local government, such as FHA or HUD Multifamily housing programs. Part 58 applies when legislation for a program allows local governments to assume authority.

EUL

Estimated Useful Life is an estimate of the average number of years an asset is considered useable before its value is fully depreciated.

EPC

Energy Performance Contract, a HUD financing technique that allows Public Housing authorities to contract with performance contractors to fund the installation of energy conservation measures in Public Housing in return for future cost-savings from reduced energy consumption, in lieu of the Public Housing authority incurring upfront capital expenses for energy improvements. The savings in future operating costs becomes available to repay the loan.

Fair Housing Act

1968 act (amended in 1974 and 1988) providing HUD Secretary with fair housing enforcement and investigation responsibilities

FASS

Financial Assessment Subsystem, the information management system used by HUD to collect and report data from Public Housing authorities on their performance, including the physical and financing performance of Public Housing projects collected by the Real Estate Assessment Center.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Administration is agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. FEMA supports citizens and emergency personnel to build, sustain, and improve the nation's capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards (such as hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, and more).

FFY or FY

Federal Fiscal Year or Fiscal Year for the U.S. federal government runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. FFY/FY may also be referred to as the financial year, or sometimes budget year is used in government accounting, it is annual budgeting and annual contributions from operating and capital funds.

FHA

Federal Housing Administration, a HUD agency that insures single-family, health care, and multifamily mortgage loans originated by FHA-approved lenders. Multifamily loans can be used for construction, rehabilitation, acquisition, and refinancing of non-luxury apartments.

FHEO

Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, tasked with responding to and eliminating housing discrimination.

FHLB

Federal Home Loan Bank; the FHLB system consists of 11 FHLBs, which are government-sponsored enterprises involved in housing and community economic development.

FMR

Fair Market Rent, the rent, including the cost of utilities (except telephone), as established by HUD, pursuant to this subpart, for units of varying sizes (by number of bedrooms), that must be paid in the market area to rent privately owned, existing, decent, safe and sanitary rental housing of modest (non-luxury) nature with suitable amenities.

The fair market rents (FMRs) for existing housing are determined by HUD and are used in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (HCV program) (part 982 of this title), Section 8 project-based assistance programs and other programs requiring their use. In the HCV program, the FMRs are used to determine payment standard schedules. In the Section 8 project-based assistance programs, the FMRs are used to determine the maximum initial rent (at the beginning of the term of a housing assistance payments contract).

FMV

Fair Market Value is the determined price a property would sell for on the open market. Typically, HUD SAC will accept an independent appraiser or tax assessor’s opinion for FMV estimate of a property.

FO

Field Office is an Office within HUD. Each PHA has a local FO that they report to. The FO an assist with your SAC application.

FOIA

Freedom of Information Act a federal law for the freedom of information that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government upon request.

FONSI

Finding of No Significant Impact is a determination by the Responsible Entity that the project is not an action that will result in a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.

FSS

Family Self-Sufficiency a HUD program that is administered by public housing agencies (PHAs) with the help of program coordinating committees (PCCs). Supportive services most commonly provided to FSS program participants are childcare, transportation, remedial education, and job training. The major components of the FSS program are a contract of participation between the PHA and the family, an individualized training and services plan for each participating family member, and an interest-bearing escrow account.

FYE

Fiscal Year End refers to the completion of a one-year, or 12-month, accounting period. The federal governments FYE ends on September 30 of each calendar year.

Green Building

An approach to building, rehabilitation, repairs, maintenance, and property operations that is more sustainable than traditional approaches to such activities and results in a project that is more energy efficient, costs less to operate, has better indoor air quality, and reduces its overall impact on the environment.

Gross Rent

The value equal to the Contract Rent plus Utility Allowance. This amount is not paid to the owner, but an amount used to determine the Contract Rent.

HAP

Housing Assistance Payment contract, which is used in the Section 8 voucher program and constitutes the legal agreement between a Section 8 project’s ownership entity and either HUD or the Public Housing authority that manages the Section 8 vouchers to provide housing assistance payments on behalf of eligible tenant households. The HAP contract specifies the covered units as well as the terms and procedures by which HUD subsidy payments are made to the property.

HOME

Home Investment Partnership Program, administered by HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development to provide housing funds to units of general local governments and states for new construction, rehabilitation, acquisition of standard housing, assistance to homebuyers, and tenant-based rental assistance.

HFA

Housing Finance Agency, a state or local organization that provides housing assistance through low-interest mortgage loans, financed by the issuance of tax-exempt agency bonds, or Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, based on their allocation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

HCC

Housing Construction Cost is the sum of the following HUD-approved costs related to the development of a Public Housing project: dwelling unit hard costs (including construction and equipment), builder's overhead and profit, the cost of extending utilities from the street to the Public Housing project, finish landscaping, and the payment of Davis-Bacon wage rates. HCC is used as an eligibility threshold in determining RAD rents.

HCV

Housing Choice Voucher, a Section 8 program of the Office of Public and Indian Housing through which Public Housing authorities (PHAs) receive Federal funds from HUD to administer HCVs locally. A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of the family’s choice where the owner agrees to rent under the program. This unit may include the family’s present residence. Subsidy in the HCV program is based on local payment standards that reflects the cost to lease a unit in the local housing market. If the rent is less than the payment standard, the family generally pays 30 percent of adjusted income for rent.

HQS

Housing Quality Standards is the HUD minimum quality standards for dwelling units occupied by families receiving project-based voucher program assistance.

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the primary Federal agency responsible for administering programs to support affordable housing, fair housing, homeownership, and community development nationally and on Native American lands, as well as research on housing and development issues.

HUD-VASH

or
VASH

HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing is a collaborative program which pairs HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services for homeless Veterans. These services are designed to help homeless Veterans and their families find and sustain permanent housing and access the health care, mental health treatment, substance use counseling, and other supports necessary to help them in their recovery process and with their ability to maintain housing in the community.

Jobs Plus Initiative Program or JPI

Jobs Plus is a HUD initiative program for public housing residents to develop locally-based, job-driven approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement technology skills, and financial literacy for residents of public housing.

LIHTC

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, a program established in Section 42 of the IRS Code that allows projects to receive a credit against Federal tax owed. Project owners bring in investors as limited partners in return for the investor(s) providing funds to the owners to help build or renovate housing that will be rented to lower income households for a minimum period of years. There are two types of credits, both of which are available over a 10-year period: a 9% credit on construction and rehabilitation costs, and a 4% bond credit on acquisition costs and all development costs partially using below-market financing.

LTV

Loan to Value, calculated as the ratio of the balance of a loan divided by the value of the collateral, which is usually the appraised fair market value of the property for an acquisition loan, the improved value of the property for a rehabilitation loan, and the total cost of construction for a new construction loan.

Mixed-Finance Project

A Public Housing project that has been developed with a combination of private financing and Public Housing development funds in accordance with 24 CFR Part 905 (Subpart F).

Mod Rehab

Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation program, administered by Public Housing authorities to provide project-based rental assistance to low-income families living in privately owned rental properties previously rehabilitated pursuant to a Housing Assistance Payment contract between the owner and the Public Housing authority. The conversion of Mod Rehab projects to the Rental Assistance Demonstration is part of the second component of the program and is not part of this study.

MTW

Moving to Work, a demonstration program administered by the Office of Public and Indian Housing that provides Public Housing authorities (PHAs) the opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed strategies that use Federal dollars more efficiently, help residents find employment and become self-sufficient, and increase housing choices for low-income families. MTW gives PHAs exemptions from many existing Public Housing and voucher rules and more flexibility with how they use their Federal funds. MTW PHAs are expected to use the opportunities presented by MTW to inform HUD about ways to better address local community needs.

NEPA

National Environmental Policy Act is a law that requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions

NN

HUD’s Neighborhood Networks Program was one of the first federal initiatives aimed at promoting self-sufficiency and providing technology access to residents living in HUD Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured and -assisted communities.

NOFA

A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is a funding opportunity that federal entities release for organizations to apply for a funding award, and there are certain eligibility criteria for each NOFO. NOFOs are published each fiscal year (FY) on www.Grants.gov  for HUD’s Discretionary Funding Programs.  NOFOs describe the type of funding available on a competitive basis and provides information on submission of an application, typically up to 30 to 90 days from the date of the NOFO publication on grants.gov.

NOI

Net Operating Income, which equals all revenue from the property minus all reasonably necessary operating expenses.

NSP

Neighborhood Stabilization Program, a grant program administered by HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from housing foreclosures and residential property abandonment. The program works by purchasing and redeveloping foreclosed and abandoned homes and residential properties.

OCAF

Operating Cost Adjustment Factor, established by HUD and applied to the existing contract rent, less the portion of the rent paid for debt service. The OCAF may not be negative. This is also known as the annual rate of increase in Section 8 housing contract rents as determined and published by HUD.

OFFP

Operating Fund Financing Program, administered by the Office of Public and Indian Housing to allow Public Housing authorities to borrow private capital to finance development and modernization of Public Housing communities by using a portion of their Operating Fund reserve balances to collateralize financing and pay debt service and customary financing costs where the financing is used for Public Housing development or modernization (including Public Housing mixed-finance developments).

OGC

The HUD Office of General Counsel provides legal opinions, advice and services with respect to all departmental programs and activities. OGC represents the agency in litigation and enforcement actions; provides legal services in connection with the development, preparation and presentation of the Department's legislative initiatives; has primary responsibility for the development of HUD program regulations; and assists in the development of HUD programs and policies.

OMB

U.S. Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the management of the Federal budget.

Operating Fund
or
OFND

The Operating Fund Program was established for the purposes of the operation and management of Public Housing. Additionally, all maintenance activities specifically listed in Section 9(e) of the 1937 Act are eligible Operating Fund activities. Public Housing authorities (PHAs) also may use operating funds for unforeseeable and unpreventable emergencies that include damage to the physical structure of the PHA’s housing stock, such as damage as a result of a natural occurrence such as a windstorm or flood. Although damages caused by unforeseen emergencies may eventually be covered under a warranty, with insurance proceeds, or through disaster funds, PHAs may use operating funds to cover the expenses incurred prior to receipt of warranty, insurance, or disaster proceeds. After receipt of warranty, insurance, or disaster proceeds, the PHA must reimburse their operating account for any expenses that were initially covered with operating funds up to the amount received.

Operating Fund Reserves

Consist of the balance of surplus funds accumulated through operation of Public Housing, assistance from the Operating Fund, and operating receipts as defined in the Annual Contributions Contract.

Part 200

or

Retention

Part 200 Retentions of public housing property, see 2 CFR Part 200. PHAs can repositioning public housing real property under retention when the real property is no longer used or was never used for public housing dwelling purposes. The property is free from Public Housing Use Restrictions. See HUD Notice 2016-20 for more information.

PBRA

Project-Based Rental Assistance, a Section 8 Program administered by HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing. Under the terms of a PBRA contract between HUD and a project owner, HUD provides a housing assistance subsidy that makes up the difference between what an eligible tenant household can afford and the approved contract rent for an adequate housing unit in a multifamily project. Eligible tenants must pay the highest of 30 percent of adjusted income, 10 percent of gross income, the portion of welfare assistance designated for housing, or the minimum rent established by HUD. PBRA contracts are attached to specific housing units and are not portable for the tenant. Public Housing authorities are not party to a PBRA contract unless the authority is a project owner.

Payment Standard

The maximum monthly assistance payment for a family assisted in the HCV program (before deducting the total tenant payment). Payment Standards must be within 80% to 110% of the FMR.

PBV

Project-Based Vouchers, Section 8 vouchers that are attached to specific housing units and administered as part of a Public Housing authority’s (PHA) Housing Choice Voucher program. Under the PBV program, a PHA enters into an assistance contract with the project owner for a specified number of units and for a specified length of time. The PHA refers families to the project owner to fill project vacancies. Because PBV assistance is tied to the unit, when a family moves from the PBV unit, the assistance remains with the unit.

PHA

Public Housing Authority, also known as a Public Housing Agency (which can be any state, county, municipality, or other governmental entity or public body) that administers programs under the United States Housing Act of 1937, which could include Public Housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. It should be noted that many PHAs also act as local Redevelopment Authorities and are then referred to as Redevelopment and Housing Authorities.

PHAS

Public Housing Assessment System, the HUD system to measure the performance of all Public Housing authorities administering the Public Housing program, per 24 CFR Part 902. It includes components for assessing the physical, financial, and management performance of each Public Housing authority.

PIC

or

IMS/PIC

PIH Information Center or Inventory Management System/Public and Indian Housing Information Center is an online data-tracking system for public housing properties. PHAs must use IMS/PIC to apply to HUD to remove public housing property (buildings, units, and vacant land) from their inventories. 

PH

Public Housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families. There are approximately 970,000 households living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 PHAs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers Federal aid to local PHAs that manage the housing for low-income residents at rents they can afford. HUD furnishes technical and professional assistance in planning, developing, and managing these developments.

PIH

Office of Public and Indian Housing, a HUD office responsible for the development and maintenance of Public Housing and Native American housing programs.

PMT

PHA Mortgaged Transactions occur when Public Housing authorities’ mortgage or otherwise encumber their Public Housing real estate and other property to secure financing transactions, as allowed under Section 30 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

PNA

Physical Needs Assessment, an instrument that HUD uses to capture data on the physical condition of Public Housing properties in order to project a project’s future capital investment needs in the short and long terms, typically used for Section 18 dispositions. See CNA. A CNA and PNA are quite similar but vary based on the format and on the requirements of each program.

Public Housing

A type of housing assistance administered by the Office of Public and Indian Housing that was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public Housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families. Approximately 1.2 million households live in Public Housing units, managed by some 3,300 Public Housing authorities that manage the housing for low-income residents at rents they can afford. HUD furnishes technical and professional assistance in planning, developing, and managing these developments.

RAB

A Resident Advisory Board provides the PHA and its residents a forum for sharing information about the Agency’s Annual Plan and repositioning of public housing proposals. RABs must be consulted in the repositioning process and proof of RAB consultation must be submitted in all SAC applications.

RAD

Rental Assistance Demonstration, established under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 to stem the potential loss of Public Housing and other subsidized housing units due to the growing backlog of unfunded capital needs. The program has two components: the first component focuses on the conversion of existing Public Housing to project-based Section 8 assistance, and the second component focuses on existing Section 8 projects that are being phased out.

RAD Blend

or

RAD/Section 18 Blend

RAD and Section 18 “blended” repositioning strategy, portion of the units convert under RAD and convert under Section 18

RAD Use Agreement

The document specifying the affordability and use restrictions on the covered project, which will be coterminous with the HAP contract and will be recorded prior to the lien of the first mortgage and structured to survive foreclosure. The RAD Use Agreement is used only in connection with Public Housing conversions under RAD.

RAP

Rental Assistance Payment, a housing assistance program that preceded and is similar to the Section 8 housing assistance program and the Rent Supp program. The conversion of RAP projects to the Rental Assistance Demonstration is part of the second component of the program and is not part of this study.

RCC

RAD Conversion Commitment, a commitment provided by HUD to an active RAD project to officially convert the Public Housing to Section 8 under the RAD program. The RCC is provided when HUD completes its underwriting of the project and approves the conversion’s financing plan.

REAC

Real Estate Assessment Center, a HUD office that conducts inspections of properties that are owned, insured, or subsidized by HUD, including Public Housing and multifamily assisted housing, to determine whether the affordable housing stock is meeting the standard of being decent, safe, sanitary, and in good repair. REAC Inspection Scores range from 0 to 100 points. REAC also reviews the financial performance of the projects and provides Financial Assessment Subsystem scores.

Rent Supp

Rent Supplement, a program similar to Rental Assistance Payment and Section 8 in which HUD makes payments to owners of private housing on behalf of qualified low-income tenants. The conversion of Rent Supp projects to the Rental Assistance Demonstration is part of the second component of the program and is not part of this study.

Responsible Entity
or
RE

The responsible entity that assumes the responsibility for environmental review, also assumes the decision-making and action

that would otherwise apply to HUD under NEPA and other provisions of law that further the purposes of NEPA, as specified at Part 58.

RHF

Replacement Housing Factor funds are Capital Fund grants in two 5-year increments that are awarded by HUD to Public Housing authorities that have removed units from inventory for the sole purpose of developing new Public Housing units. RHF is being replaced by the Demolition and Disposition Transitional Funding (DDTF) program. Also, see DDTF.

RMI

Removed from Inventory means public housing property (buildings, units, and vacant land) is removed from the public housing inventory, when this occurs the IMS/PIC sub-module is used.

ROSS

Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) is a grant program for public housing residents with supportive services, resident empowerment activities, and assistance in becoming economically self-sufficient. If a public housing resident move out of public housing they are no longer eligible to participate in ROSS.

RROF

Request for Release of Funds and certification process must be done during environmental review. The local HUD Field Office must receive RROF and certification form. When the responsible entity is conducting an environmental review on behalf of a recipient (typically a PHA during SAC repositioning), as provided for in 24 CFR part 58.10, the recipient must provide the responsible entity with all available project and environmental information and refrain from undertaking any physical activities or choice limiting actions until HUD (or the State, if applicable) has approved its request for release of funds. A notice of intent to RROF must be submitted with a public comment period.

SEMAP

Section Eight Management Assessment Program, the system used to measure the

performance of PHAs administering the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, per 24 CFR Part 985.

SAC

Special Applications Center is a Center within in HUD under Public and Indian Housing (PIH). The SAC reviews public housing repositioning applications that pertain to repositioning under Section 18 (Demolition, Disposition, De Minimis Demolition, Eminent Domain); Section 18/RAD blends; Section 32 (Homeownership); Section 22 (Voluntary Conversion, Streamlined Voluntary Conversion); Section 33 (Required Conversions); and Part 200 (Retention).

Section 3

Section 3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, obligates PHAs to afford resident access to jobs and contracting opportunities created by federal funding

Section 5(h)

Section 5(h) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, Permits PHAs to sell all or part of a public housing development to eligible residents

Section 8 Housing Assistance

The “Section 8” Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Rental Assistance Program, and Project-Based Voucher Program is the Federal Government’s major program for assisting very-low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. In both types of Section 8 Programs, rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety. A housing subsidy is paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. (See HCV and PBRA and PBV.)

Section 9

Section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, refers PHAs federally assisted public housing units.

Section 18 Demolition/ Disposition

Section 18 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, allows for the demolition or disposition of public housing. It is a management strategy option for Public Housing projects that have difficulties associated with physical deterioration or the overall deterioration of the surrounding community, or that were built to a standard that is no longer acceptable for the general public.

Section 22

Section 22 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, allows for Voluntary Conversions and Streamlined Voluntary Conversion (SVC).

Section 32

Section 32 of the United State Housing Act of 1937, allows public housing dwelling units to be made available for homeownership (purchase by low-income families as their principal residence)

Section 33

Section 33 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, allows for Required Conversion of public housing.

SLR

Subsidy Layer Review is undertaken to ensure the amount of assistance provided by HUD is not more than necessary to make the PBV project feasible in consideration of all other governmental assistance. See HUD Notice 2013-11.

SVC

Streamlined Voluntary Conversions allow small PHAs with 250 or fewer public housing units to convert to tenant-based housing choice voucher (HCV) assistance through streamlined authority.  Under SVC, PHAs are not required to complete the conversion assessment described in Section 22 of the 1937 Act and 24 CFR part 972, Subpart B.   Notably, PHAs are not required to complete the cost-test or to evidence that the conversion is cost-effective.  SVC authority gives small PHAs greater flexibility to respond to local needs, allows them to pursue private financing, and provides greater housing choice and mobility to assisted households. See PIH Notice 2019-05.

Tenant Based Voucher or TBV

Tenant Based Vouchers are fully portable and tied to the family. TBV is a form of Section 8 affordable housing for very low-income families (i.e., families with incomes below 50% of AMI) and a few specific categories of families with incomes up to 80% of AMI. PHAs apply for TBVs by responding to notices of funding availability (NOFAs) published in the Federal Register. Each NOFA identifies allocation areas, amount of funds available per area, and the selection criteria for rating and ranking applications.

TDC

The Total Development Cost (TDC) pertains to a development project’s sources and uses budget. In the case of HUD-funded development projects, HUD determines the TDC for a Public Housing project based on unit construction costs (as listed in nationally recognized residential construction cost indices), bedroom size, and structure types for all of the Public Housing units in the project. HUD also sets a maximum TDC that restricts the amount of HUD funding that can be contributed to a unit (but other funding can be added from private sources). HUD publishes annual TDC limits. More information about HUD’s TDC calculations, including procedures HUD uses for establishing TDC limits can be found at 24 CFR 905. and procedures for the Annual posting of TDC limits on HUD's webpages, can be found in PIH Notice 2011-38. See also HUD's TDC Limits Workbook and TDC costs limits from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

Tenant Protection Voucher or TPV

Tenant Protection Vouchers are provided to protect HUD-assisted families from hardship as the result of a variety of actions that occur in HUD’s Public Housing (Low-Rent), the Multifamily Housing portfolios, and Moderate Rehabilitation properties.  Under current HUD policy, TPVs may also be issued in connection to such actions for vacant units that have been occupied by a HUD-assisted family in the past 24 months. 

TTP

Total Tenant Payment, the minimum amount a family must contribute toward rent and utilities.

UPCS

Uniform Physical Condition Standards, Public Housing Assessment System standards used to measure the physical condition of public and assisted housing.

TRACS

Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS) is a HUD computer system developed to help improve financial controls over assisted housing programs by automating manual procedures and incorporating automated controls.

UFAS

Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards are standards for facility accessibility by individuals with a physical disability, for federal and federally funded facilities. The standards define the requirements under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, UFAS

applies to public housing units built or altered with federal grants or loans.

URA

Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act (URA) is a federal law that establishes minimum standards for federally funded programs and projects that require the acquisition of real property (real estate) or displace persons from their homes, businesses, or farms. The URA's protections and assistance apply to the acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition of real property for Federal or federally funded projects.

Utility Allowance

HUD’s or the Contract Administrator’s estimate of the average monthly utility bills (except telephone) for an energy-conscious household. This estimate considers only utilities paid directly by the tenant. If all utilities are included in the rent, there is not a utility allowance. The HAP contract (and the PBV tenancy addendum) lists the utilities provided to the contract units, by bedroom type, including a listing of the utilities covered by the owner and those to be covered by the tenant.

USHA

United State Housing Act of 1937 provided for subsidies to be paid from the U.S. government to local public housing agencies (PHA) to improve living conditions for low-income families.

VA

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs provides veterans with benefits and services such as health care, education, home loans, life insurance, and more. See www.VA.gov .

VMS

Voucher Management System supports the information management needs of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) management functions performed by the Financial Management Center (FMC) and the Financial Management Division (FMD) of the Office of Public and Indian Housing and the Real Estate Management Center (PIH-REAC). primary purpose is to provide a central system to monitor and manage the Public Housing Agency (PHAs) use of vouchers. The VMS collects PHA data that enables HUD to fund, obligate, and disburse funding in a timely manner, based on actual PHA use.