Webinars

Webinar Series: Saving HUD Multifamily Homes: 30-Minute Trainings for Tenant Advocates on Key Preservation Risks and Strategies

Description:
The presence of affordable homes nationwide is rapidly decreasing. Throughout the U.S., there are 11.5 million extremely low-income tenants competing for a dwindling stock of 3.2 million affordable homes. For every new affordable home created, two are lost due to deterioration, abandonment, or conversion to more expensive housing. It is also far more cost-effective to rehabilitate existing housing than to construct new housing, and in recent years, Congress has allocated very little funding to build new affordable housing. Thus, the preservation of existing affordable homes is critically important for low-income tenants, since it directly impacts their housing stability, access to employment opportunities, health care, transportation, and education, among other important issues.

The structure of federally supported affordable housing multifamily properties creates unique long-term affordability risks because they are privately owned by for-profit and nonprofit owners. These include homes created with federally subsidized mortgages and with project-based rental assistance contracts. Data from the National Housing Preservation Database shows that nearly 1-in-10 publicly supported rental homes are subject to expiring affordability restrictions in the next 5 years.

This training series will provide a brief overview of preservation issues that tenants and advocates will encounter nationwide. During each 30-minute session (with an additional 10 minutes for Q&A), NHLP staff will overview key preservation risks, strategies, relevant legal authorities, and other resources.

Introduction to Affordable Housing Preservation & Identifying Key Risks in Your Community
(March 8, 10am-10:40am PT)
We will discuss how to identify what buildings are at risk in your community and highlight some of the
largest risks to affordable housing that you may encounter, including the difference between HUD
mortgage programs and HUD rental assistance programs. This session will also look at the loss of
affordable housing units nationwide and explain why preservation is so important.

Recording of this webinar.
Powerpoint slides of this webinar.

Understanding Project-Based Rental Assistance
(March 22, 10am-10:40am PT)
The project-based rental assistance (PBRA) program provides rental assistance for 1.2 million low- and
extremely low-income households across the country. This session will overview the structure and
oversight of PBRA units, including how it differs from other HUD housing programs.

Recording of this webinar.
Powerpoint slides of this webinar.

Understanding HAP Contract Renewals, Terminations, and Opt-Outs
(April 19, 10am-10:40am PT)
Because project-based rental assistance is provided through a contract between HUD and private
owners, any contract violations or failure to renew the contract at the end of its term puts the
affordability of the property at risk. This session will explain those risks and discuss how advocates can
identify and respond to them.

Recording of this webinar.
Powerpoint slides of this webinar.

Understanding Mortgage Prepayments and Maturities
(May 3, 10am-10:40am PT)
HUD mortgage programs also ensure housing affordability and come with a different set of risks. This
session will overview the types of HUD mortgage programs, affordability risks, and strategies for
responding to them.

Recording of this webinar.
Powerpoint slides of this webinar.

Ensuring Decent, Safe, and Sanitary Housing Conditions in PBRA Properties
(May 17, 10am-10:40am PT)
Property owners have an obligation to maintain HUD-subsidized property in a decent, safe, and
sanitary condition. Too often, this requirement is not adequately enforced. When building conditions
deteriorate to a significant extent, the property is at risk of closure. This session will overview
habitability requirements, HUD enforcement mechanisms, and local strategies to respond to poor
building conditions in project-based rental assistance properties.

Recording of this webinar.
Powerpoint slides of this webinar.

Recapitalization and How to Finance the Repair of Affordable Housing
(May 31, 10am-10:40am PT)
Often, additional financial resources are needed to repair a property and/or encourage a property
owner to continue to receive HUD assistance or support a preservation sale. This session will overview
the basic economics of affordable housing properties, recapitalization tools, and why a lack of financial
resources threatens the preservation of affordable housing.

Recording of this webinar.
Powerpoint slides of this webinar.

For additional questions about this training series, please contact Bridgett Simmons at bsimmons@nhlp.org