APARTMENT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
Industry Endorsed Section 8 Reforms Pass House
T
he House unanimously approved the
“Housing Opportunities through Modernization Act of 2015” in early February
by a vote of 427-0. NAA/NMHC urged
members of the House to support this vital reform
bill. We also joined with a coalition of real estate
groups and a coalition of advocacy and industry
groups in advocating for the legislation’s support. In
light of the unanimous vote, we are hopeful that the
momentum built in the House translates to action
in the Senate, but timing is uncertain.
Specifically, the bill would streamline the Section 8 voucher program’s property inspection process by allowing immediate occupancy if the apartment home has been inspected within the past 24
months. This would reduce the length of time an
apartment is vacant and limit move-in delays for
residents. The legislation would also extend the
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contract term for project based vouchers from 15
to 20 years.
Funded by HUD and administered by local
public housing authorities, the Section 8 voucher
program has long served as America’s primary
method of rental assistance. Two million very or
extremely low-income families are housed in the
private market annually through the Section 8
Housing Choice Voucher Program.
HUD Changes Policy for Bed
Bug Inspections
HUD recently announced a policy change for
inspecting units with bed bugs by all inspectors
who conduct physical inspections of HUD assisted and insured properties. Specifically, these
units will now have to be fully inspected like any
other unit. The previous policy required inspectors
not to enter a unit if bed bugs were reported, and
to choose a different unit to inspect. Importantly,
the new policy makes clear that the presence and
treatment of bed bugs on a property will not affect
the inspection score.
This policy amends the old protocol by requiring inspectors to enter all units in which bed bugs
are reported. The change is taking place as a result
of research that found the likelihood of transfer of
bed bugs to an inspector from an infested unit is
remote.
NAA/NMHC will continue to call for expanded research efforts to develop solutions to
control bed bugs. We are also working to identify
best practices and other options to assist owners
in dealing with catastrophic bed bug infestations.
www.aamdhq.org