HERA established a pilot program to streamline FHA mortgage insurance applications for projects with equity from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The Tax Credit Pilot creates a distinct application platform and a separate processing track under the Section 223(f) program. The mission of the program is to design, test, and refine streamlined FHA application requirements and processing. The Tax Credit Pilot program and transaction requirements were announced by Mortgagee Letter 2012-1 on February 3, 2012. HUD's Office of Housing clarified and revised program policies in February 2014 in order to make the pilot more flexible and available to a wider array of projects. The initial announcement limited the pilot to Chicago, and Boston. On September 12, 2012, the pilot was expanded to include Atlanta, Denver, Fort Worth, and San Francisco. Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner.

On the Web: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/mfh/map/maphome/taxcredit

The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 authorized the creation of a demonstration designed to preserve and improve public housing and certain other multifamily housing through the voluntary conversion of properties assisted under section 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (public housing), the moderate rehabilitation program (Mod Rehab), the Rent Supplement Program (Rent Supp), the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), or the Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract (202 PRAC) program, to assistance under a project-based subsidy contract under section 8 of the 1937 Act. The program has a competitive component and a non-competitive component, but no new funding is appropriated for these conversions. The competitive component initially allowed conversion of up to 60,000 units from the section 9 account (for public housing conversions) or from the Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) account (amounts appropriated for mod rehab) for Mod Rehab conversion to long-term section 8 rental assistance contracts or project-based voucher contracts. The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 113-235, approved December 16, 2014) increased the initial 60,000 cap to 185,000. This cap was increased again to 225,000 units through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, approved May 5, 2017) and once more to 455,000 units by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115- 141, approved March 23, 2018). The conversions are administered by public housing agencies and other qualified entities.

The non-competitive component allows Rent Supp, RAP, Mod Rehab, and 202 PRAC property owners to convert assistance to long-term Section 8 rental assistance contracts or project-based voucher contracts. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113, approved December 18, 2015) made the authority for the non-competitive component permanent.

Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner; Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

On the Web: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/rad/

The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 authorized the use of funds for a Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, (PRA Demo) for state housing finance agencies and other appropriate entities as authorized under section 811(b)(3) of the CranstonGonzalez ational Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013(b)(3)). Under this program, state housing agencies that have entered into partnerships with state health and human services and Medicaid agencies can apply for Section 811 Project Rental Assistance for new or existing affordable housing developments funded by Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), HOME, or other sources of funds. Under the state health care/housing agency partnership, the health care agency must develop a policy for referrals, tenant selection, and service delivery to ensure that this housing is targeted to a population most in need of deeply affordable supportive housing. This Section 811 assistance comes in the form of project rental assistance alone. No funds are available for construction or rehabilitation.

Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner.

On the Web: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/811-pra/

The Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program (Tribal HUD-VASH) provides rental assistance and supportive services to Native American veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness living on or near a reservation or other Indian areas. Housing assistance is either tenant-based or project-based, and is made available by grants to tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) that are eligible to receive Indian Housing Block Grant funding under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996. Eligible homeless veterans receive case management services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A tribe/TDHE should work with the local VA medical center (VAMC) to determine how case management will be delivered to participating veterans. VA may provide these services directly through the local VAMC, or through a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Alternatively, the VA may engage in a contractual relationship with a tribal healthcare provider or the Indian Health Service (IHS) for service delivery. A tribe/TDHE may partner with VA to provide office space within the tribal area for the VA caseworker to operate. Additionally, VA, in coordination with the tribe/TDHE may partner with IHS to provide space for VA case management activities at an IHS facility. Native American veterans participating in this program will be housed based on a Housing First approach, where homeless veterans are provided housing assistance and then offered the supportive services that may be needed to foster long-term stability and prevent a return to homelessness. The program was funded again in both the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, approved May 5, 2017) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, approved March 23, 2018).

Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

On the Web: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih/tribalhudvash

Section 1079 of the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act (38 U.S.C. 2101 note) directs the Secretary to award grants to qualified nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate and modify the primary residence of eligible veterans. This demonstration is conducted with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that it meets the needs of veterans. Grant funds can be used to retrofit the home for a veteran with a disability, make repairs, or install energy efficient features or equipment. Organizations receiving funds must match at least 50 percent of the grant funds.

This demonstration program authorizes the Secretary to enter into budget-neutral performancebased agreements in fiscal years 2016 through 2019 to reduce energy or water costs in multifamily buildings assisted by HUD. Participating entities are to carry out improvement projects at the properties, and then should savings be realized, the entity will receive payments of a portion of the savings achieved.

Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner

The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) aims to demonstrate how a comprehensive approach to serving homeless youth can reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness and to try new strategies for serving homeless youth. This is done by providing grants to states, counties, cities, or townships, and nonprofits within 10 Continuums of Care (CoCs) that were competitively selected by HUD. Recipients are to serve unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, including pregnant or parenting youth, where no member of the household is older than 24 by developing and implementing a community plan to prevent and end youth homelessness.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, approved March 23, 2018) extended and revised the program, permitting HUD to select up to 25 communities within which grants will be awarded.

Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.

On the Web: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/yhdp

The ROSS for Education Program, also known as Project SOAR (Students + Opportunities + Achievements = Results) is a demonstration program reflecting HUD's commitment to expand educational services to youth living in HUD-assisted housing.

Project SOAR provides grant funding to public housing authorities to deploy education navigators to provide individualized assistance to public housing youth between the ages of 15-20 and their families in FAFSA completion, financial literacy and college readiness, postsecondary program applications and post-acceptance assistance. HUD awarded approximately $2 million to nine PHAs in 2016 to hire education navigators.

Information Sources: Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.

On the Web: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/projectsoar