Team Yardi had a fantastic time attending the NAHRO Summer Symposium in Chicago earlier this month. We’re proud to continue our role as a NAHRO supporter and diamond sponsor.   The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Housing Choice Voucher program and the opening of the National Public Housing Museum. Attendees participated in informational sessions focused on the past, present and future of the affordable housing industry. “It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our clients and learn about what’s on the horizon for the industry,” said Stevan Henning, senior account executive. The conference We were warmly welcomed by NAHRO President George Guy, who opened with a lighthearted discussion on the history of music and culture in Chicago. It was a jam-packed schedule, keeping us on our toes the entire time. We learned about various topics in the housing industry including: Updates on the Move to Work Demonstration Improving Community Choice in the Voucher Program HUD’s New Inspection protocol, NSPIRE Level 5 Upfront Income Verification Public Housing Preservation, Climate and Energy Resources National Public Housing Museum tour One of the standout moments was the tour of Chicago’s National Public Housing Museum — the first institution of its kind dedicated to telling the story of public housing in the United States. “Housing insecurity is a leading issue of our time. Having an institution dedicated to educating people and sharing stories is incredible. Touring the facility was heartwarming, the stories were touching, and the lessons were rewarding,” said Jeanette Porter, PHA sales manager. Streamlining the Verification of Income: panel session Yardi teamed up with Heather Gaines from Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and Alice Kimbowa from Seattle Housing Authority in a panel session discussing income verification challenges and strategies. Mary Beth Snyder, Yardi industry principal, delved into some key issues facing income verification such as: Applicant fraud Lower staffing levels Varied income sources HUD’s highest level of income verification for new applicants is upfront income verification (UIV) using non-HUD systems. While many agencies use The Work Number for UIV, more cost-effective data providers and electronic data sets are available. Using electronic data verification enhances program integrity, improves administrative efficiency and reduces steps for applicants. Attendees learned how UIV costs are justified by addressing current challenges and opportunities. Thank you NAHRO for the opportunity to speak on this pressing matter housing authorities are facing. We hope attendees found value in our panel session.   Client spotlight Connecting with clients at events like these is always a highlight. Jeanette had the pleasure of meeting with April Thompson of Rock Springs Housing Authority.  April was thrilled to share that her team is now live on Yardi Voyager. She noted that the transition to Yardi was smooth, thanks to our dedicated team that ensured everything was up and running. We look forward to our future partnership with Rock Springs Housing Authority and supporting their continued success with Voyager. Final thoughts The NAHRO Summer Symposium offered our team a chance to connect with the community, celebrate milestones and reflect on the importance of public housing. We look forward to continuing to support NAHRO and contributing to the future of the industry. Curious about our commitment to public housing? Learn more about our solutions for PHAs...

The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) of 2016 brings significant changes to HUD’s public housing program. After years of preparation and implementation processes, public housing agencies across the country are ready to change the way they complete many of their core processes. Yardi is also ready for HOTMA with updates to our PHA Suite in development, as well as a plan to provide hands-on assistance to our clients as we work through HUD’s new program mandates. Gabrielle Van Horn, director of client services for Yardi, recently led an online webinar for Yardi clients walking them through Yardi’s HOTMA strategy. The webinar’s agenda included an overview of HUD changes, notably: Finalization of the Public Housing Over-Income Rule: Section 103 (PIH 2023-3) Final Rule for Sections 102 and 104 HOTMA Implementation Revisions to all 50058 forms Housing Information Portal (HIP), which replaces IMS/PIC National Standard for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) Van Horn walked attendees through Yardi’s plan to accommodate these upcoming changes. She also provided a timeline for all Yardi PHA clients who will need to upgrade their software this year, in order to remain compliant with the new HUD rules. Important notes on preparation and training from Gabrielle’s presentation included: Prepare your Board of Commissioners: ACOPs and Admin Plans must be adjusted. These are not optional changes We recommend utilizing training from HUD, industry experts, and industry groups such as NAHRO and PHADA for regulatory guidance An in-person training will be offered at the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference in San Diego, September 6th – 8th Additional training will be available via online learning and documentation for those unable to attend the conference “This is an all-hands-on-deck process for the PHA client support team over the next few months. We’ve got a plan to help all of our clients to get their software ready for new HUD requirements, and we are allocating resources from within to help make the process as smooth and timely as possible. We’re committed to helping our clients through this process,” said Gabrielle. As a leading provider of PHA software and services, Yardi has access to contacts at HUD to seek clarification and provide feedback on how new rules can be accommodated. Yardi, as well as other vendors, will soon have a private meeting with HUD to discuss particular challenges and to provide advice on implementation strategies. Public housing agencies who are current Yardi clients can log on to Client Central to see Gabrielle’s recorded webinar. Questions submitted during the session, along with answers from Yardi, are also available on Client...

Moving To Work (MTW) was a groundbreaking policy moment for HUD in 1996. Through MTW, HUD selected a small group (or cohort) of public housing agencies (PHAs) for the chance to create their own programs using HUD money. Gabrielle Van Horn speaks at NAHRO last month. The only caveat to these MTW programs was the they must accomplish specific goals set by HUD, including: Finding better ways to use federal funds with emphasis on reducing costs and improving effectiveness and availability of servicesHelping households improve economic self-sufficiency through incentives for participation in job training, education or job search activitiesIncreasing the availability and selection of housing resources for low-income households As a Demonstration Program, HUD share successes and challenges that each PHA participating in MTW experiences. So, MTW is not just a chance for PHAs to help their local communities, but also help other PHAs craft programs that may work elsewhere. MTW’s recent expansion is an opportunity for more agencies to participate in creating and testing innovative housing policies that can revolutionize the subsidized housing industry. That makes this a great time to check in with Gabrielle Van Horn, director of PHA support for Yardi, to get her perspective on MTW’s history and future. Gabrielle, tell us about Yardi’s first involvement with MTW. Our experience goes back more than two decades, all the way back to 2000. From the beginning, we’ve had MTW clients working with programs falling under the categories of administrative efficiencies, rent reform, work requirements and incentive programs. Collaboration with our customers in program design and our working experience with HUD programs have helped make our customers’ visions come to life. Yardi is honored to partner with some of the most progressive agencies in the country. About half of the original MTW agencies are Yardi clients, so we were well positioned to work on the expansion phase of MTW. We have clients in each cohort. We took the initiative to engage with them as soon as possible so that we could support their newly designed programs and make sure they could track data for accounting, household demographics, changes in income and other key information. How does Yardi help track control groups? To me, HUD’s requirement of control groups is one of most interesting components of the MTW Expansion guidelines. Control group data can be quite helpful in testing program design. Tracking non-participating households alongside those that are part of MTW designed programs makes it possible to prove the effectiveness of locally designed programs. That proof will go a long way in the future of public policy design. That’s why Yardi has ensured that control group tracking is a key component of our custom programming for MTW Expansion rent reform clients. Can you give us an update on how Yardi is supporting MTW Expansion 50058s? This is a new 50058 form and a new file format. We’ll be using new technology to submit these 50058s to HUD to HIP (Housing Information Portal). We have been testing and providing feedback to HUD since they first opened their original testing site to vendors. As soon as HUD is ready, we’ll have the interfaces in place to submit them electronically. One of the greatest benefits of having a longstanding relationship with HUD is the trust that we are doing our part. That means that our clients feel comfortable and confident knowing we have designed features that will reflect their vision and meet HUD’s compliance requirements. What do you think is the most exciting cohort? I am very excited about the Landlord Incentives cohort. Finding ways to make the program more appealing to landlords is critical to the future of the Housing Choice Voucher program. Are you prepared for the next MTW cohort? Yes. We have a team of programmers and support staff ready for the next programs that come from our clients. But, here’s an even better question: is the next...

In the northern half of Ontario, Canada, daily life maintains a bridge to an earlier time. Economic drivers include gold mining, and until recently, a paper mill. Winters are long and sometimes unusually frigid. One local politician says the area, an eight hour drive from Toronto,  is “truly one of the last frontiers left in the country.” But despite those links to the past, the region has modern problems. Poverty, addiction, domestic violence and elder care are issues here on the last frontier just like anywhere else. Thankfully, there are leaders like Lee-Ann St. Jacques to help address them. St. Jacques was recently honored as the Influential Women of Northern Ontario’s Executive of the Year. A passionate advocate for supportive housing services, she serves as Area Manager of the Cochrane District Social Services Administration (a Yardi client), which delivers social services to a far-flung region encompassing 145,618 square kilometers – and around 83,000 residents. “Housing is a critical part of our region’s future and yet it remains one of the most underfunded elements. Lee-Ann has not let that deter her from leading one of the most significant housing outcomes of our generation,” wrote Peter Politis, Mayor of Cochrane, one of the larger towns in the district. Politis and other area officials expressed profuse support for St. Jacques’ nomination for the executive honor. “One primary passion for Lee-Ann is that of ensuring adequate and affordable housing for the growing needs of seniors living in our community,” wrote Michael Shea, Mayor of Iroquois Falls, the town where St. Jacques lives and works. In addition to her day job, she has also served as the director of the Iroquois Falls Chamber of Commerce and worked toward establishing a community senior center and garden. “For me it is all about the people I serve. It is seeing the impact on their lives, that is my motivation. Everyone needs a safe place to call home; to live in dignity and to achieve a healthy quality of life,” St. Jacques said. She fell into public housing somewhat accidentally as a career path, but has now been with the CDSSAB for 28 years. In that time, St. Jacques has worked on numerous development projects to augment the area’s housing stock and consolidate local delivery of social services. Housing for victims of domestic violence and two-bedroom affordable and accessible units for seniors have been among the projects. The most recent work involved a public-private partnership to construct 32 units of supportive housing for seniors. With the final closure of the Resolute Paper Mill in Iroquois Falls in 2015, a significant portion of the town’s population relocated to find other jobs. The ripple effect impacted many. NE Ontario Communities are struggling with youth out-migrating to secure employment and seniors leaving to reside in supportive and assisted living facilities. “We are ahead of the curve when it comes to senior supportive and affordable housing, but we are not at the crest of Baby Boomers yet. This is a pilot project for us as we know based on our demographics and community consultations there is going to be an increasing demand over the next 10-20 years,” she said. Mayor Politis noted: “Our mothers and fathers, who have built their homes and lives here, can now remain in their roots, with dignity and family nearby. I can’t think of a better gift from one person to many others.” Within her organization, St. Jacques has impacted future-focused change, including the implementation of the Yardi Voyager platform. With such a far flung region to oversee, she noted that Yardi’s cloud based technology has been a huge help to the CDSSA. “Because of the size of our district, to be able to go to another community and have access to the database, or to be able to work from home, that’s fantastic,” she said. While St. Jacques is recognized regionally for her work, she...

Providing high-quality, secure and supportive public housing in any major metropolitan area, as any housing provider can imagine, is a real challenge. Add on the desire to create a sense of community, offer sustainable building design, and truly change residents’ lives, and it might sounds like a task of insurmountable proportions. But the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) has earned national recognition for accomplishing all of the above. Along the way, they’ve become a model for public housing programming as they achieve real results through their efforts. HACLA, a Yardi client, manages 75,400 units, has a budget of $1 billion annually, and aims to increase its capacity by 30,000 units over the next decade. Conventional public housing, Section 8, special programs and a small portfolio of asset management units are included within its oversight. Truth be told, each of the programs that HACLA has been recognized for could be worthy of an article on their own. To provide a comprehensive overview of some of the amazing things the agency is doing, HACLA staff helped us assemble the following summaries. 1.      Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Safety and policing is a vital part of any public housing program. In an effort to improve the relationship between Los Angeles public housing residents and the LAPD, an agreement was struck to assign 45 permanent officers to four public housing communities that needed a law enforcement presence. Imperial Courts, Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens and Ramona Gardens were each assigned 10 officers to work on crime reduction, programming, quality of life and communication with residents. This ongoing relationship allows residents to get to know the officers, bring them concerns, and work together to create solutions.   2.      Dana Strand Senior Housing A major need within the affordable housing sector nationwide is for more senior units. A new 100-unitproject within HACLA, the Dana Strand Senior Housing Project, was recently constructed in the Wilmington neighborhood. A focus on sustainability and green features earned this project special attention. Dana Strange, which was developed through a partnership between HACLA and ROEM Development Corporation, achieved USGBC’s LEED-H Gold certification, one of the toughest in industry guidelines for sustainable building and maintenance. Dana Strand offers high-quality, affordable housing that encourages a healthy, active living environment and reduces impact on our air, water and landfills.   3.      UCLA Students Contribute Building bridges between public housing and other community resources can be beneficial to both sides. HACLA partnered with UCLA to bring in energetic student volunteers for two significant community improvement projects.  First, HACLA and 50 Bruins created a library in Ramona Gardens, with students painting shelves and sorting donated books.  Next, 300 students helped beautify the grounds of the Nickerson Gardens community. Socially, benefits came on both sides. The students learned more about the needs and condition of public housing in LA, and residents were exposed to young university volunteers, encouraging education and community service.    4.      Homeless Assistance Initiative Homelessness is a major social issue in Los Angeles County, and HACLA has been a vital participant in the Home for Good initiative, a 5-year plan to end chronic and veteran homelessness. The agency supports 8600 households within four programs: Shelter Plus Care, Project-Based Voucher, Tenant Based Supportive Housing and HUD-VASH. They’ve also reduced procedural barriers to get eligible homeless persons into available homes, and attempted to ease the transitions between the Shelter Plus Care program into standard, voucher-enabled public housing. Shelter Plus Care entails rental assistance and treatment support for persons diagnosed with a mental illness, substance abuse problem, HIV/AIDS or a dual diagnosis. The Authority’s dedication to decreasing chronic homelessness was recognized in 2012 by the United Way of the Greater Los Angeles.   5.      HUD – VASH Streamlined Procedures Helping homeless veterans stabilize their housing situation and receive medical treatment and job training support are among the aims of the HUD-VASH Program, a joint national...