Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Implementation of the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration, Restrictions on Participating in the Mobility Demonstration and the Moving to Work Demonstration Expansion, 558-560 [2020-29266]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 6, 2021 / Notices
Management Agency, 500 C Street SW,
Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646–2833.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) hereby gives notice that
pursuant to the authority vested in the
Administrator, under Executive Order
12148, as amended, Brian Schiller, of
FEMA is appointed to act as the Federal
Coordinating Officer for this disaster.
This action terminates the
appointment of Steven W. Johnson as
Federal Coordinating Officer for this
disaster.
The following Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Numbers (CFDA) are to be used
for reporting and drawing funds: 97.030,
Community Disaster Loans; 97.031, Cora
Brown Fund; 97.032, Crisis Counseling;
97.033, Disaster Legal Services; 97.034,
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA);
97.046, Fire Management Assistance Grant;
97.048, Disaster Housing Assistance to
Individuals and Households In Presidentially
Declared Disaster Areas; 97.049,
Presidentially Declared Disaster Assistance—
Disaster Housing Operations for Individuals
and Households; 97.050, Presidentially
Declared Disaster Assistance to Individuals
and Households—Other Needs; 97.036,
Disaster Grants—Public Assistance
(Presidentially Declared Disasters); 97.039,
Hazard Mitigation Grant.
Pete Gaynor,
Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2020–29292 Filed 1–5–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–23–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
[Internal Agency Docket No. FEMA–4575–
DR; Docket ID FEMA–2020–0001]
Oklahoma; Major Disaster and Related
Determinations
Federal Emergency
Management Agency, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This is a notice of the
Presidential declaration of a major
disaster for the State of Oklahoma
(FEMA–4575–DR), dated December 21,
2020, and related determinations.
DATES: The declaration was issued
December 21, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dean Webster, Office of Response and
Recovery, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, 500 C Street SW,
Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646–2833.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given that, in a letter dated
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:08 Jan 05, 2021
Jkt 253001
December 21, 2020, the President issued
a major disaster declaration under the
authority of the Robert T. Stafford
Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.
(the ‘‘Stafford Act’’), as follows:
(Presidentially Declared Disasters); 97.039,
Hazard Mitigation Grant.
I have determined that the damage in
certain areas of the State of Oklahoma
resulting from a severe winter storm during
the period of October 26 to October 29, 2020,
is of sufficient severity and magnitude to
warrant a major disaster declaration under
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et
seq. (the ‘‘Stafford Act’’). Therefore, I declare
that such a major disaster exists in the State
of Oklahoma.
In order to provide Federal assistance, you
are hereby authorized to allocate from funds
available for these purposes such amounts as
you find necessary for Federal disaster
assistance and administrative expenses.
You are authorized to provide Public
Assistance in the designated areas and
Hazard Mitigation throughout the State.
Consistent with the requirement that Federal
assistance be supplemental, any Federal
funds provided under the Stafford Act for
Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation will
be limited to 75 percent of the total eligible
costs.
Further, you are authorized to make
changes to this declaration for the approved
assistance to the extent allowable under the
Stafford Act.
BILLING CODE 9111–23–P
The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) hereby gives notice that
pursuant to the authority vested in the
Administrator, under Executive Order
12148, as amended, Traci L. Brasher, of
FEMA is appointed to act as the Federal
Coordinating Officer for this major
disaster.
The following areas of the State of
Oklahoma have been designated as
adversely affected by this major disaster:
Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Dewey,
Grady, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Noble,
Oklahoma, Payne, Pottawatomie, and Roger
Mills Counties for Public Assistance.
All areas within the State of Oklahoma are
eligible for assistance under the Hazard
Mitigation Grant Program.
The following Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Numbers (CFDA) are to be used
for reporting and drawing funds: 97.030,
Community Disaster Loans; 97.031, Cora
Brown Fund; 97.032, Crisis Counseling;
97.033, Disaster Legal Services; 97.034,
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA);
97.046, Fire Management Assistance Grant;
97.048, Disaster Housing Assistance to
Individuals and Households In Presidentially
Declared Disaster Areas; 97.049,
Presidentially Declared Disaster Assistance—
Disaster Housing Operations for Individuals
and Households; 97.050, Presidentially
Declared Disaster Assistance to Individuals
and Households—Other Needs; 97.036,
Disaster Grants—Public Assistance
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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Pete Gaynor,
Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2020–29282 Filed 1–5–21; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–6191–N–04]
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers:
Implementation of the Housing Choice
Voucher Mobility Demonstration,
Restrictions on Participating in the
Mobility Demonstration and the
Moving to Work Demonstration
Expansion
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Public and Indian Housing
(PIH), Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD).
ACTION: Notice of restrictions.
AGENCY:
On July 15, 2020, HUD
published a notice (‘‘HCV Mobility
Demonstration Notice’’) implementing
the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)
mobility demonstration (‘‘HCV mobility
demonstration’’) authorized by the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019.
Through that Notice, HUD is making
available up to $50,000,000 to
participating Public Housing Agencies
(‘‘PHAs’’) throughout the country to
implement housing mobility programs
by offering mobility-related services to
increase the number of voucher families
with children living in opportunity
areas. HUD now supplements the July
15, 2020 notice to partially restrict
participation in both the HCV mobility
demonstration program and the Moving
to Work demonstration expansion
(‘‘MTW expansion’’) program. These
restrictions are necessary to ensure the
integrity of the Congressionallymandated evaluations of both
demonstrations. This notice also
provides two minor technical
corrections to definitions provided in
the July 15, 2020, HCV Mobility
Demonstration Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rebecca Primeaux, Director, Housing
Voucher Management and Operations
Division, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street
SW, Room 4214, Washington, DC 20410,
telephone number (202) 708–1112. (This
is not a toll-free number.) Individuals
with hearing or speech impediments
may access this number via TTY by
calling the Federal Relay during
working hours at 800–877–8339. (This
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\06JAN1.SGM
06JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 6, 2021 / Notices
is a toll-free number). HUD encourages
submission of questions about the
demonstration be sent to:
HCVmobilitydemonstration@hud.gov.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Additional Requirements
On July 15, 2020, HUD published its
HCV Mobility Demonstration Notice in
the Federal Register (85 FR 42890),
implementing the HCV mobility
demonstration. Through that Notice,
HUD is making available approximately
$50,000,000 for grants to Public Housing
Authorities (PHAs) under a
demonstration program authorized by
statute. HUD has been directed by
Congress to evaluate the demonstration.
On August 28, 2020, HUD published
the ‘‘Operations Notice for the
Expansion of the Moving to Work
Program’’ (‘‘MTW Operations Notice’’)
in the Federal Register (85 FR 53444).
HUD intends to designate 100 PHAs for
the expansion of the MTW
demonstration in five separate and
distinct cohorts. For each cohort of the
MTW expansion, HUD will conduct a
rigorous evaluation of a specific policy
change.
HUD issued PIH Notices for the first
two of the five cohorts to solicit
applications from eligible PHAs for
participation in the MTW expansion.
The PIH Notices describe specific
application submission requirements,
evaluation criteria, and the process HUD
will use when selecting PHAs for
cohorts one and two of the MTW
expansion. PIH Notices for the
remaining three cohorts will be issued
at a later date.
The evaluation of the first cohort,
MTW flexibility on small PHAs, will
evaluate the overall impact of MTW
flexibilities on PHAs with less than
1,000 units. The evaluation of the
second cohort, rent reform, will evaluate
the impacts of different rent structures.
The third cohort will focus on work
requirements and the fourth cohort will
examine landlord incentives. The fifth
cohort, MTW flexibility on PHAs with
fewer than 27,000 units, will be similar
to the first cohort.
After careful consideration, HUD’s
office of Policy Development and
Research (PD&R), which has been
directed by Congress to evaluate both
the HCV mobility demonstration and
the MTW expansion, has determined
that the Congressionally mandated
rigorous evaluation of the
demonstrations create significant
barriers for PHAs to participate fully in
both programs. More specifically,
without these reasonable and tailored
restrictions of MTW participation, the
evaluations could become so skewed
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19:08 Jan 05, 2021
Jkt 253001
that it would defeat the legislative
mandate to conduct an objective
analysis of the mobility demonstration.
This is because MTW agencies already
have flexibility to engage in their own
directed mobility programs that nonMTW PHAs are currently unlikely to be
able to implement with their existing
federal funds. Therefore, HUD is
establishing additional requirements for
participation in the HCV mobility
demonstration.
Restrictions on Participation in the
MTW Expansion and the HCV Mobility
Demonstration
PHAs may apply to all cohorts the
MTW expansion and also apply to the
HCV mobility demonstration. However,
HUD will restrict participation for PHAs
selected for both the MTW expansion
and the HCV mobility demonstration
programs as follows:
• PHAs selected for cohorts one and
five (MTW flexibilities) may participate
in both the HCV mobility demonstration
and the MTW expansion. However, they
must agree to limit the adoption of
certain MTW flexibilities, for the HCV
program only, during the term of HCV
mobility demonstration participation
described in the initial HCV Mobility
Demonstration Notice. HUD will
document these limitations in the HCV
mobility demonstration memorandum
of understanding (‘‘MOU’’) to be
executed between the PHA and HUD.
There will be no restriction on the
public housing activities the PHA may
undertake.
• PHAs may not participate in both
the HCV mobility demonstration and
cohorts two (rent reform), three (work
requirements) or four (landlord
incentives) of the MTW expansion.
Æ Applications for cohort two (rent
reform) are due on January 8, 2021. If a
PHA is selected for both cohort two
(rent reform) and the HCV mobility
demonstration, the PHA must choose
which demonstration to participate in
and withdraw from the other
demonstration within 21 calendar days
after notifications of selection have been
made for both programs.
Æ For cohorts three and four, if a PHA
has already been selected for the HCV
mobility demonstration, it may not
apply for cohort three (work
requirements) or cohort four (landlord
incentives) of the MTW expansion. In
the unlikely event that selection
notifications for the HCV mobility
demonstration have not been made by
the application due date for cohorts
three and four, PHAs may submit an
application for those MTW expansion
cohorts. If a PHA is selected for either
cohort three (work requirements) or
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559
cohort four (landlord incentives) and
the HCV mobility demonstration, the
PHA must choose which demonstration
to participate in and withdraw from the
other demonstration within 21 calendar
days after notifications of selection have
been made for both programs.
Restrictions on MTW Expansion Cohorts
One and Five (MTW Flexibilities)
PHAs participating in cohorts one and
five of the MTW expansion are allowed
to adopt MTW flexibilities as outlined
in the MTW Operations Notice. HUD is
restricting certain MTW flexibilities for
PHAs participating in both the HCV
mobility demonstration and cohorts one
and five (MTW flexibilities) of the MTW
expansion for three primary reasons:
• Potential for offering additional
services to families in the HCV mobility
demonstration treatment and control
groups that would result in a
noncomparable intervention when
compared to other HCV mobility
demonstration sites;
• Potential to influence residential
locational choices for families based on
unit rents and required family rent
share; and
• Potential for interfering with the
PHA being able to meet the minimum
enrollment requirements for the HCV
mobility demonstration treatment and
control groups.
For PHAs participating in MTW
expansion cohorts one and five and in
the HCV mobility demonstration, the
following MTW flexibilities may not be
implemented without the express
written permission of HUD: Work
requirements, vacancy loss, damage
claims, other landlord incentives, prequalifying unit inspections, and
reasonable penalty payments for
landlords may not be implemented due
to the potential for the offering of
additional services to families and
landlords in the HCV mobility
demonstration treatment and control
groups that would result in
noncomparable intervention when
compared to other HCV mobility
demonstration sites.
Additionally, PHAs may not make
Family Self-Sufficiency (‘‘FSS’’)
programs mandatory under ‘‘alternative
family selection procedures’’ for MTW
self-sufficiency programs or FSS
programs with MTW flexibility for
similar reasons. PHAs that operate a
mandatory FSS program also will not be
allowed to waive operating the FSS
program for the HCV program. However,
service provision under local nontraditional activities could potentially
be implemented with prior approval by
HUD.
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560
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 6, 2021 / Notices
PHAs participating in the HCV
mobility demonstration and the MTW
expansion cohort one or cohort five may
not implement the following MTW
flexibilities without the express written
permission of HUD: Term limits, tenant
payment as a modified percentage of
income, fixed subsidy, initial rent
burden, and imputed income activities.
This is due to the potential to influence
residential locational choices for
families based on unit rents and
required family rent share. HUD has not
fully determined whether PHAs would
be able to limit portability for projectbased voucher (‘‘PBV’’) units and will
work with the research team to make a
final determination.
MTW flexibilities related to short
term assistance and increasing the PBV
program cap may be implemented as
long as HUD provides prior approval.
These activities may be restricted due to
the potential for interfering with the
PHA being able to meet the minimum
enrollment requirements for the HCV
mobility demonstration.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Restrictions on Cohorts Two (Rent
Reform), Three (Work Requirements),
and Four (Landlord Incentives)
PHAs may not participate in cohorts
two (rent reform), three (work
requirements), or four (landlord
incentives) of the MTW expansion and
the HCV mobility demonstration. The
evaluation in cohorts two (rent reform)
and three (work requirements) will
require family level randomization,
which will create significant conflicts
for the integrity of the HCV mobility
demonstration evaluation, which also
requires family level randomization.
Inclusion of PHAs in the MTW
expansion cohort four (landlord
incentives) and the mobility
demonstration would also create
significant research complications, due
to the HCV mobility demonstration
requiring a standard set of landlord
incentives which would likely differ
from the landlord incentive research
requirements of the MTW expansion.
New Policy Changes for PHAs After
Selection in the HCV Mobility
Demonstration
After selection, and for the duration of
participation in the HCV mobility
demonstration, PHAs that participate in
cohorts one and five of the MTW
expansion, legacy MTW PHAs, and all
non-MTW PHAs, must also work closely
with HUD and the evaluator before any
new policy changes can be
implemented. The process and terms for
adoption of new policy changes will be
described in the HCV mobility
demonstration MOU executed between
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19:08 Jan 05, 2021
Jkt 253001
HUD and the PHA. This is consistent
with the initial HCV Mobility
Demonstration Notice, which asked
PHAs to identify any potential conflicts
between their programs and the HCV
mobility demonstration. The initial HCV
Mobility Demonstration Notice states,
‘‘After the program and research design
is finalized, HUD will draft a
memorandum of understanding (MOU)
that outlines roles, responsibilities, the
program and research design, services to
be offered, and descriptions of
administrative policies, among other
things. HUD also will draft a
performance standards agreement that
outlines programmatic goals, recapture
and reallocation terms, a budget, and a
payment schedule for mobility-related
services.’’
In other words, and similar to other
evaluations conducted by HUD, PHAs
that participate in the HCV mobility
demonstration will not be permitted to
adopt any policy changes during the
duration of their participation that
conflict with the HCV mobility
demonstration implementation and
research.
Selection for MTW Expansion Cohorts
One (MTW Flexibilities) and Two (Rent
Reform)
HUD anticipates that the
announcement of the selection of PHAs
for the HCV mobility demonstration and
the first and second cohorts of the MTW
expansion will happen around the same
time in early 2021. PHAs that are
selected for the HCV mobility
demonstration and cohort one of the
MTW expansion will be required to
limit certain MTW flexibilities in order
to participate in both programs. HUD
will document these limitations in the
HCV mobility demonstration
memorandum of understanding to be
executed between the PHA and HUD.
PHAs selected for cohort two (rent
reform) of the MTW expansion and the
HCV mobility demonstration will be
asked to decide which program the PHA
will participate in and withdraw from
the other program. The PHA must
choose which demonstration to
participate in and withdraw from the
other demonstration within 21 calendar
days after notifications of selection have
been made for both programs.
If a PHA applied as a single PHA or
as part of a joint application to the HCV
mobility demonstration and decides to
participate in cohort two (rent reform) of
MTW expansion, the application to the
HCV mobility demonstration will be
withdrawn. Given the extensive nature
of both applications, HUD strongly
encourages PHAs that are part of a joint
HCV mobility demonstration
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Frm 00061
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
application to discuss whether any of
the PHAs intend to participate in the
MTW expansion.
However, PHAs submitting a joint
application to the HCV mobility
demonstration with a PHA that also is
applying for cohort two (rent reform) of
the MTW expansion may submit a
second application for the HCV mobility
demonstration if they otherwise qualify
under one of the statutory eligibility
categories. HUD will score second
applications along with the rest of the
applications, but would only consider
the score of the second application
(which may be different than the score
of the first application) if a PHA as part
of a joint application chooses to
participate in cohort two (rent reform) of
the MTW expansion rather than the
HCV mobility demonstration. No
applications will be considered after the
application deadline.
Technical Corrections
In FR Notice 6191–N–01, published in
the Federal Register on July 15, 2020
(85 FR 42890) Section VII Application
Format, Part K, Category A of the HCV
Mobility Demonstration Notice, HUD
inadvertently defined ‘‘an adequate
number of moderately priced rental
units in high-opportunity areas’’
incorrectly. The correct definition is ‘‘a
selected service area where at least 20
percent of the standard-quality rental
stock within that service area is located
in [zip code tabulated areas] ZCTAs
where the [small area fair market rent]
SAFMR is more than 110 percent of the
Metropolitan Area FMR.’’ The data tool
provided by HUD to calculate this for
PHAs is correct and has been using this
correct definition.
In FR Notice 6191–N–01, Section VII
Application Format, Part 3, Capacity of
the Organization of the Mobility
Demonstration Notice, HUD requested
PHAs to submit, ‘‘Number of
recertifications completed for families
with children between January 1, 2010
and December 31, 2019.’’ PHAs should
submit the number of recertifications
completed for families with children
between January 1, 2019 and December
31, 2019.
R. Hunter Kurtz,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing.
[FR Doc. 2020–29266 Filed 1–5–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 558-560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29266]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-6191-N-04]
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers: Implementation of the Housing
Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration, Restrictions on Participating in
the Mobility Demonstration and the Moving to Work Demonstration
Expansion
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing
(PIH), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
ACTION: Notice of restrictions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On July 15, 2020, HUD published a notice (``HCV Mobility
Demonstration Notice'') implementing the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)
mobility demonstration (``HCV mobility demonstration'') authorized by
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. Through that Notice, HUD is
making available up to $50,000,000 to participating Public Housing
Agencies (``PHAs'') throughout the country to implement housing
mobility programs by offering mobility-related services to increase the
number of voucher families with children living in opportunity areas.
HUD now supplements the July 15, 2020 notice to partially restrict
participation in both the HCV mobility demonstration program and the
Moving to Work demonstration expansion (``MTW expansion'') program.
These restrictions are necessary to ensure the integrity of the
Congressionally-mandated evaluations of both demonstrations. This
notice also provides two minor technical corrections to definitions
provided in the July 15, 2020, HCV Mobility Demonstration Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Primeaux, Director, Housing
Voucher Management and Operations Division, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW, Room 4214, Washington, DC
20410, telephone number (202) 708-1112. (This is not a toll-free
number.) Individuals with hearing or speech impediments may access this
number via TTY by calling the Federal Relay during working hours at
800-877-8339. (This
[[Page 559]]
is a toll-free number). HUD encourages submission of questions about
the demonstration be sent to: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Additional Requirements
On July 15, 2020, HUD published its HCV Mobility Demonstration
Notice in the Federal Register (85 FR 42890), implementing the HCV
mobility demonstration. Through that Notice, HUD is making available
approximately $50,000,000 for grants to Public Housing Authorities
(PHAs) under a demonstration program authorized by statute. HUD has
been directed by Congress to evaluate the demonstration.
On August 28, 2020, HUD published the ``Operations Notice for the
Expansion of the Moving to Work Program'' (``MTW Operations Notice'')
in the Federal Register (85 FR 53444). HUD intends to designate 100
PHAs for the expansion of the MTW demonstration in five separate and
distinct cohorts. For each cohort of the MTW expansion, HUD will
conduct a rigorous evaluation of a specific policy change.
HUD issued PIH Notices for the first two of the five cohorts to
solicit applications from eligible PHAs for participation in the MTW
expansion. The PIH Notices describe specific application submission
requirements, evaluation criteria, and the process HUD will use when
selecting PHAs for cohorts one and two of the MTW expansion. PIH
Notices for the remaining three cohorts will be issued at a later date.
The evaluation of the first cohort, MTW flexibility on small PHAs,
will evaluate the overall impact of MTW flexibilities on PHAs with less
than 1,000 units. The evaluation of the second cohort, rent reform,
will evaluate the impacts of different rent structures. The third
cohort will focus on work requirements and the fourth cohort will
examine landlord incentives. The fifth cohort, MTW flexibility on PHAs
with fewer than 27,000 units, will be similar to the first cohort.
After careful consideration, HUD's office of Policy Development and
Research (PD&R), which has been directed by Congress to evaluate both
the HCV mobility demonstration and the MTW expansion, has determined
that the Congressionally mandated rigorous evaluation of the
demonstrations create significant barriers for PHAs to participate
fully in both programs. More specifically, without these reasonable and
tailored restrictions of MTW participation, the evaluations could
become so skewed that it would defeat the legislative mandate to
conduct an objective analysis of the mobility demonstration. This is
because MTW agencies already have flexibility to engage in their own
directed mobility programs that non-MTW PHAs are currently unlikely to
be able to implement with their existing federal funds. Therefore, HUD
is establishing additional requirements for participation in the HCV
mobility demonstration.
Restrictions on Participation in the MTW Expansion and the HCV Mobility
Demonstration
PHAs may apply to all cohorts the MTW expansion and also apply to
the HCV mobility demonstration. However, HUD will restrict
participation for PHAs selected for both the MTW expansion and the HCV
mobility demonstration programs as follows:
PHAs selected for cohorts one and five (MTW flexibilities)
may participate in both the HCV mobility demonstration and the MTW
expansion. However, they must agree to limit the adoption of certain
MTW flexibilities, for the HCV program only, during the term of HCV
mobility demonstration participation described in the initial HCV
Mobility Demonstration Notice. HUD will document these limitations in
the HCV mobility demonstration memorandum of understanding (``MOU'') to
be executed between the PHA and HUD. There will be no restriction on
the public housing activities the PHA may undertake.
PHAs may not participate in both the HCV mobility
demonstration and cohorts two (rent reform), three (work requirements)
or four (landlord incentives) of the MTW expansion.
[cir] Applications for cohort two (rent reform) are due on January
8, 2021. If a PHA is selected for both cohort two (rent reform) and the
HCV mobility demonstration, the PHA must choose which demonstration to
participate in and withdraw from the other demonstration within 21
calendar days after notifications of selection have been made for both
programs.
[cir] For cohorts three and four, if a PHA has already been
selected for the HCV mobility demonstration, it may not apply for
cohort three (work requirements) or cohort four (landlord incentives)
of the MTW expansion. In the unlikely event that selection
notifications for the HCV mobility demonstration have not been made by
the application due date for cohorts three and four, PHAs may submit an
application for those MTW expansion cohorts. If a PHA is selected for
either cohort three (work requirements) or cohort four (landlord
incentives) and the HCV mobility demonstration, the PHA must choose
which demonstration to participate in and withdraw from the other
demonstration within 21 calendar days after notifications of selection
have been made for both programs.
Restrictions on MTW Expansion Cohorts One and Five (MTW Flexibilities)
PHAs participating in cohorts one and five of the MTW expansion are
allowed to adopt MTW flexibilities as outlined in the MTW Operations
Notice. HUD is restricting certain MTW flexibilities for PHAs
participating in both the HCV mobility demonstration and cohorts one
and five (MTW flexibilities) of the MTW expansion for three primary
reasons:
Potential for offering additional services to families in
the HCV mobility demonstration treatment and control groups that would
result in a noncomparable intervention when compared to other HCV
mobility demonstration sites;
Potential to influence residential locational choices for
families based on unit rents and required family rent share; and
Potential for interfering with the PHA being able to meet
the minimum enrollment requirements for the HCV mobility demonstration
treatment and control groups.
For PHAs participating in MTW expansion cohorts one and five and in
the HCV mobility demonstration, the following MTW flexibilities may not
be implemented without the express written permission of HUD: Work
requirements, vacancy loss, damage claims, other landlord incentives,
pre-qualifying unit inspections, and reasonable penalty payments for
landlords may not be implemented due to the potential for the offering
of additional services to families and landlords in the HCV mobility
demonstration treatment and control groups that would result in
noncomparable intervention when compared to other HCV mobility
demonstration sites.
Additionally, PHAs may not make Family Self-Sufficiency (``FSS'')
programs mandatory under ``alternative family selection procedures''
for MTW self-sufficiency programs or FSS programs with MTW flexibility
for similar reasons. PHAs that operate a mandatory FSS program also
will not be allowed to waive operating the FSS program for the HCV
program. However, service provision under local non-traditional
activities could potentially be implemented with prior approval by HUD.
[[Page 560]]
PHAs participating in the HCV mobility demonstration and the MTW
expansion cohort one or cohort five may not implement the following MTW
flexibilities without the express written permission of HUD: Term
limits, tenant payment as a modified percentage of income, fixed
subsidy, initial rent burden, and imputed income activities. This is
due to the potential to influence residential locational choices for
families based on unit rents and required family rent share. HUD has
not fully determined whether PHAs would be able to limit portability
for project-based voucher (``PBV'') units and will work with the
research team to make a final determination.
MTW flexibilities related to short term assistance and increasing
the PBV program cap may be implemented as long as HUD provides prior
approval. These activities may be restricted due to the potential for
interfering with the PHA being able to meet the minimum enrollment
requirements for the HCV mobility demonstration.
Restrictions on Cohorts Two (Rent Reform), Three (Work Requirements),
and Four (Landlord Incentives)
PHAs may not participate in cohorts two (rent reform), three (work
requirements), or four (landlord incentives) of the MTW expansion and
the HCV mobility demonstration. The evaluation in cohorts two (rent
reform) and three (work requirements) will require family level
randomization, which will create significant conflicts for the
integrity of the HCV mobility demonstration evaluation, which also
requires family level randomization.
Inclusion of PHAs in the MTW expansion cohort four (landlord
incentives) and the mobility demonstration would also create
significant research complications, due to the HCV mobility
demonstration requiring a standard set of landlord incentives which
would likely differ from the landlord incentive research requirements
of the MTW expansion.
New Policy Changes for PHAs After Selection in the HCV Mobility
Demonstration
After selection, and for the duration of participation in the HCV
mobility demonstration, PHAs that participate in cohorts one and five
of the MTW expansion, legacy MTW PHAs, and all non-MTW PHAs, must also
work closely with HUD and the evaluator before any new policy changes
can be implemented. The process and terms for adoption of new policy
changes will be described in the HCV mobility demonstration MOU
executed between HUD and the PHA. This is consistent with the initial
HCV Mobility Demonstration Notice, which asked PHAs to identify any
potential conflicts between their programs and the HCV mobility
demonstration. The initial HCV Mobility Demonstration Notice states,
``After the program and research design is finalized, HUD will draft a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines roles,
responsibilities, the program and research design, services to be
offered, and descriptions of administrative policies, among other
things. HUD also will draft a performance standards agreement that
outlines programmatic goals, recapture and reallocation terms, a
budget, and a payment schedule for mobility-related services.''
In other words, and similar to other evaluations conducted by HUD,
PHAs that participate in the HCV mobility demonstration will not be
permitted to adopt any policy changes during the duration of their
participation that conflict with the HCV mobility demonstration
implementation and research.
Selection for MTW Expansion Cohorts One (MTW Flexibilities) and Two
(Rent Reform)
HUD anticipates that the announcement of the selection of PHAs for
the HCV mobility demonstration and the first and second cohorts of the
MTW expansion will happen around the same time in early 2021. PHAs that
are selected for the HCV mobility demonstration and cohort one of the
MTW expansion will be required to limit certain MTW flexibilities in
order to participate in both programs. HUD will document these
limitations in the HCV mobility demonstration memorandum of
understanding to be executed between the PHA and HUD. PHAs selected for
cohort two (rent reform) of the MTW expansion and the HCV mobility
demonstration will be asked to decide which program the PHA will
participate in and withdraw from the other program. The PHA must choose
which demonstration to participate in and withdraw from the other
demonstration within 21 calendar days after notifications of selection
have been made for both programs.
If a PHA applied as a single PHA or as part of a joint application
to the HCV mobility demonstration and decides to participate in cohort
two (rent reform) of MTW expansion, the application to the HCV mobility
demonstration will be withdrawn. Given the extensive nature of both
applications, HUD strongly encourages PHAs that are part of a joint HCV
mobility demonstration application to discuss whether any of the PHAs
intend to participate in the MTW expansion.
However, PHAs submitting a joint application to the HCV mobility
demonstration with a PHA that also is applying for cohort two (rent
reform) of the MTW expansion may submit a second application for the
HCV mobility demonstration if they otherwise qualify under one of the
statutory eligibility categories. HUD will score second applications
along with the rest of the applications, but would only consider the
score of the second application (which may be different than the score
of the first application) if a PHA as part of a joint application
chooses to participate in cohort two (rent reform) of the MTW expansion
rather than the HCV mobility demonstration. No applications will be
considered after the application deadline.
Technical Corrections
In FR Notice 6191-N-01, published in the Federal Register on July
15, 2020 (85 FR 42890) Section VII Application Format, Part K, Category
A of the HCV Mobility Demonstration Notice, HUD inadvertently defined
``an adequate number of moderately priced rental units in high-
opportunity areas'' incorrectly. The correct definition is ``a selected
service area where at least 20 percent of the standard-quality rental
stock within that service area is located in [zip code tabulated areas]
ZCTAs where the [small area fair market rent] SAFMR is more than 110
percent of the Metropolitan Area FMR.'' The data tool provided by HUD
to calculate this for PHAs is correct and has been using this correct
definition.
In FR Notice 6191-N-01, Section VII Application Format, Part 3,
Capacity of the Organization of the Mobility Demonstration Notice, HUD
requested PHAs to submit, ``Number of recertifications completed for
families with children between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019.''
PHAs should submit the number of recertifications completed for
families with children between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.
R. Hunter Kurtz,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing.
[FR Doc. 2020-29266 Filed 1-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P
