Public Housing Authorities Directors Association
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Education Session Descriptions
PHAS/SEMAP Update
Description:
HUD proposed major changes in the Public Housing Assessment System more than 1& 1/2 years ago. Some of the changes, including a new independent on-site management review, were put on hold in a recent HUD notice. The Department has effectively reverted to the "old PHAS," but that move is temporary and another revised PHAS rule is expected. At the same time, HUD is contemplating changes in the Section 8 Management Assessment Program. Among other possible changes, HUD might add new deconcentration and rent calculation elements to the evaluation system. In a session geared for executive directors and staff, Claire Russ from Asher PHA Finance will review some of these possible changes and how they might impact future assessments and HA operations.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Claire Russ
40 Things You May Not Know About Housing Agency Procurement (But Really Need To)
Description:
An interactive 3 hour review of 40 very important HUD-mandated requirements pertaining to purchasing and contracts.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Michael S. Gifford
Can I Buy Stuff Without a Bid? Yep, But You Better Be Careful
Description:
There are times that we need stuff or services that will cost more than the Micro Purchase Threshold ($2,000) or the Simplified Acquisition Threshold ($100,000), but completing a competitive solicitation (quote; bid; RFP) is just not realistic. This session focuses on the specific exceptions and the written justification needed.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Michael S. Gifford
Roles and Responsibilities of Commissioners
Description:
This session will address the role the Commissioners have in the Housing Authority. We will discuss the various responsibilities the Board has and ways of carrying them out. In facilitating this session, some of the concerns and challenges the Board faces in carrying out their roles and responsibilities will be discussed. It will be pointed out that the success of the Housing Authority is a team effort between the Board of Commissioners and the Executive Director. The session will be led by Virginia Burke, a professional trainer with more than 25 years of experience who has worked with Boards in several HAs.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Virginia Burke
The Funding System and Financial Integrity for Commissioners
Description:
The Annual Contributions Contract and Operating and Capital Fund Programs will be the central issues of this session. We will discuss where the funds for the Housing Authority come from and the role the Board has in making sure the Housing Authority is fiscally responsible. The session will be led by Virginia Burke, a professional trainer who has worked with Boards in several HAs.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Virginia Burke
PHAS for Commissioners
Description:
The Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) is the “report card” each HA receives from HUD annually. As such, it is important that commissioners understand the system and its overall importance. This session will address the four sub-systems of the Public Housing Assessment System. In addition, the role the Board plays in measuring the performance of the Housing Authority will be discussed. The session will be led by Virginia Burke, a professional trainer who has worked with Boards in several HAs.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Virginia Burke
TRA – The Future of Public Housing?
Description:
HUD’s FY 2011 budget proposal includes the “Transforming Rental Assistance ” (TRA) initiative, which is an historic plan intended to transform public housing. The plan would convert 300,000 public housing units to a project-based type model as the first step in a multi-year initiative. PHADA has supported the concept of project based conversion for some select public housing units, but the association has raised several concerns with this initiative. For one thing, there seems to be insufficient funding, and HUD has placed complicated and unworkable “regionalization” and tenant mobility requirements on HAs. In contrast to this approach, PHADA believes the plan’s main focus should be public housing preservation. In this session for executive directors and commissioners, PHADA counsel Raymond James will discuss TRA's major provisions and give a long-time Washington “insider’s view” of the legislation’s progress through Congress.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Raymond James
The New Health Care Law - What Does it Mean for Me & My Agency?
Description:
The U.S. Congress recently passed historic legislation that includes major changes in the health care and health insurance industries. President Obama signed the measure into law in March. These changes, which will be implemented gradually over the next several years, hold significant implications for all Americans and American businesses, including local housing authorities. Mr. Robert Hagan of American Health Care Group, a Pittsburgh-based health care company, will discuss the new law and how it will affect employers/employees, while also outlining some other ways housing authorities might better control their health care-related expenditures. This session is open to all attendees. There will be some time for Q and A.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Robert Hagan
Asset Management – What Comes Next?
Description:
Now that your agency has an asset management system in place, what’s next? Answer: audits of asset management. How do I make sure my agency is in compliance with asset management? What are auditors looking for and what compliance testing are auditors doing? What should I be doing at my agency to assure my agency is in compliance from HUD’s perspective and from the audit perspective? In addition, what flexibility do I have with asset management within the structure established by HUD? These questions and many more will be answered during this session for executive directors and staff. It will be led by Jack T. Blosky, CPA & President of Blosky & Associates.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Jack T. Blosky
Disaster Planning for HAs
Description:
Is your HA prepared in the event of a local disaster? What do you need to do to better prepare? In this session for directors, staff and commissioners, an expert in the field will discuss effective strategies. Topics to be covered include: Risks of not planning; Hazards and how to plan for them; Developing the Planning Team; Emergency Planning Team Members; Emergency Planning Advisors; Employee Participation; Evacuation Procedures; Dealing with the press; Recovery Stage; and Riskeeper ™ – A web-based disaster planning tool. The session will be presented by Faith J. Dickinson, a Facilities Consultant and Disaster Planning Specialist with ServiceMaster by Mistick.
Who should attend this session?: All Conference Attendees
Speaker:
Faith J. Dickinson
Financial Planning in an Uncertain Environment
Description:
Congress now rarely completes annual HUD appropriations bills on time. This, in turn, delays HUD from getting the funds out to HAs. As a result, HAs are often unsure what their operating subsidy will be well into their fiscal year. The same is true of Section 8 and CFP funding. These are just a few of the uncertainties that face every HA when planning for the future and preparing operating budgets for the upcoming year. This session for executive directors and staff will give you tips and tools to help you better forecast for your agency in these uncertain times. It will be led by Jack T. Blosky, CPA & President of Blosky & Associates.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Jack T. Blosky
Planning for Change: The Importance of “Thinking Out” to Meet Emerging Challenges and Opportunities
Description:
The new operating reality is the asset management approach to HA operation. Decision-making is based on performance and objective standards so there is a need for property-based analysis to plan for the future. In this session for executive directors and staff, Dee Dee Strum of MD Strum Housing Services will discuss how to plan and better address critical issues by: re-defining the HA’s mission; identifying new resources; building capacity; and achieving broad support.
Who should attend this session?:Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speakers:
Dee Dee Strum
Section 3 compliance: Why All the Fuss Now?
Description:
The Obama Administration and Congress have focused more attention on Section 3, which requires cities and HAs to make efforts to attain employment opportunities for low income residents. In this session for executive directors and staff, representatives from MD Strum will explore the the nexus between Section 3 and the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Topics to be covered include: the Section 3 mission; Section 3 opportunities and how it is expected to work; key terms and definitions; HA and contractor requirements: numerical goals, targeted beneficiaries and "preferences" for Sec 3 opportunities; HUD's established complaint procedure; Using the Annual Plan to promote Section 3 compliance; and Looking Forward: Historical bi-partisan support for Section 3 and new House of Representatives legislation (H.R. 3310) to strengthen Section 3.
Who should attend this session?: Executive Directors and HA Staff
Speaker:
Representatives from MD Strum
The Importance of Ethics: A Focus on the Role of Commissioners
Description:
Jeffrey Driscoll, Esq. will lead this session on ethics for commissioners. Topics to be covered include how ethics need to be an essential ingredient in the overall governance and board oversight of the housing agency. Among other topics, definitions will be discussed and conflicts of interest will be explored. There will be time for Q and A.
Who should attend this session?: Commissioners
Speaker:
Jeffrey Driscoll, Esq.
Better Security and Safety for HAs
Description:
This will be a panel discussion for executive directors and commissioners, led by security expert Bernard Thombs of the New York-based firm, Bernard Raymond. Topics to be covered include how HAs can implement effective “bar out” and trespass policies, and maintain and improve their relations with local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. Speakers will also discuss grants to enforce security and public safety, specifically where to find them and how to use them.
Who should attend this session?: All Conference Attendees
Speaker:
Bernard Thombs
Current Events in Housing
Description:
A popular favorite at PHADA conferences, association leaders and staff will conduct a panel discussion on the major issues of the day. Some of the expected topics include: Congress’s ongoing consideration of the FY 2011 HUD appropriations bill, and the prospects for major housing reauthorization legislation including HCV program changes, rent reform, and small HA deregulation. Other topics include legislation possibly affecting demolition and deposition requirements, and potential modifications in the HOPE VI program. The session is open to all attendees.
Who should attend this session?: All Conference Attendees
Speaker:
PHADA Staff
For more information, contact Stephanie White, PHADA Director of Meetings, at 202-546-5445.
