On Friday, November 4, PHADA sent a letter to HUD expressing alarm over indications that some HAs’ fiscal health may be at risk and asking HUD to consider several steps to address these issues.
The letter highlighted persistently high uncollected rent, rent collection difficulties, Operating Fund elements that exacerbated revenue difficulties, generally rising costs and declining revenues, inadequate cash reserves, and concerns with impacts of inspections and receivables on PHAS scores.
In the letter, PHADA asked HUD (1) to release detailed data on public housing tenant accounts receivables, cash reserves and accrued pension and OPEB obligations, (2) to consider requesting supplemental appropriations to bolster the $25 million in 2022 shortfall funding, (3) to grant HA requested waivers of PHAS scoring in 2022, (4) to extend the 2022 PHAS scoring adjustments to 2023, and (5) to simplify the department’s waiver submission, consideration and approval processes more generally.