24 CFR Part 983, Subpart B - Selection of PBV Owner Proposals

Through this rule, HUD continues its efforts to narrow the digital divide in low-income communities served by HUD by providing, where feasible and with HUD funding, broadband infrastructure to communities in need of such infrastructure. In this final rule, HUD requires installation of broadband infrastructure at the time of new construction or substantial rehabilitation of multifamily rental housing that is funded or supported by HUD, the point at which such installation is generally easier and less costly than when undertaken as a stand-alone effort. The rule, however, recognizes that installation of broadband infrastructure may not be feasible for all new construction or substantial rehabilitation, and, therefore, it allows limited exceptions to the installation requirements. Installing unit-based broadband infrastructure in multifamily rental housing that is newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated with or supported by HUD funding will provide a platform for individuals and families residing in such housing to participate in the digital economy and increase their access to economic opportunities.

On November 16, 2016, HUD published a final rule implementing in HUD's regulations the requirements of the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). After publication, HUD discovered an incorrect compliance date in the preamble and an incorrect paragraph designation in the regulatory text. The compliance date, with respect to completing an emergency transfer plan and providing emergency transfers, and associated recordkeeping and reporting requirements, was incorrectly listed as May 15, 2017, in the preamble. The regulatory text provided the correct date of June 14, 2017. This document makes the necessary correction to the preamble to reflect the compliance date in the regulatory text of June 14, 2017 and the paragraph designations in the regulatory text.

This rulemaking proposes the use of Small Area Fair Market Rents (Small Area FMRs) in the administration of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program for certain metropolitan areas. HUD is proposing to use Small Area FMRs in place of the current 50th percentile rent to address high levels of voucher concentration. HUD believes that Small Area FMRs gives HCV tenants a more effective means to move into areas of higher opportunity and lower poverty areas by providing them with subsidy adequate to make such areas accessible and to thereby reduce the number of voucher families that reside in areas of high poverty concentration. HUD proposes to use several criteria for determining which metropolitan areas would best be served by application of Small Area FMRs in the administration of the HCV program. These criteria include a threshold number of vouchers within a metropolitan area, the concentration of current HCV tenants in low-income areas, and the percentage of renter occupied units within the metropolitan area with gross rents above the payment standard basic range. Public housing agencies (PHAs) operating in designated metropolitan areas would be required to use Small Area FMRs. PHAs not operating in the designated areas would have the option to use Small Area FMRs in administering their HCV programs. Other programs that use FMRs would continue to use area-wide FMRs. HUD's goal in pursuing this rulemaking is to provide HCV tenants with a greater ability to move into areas where jobs, transportation, and educational opportunities exist.

Through this proposed rule, HUD continues its efforts to narrow the digital divide in low-income communities served by HUD by providing, where feasible and with HUD funding, broadband infrastructure to communities in need of such infrastructure. Broadband is the common term used to refer to a very fast connection to the Internet. Such connection is also referred to as high-speed broadband, broadband Internet, or high-speed Internet. In this proposed rule, HUD proposes to require installation of broadband infrastructure at the time of new construction or substantial rehabilitation of multifamily rental housing that is funded or supported by HUD. Installation of broadband infrastructure at the time of new construction or substantial rehabilitation is generally easier and less costly than when such installation is undertaken as a stand-alone effort. The proposed rule, however, recognizes that installation of broadband infrastructure may not be feasible for all new construction or substantial rehabilitation, and, therefore, the proposed rule allows limited exceptions to the installation requirements. Installing unit-based broadband infrastructure in multifamily rental housing that is newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated with or supported by HUD funding will provide a platform for individuals and families residing in such housing to participate in the digital economy, and increase their access to economic opportunities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2014 (2014 Appropriations Act), made several changes to the United States Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act). Section 243 of the 2014 Appropriations Act authorized HUD to implement these changes through notice, followed by notice-and-comment rulemaking. Notices implementing the changes were published on May 19, 2014, and June 25, 2014. HUD issued a proposed rule on January 6, 2015, to codify these changes in regulation. In addition, the January 2015 rule proposed changes to streamline regulatory requirements pertaining to certain elements of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing (PH), and various multifamily housing (MFH) rental assistance programs; to reduce the administrative burden on public housing agencies (PHAs) and MFH owners; and to align, where feasible, requirements across programs, including the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), which are administered by HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD). HUD also issued an interim rule on September 8, 2015, implementing changes to flat rents in the Public Housing program made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2015 (2015 Appropriations Act). This final rule makes changes to the regulatory text as presented in the January 2015 proposed rule, including additional changes in response to public comment as well as further consideration by HUD of changes proposed in January 2015, and finalizes the regulatory changes contained in the September 2015 interim rule.

This proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations to fully implement the requirements of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as reauthorized in 2013 under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013). VAWA 2013 provides enhanced statutory protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. VAWA 2013 also expands VAWA protections to HUD programs beyond HUD's public housing and Section 8 programs, which were covered by the reauthorization of VAWA in 2005 (VAWA 2005). In addition to proposing regulatory amendments to fully implement VAWA 2013, HUD is also publishing for public comment two documents concerning tenant protections required by VAWA 2013—a notice of occupancy rights and an emergency transfer plan. Although VAWA refers to women in its title, the statute makes clear that the protections are for all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.

Section 243 of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2014 (2014 Appropriations Act), authorized HUD to implement certain statutory changes to the United States Housing Act of 1937 (1937 Act) made by the 2014 Appropriations Act through notice, followed by notice and comment rulemaking. Notices implementing the changes were published on May 19, 2014, and June 25, 2014. Consistent with statutory direction, this proposed rule commences the rulemaking process to codify in regulation the statutory changes made to the 1937 Act by the 2014 Appropriations Act and to solicit comment on HUD's implementation of these changes through the published notices. HUD intends to address the FY14 provision on consortia through separate rulemaking. In addition, this rulemaking also proposes changes to streamline regulatory requirements pertaining to certain elements of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing (PH), and various multifamily housing (MFH) rental assistance programs; to reduce the administrative burden on public housing agencies (PHAs) and MFH owners; and to align, where feasible, requirements across programs. One of the proposed changes would also affect the HOME Investment Partnerships program, Continuum of Care program, and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program which are administered by HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development.

HERA, enacted into law on July 30, 2008, made comprehensive and significant reforms to several HUD programs, including HUD's Public Housing, Section 8 Tenant-Based Voucher, and Project-Based Voucher programs. On November 24, 2008, HUD published a notice that provided information about the applicability of certain HERA provisions to these programs. The notice identified: those statutory provisions that are self-executing and required no action on the part of HUD for the program changes made by HERA to be implemented; and those statutory provisions that require new regulations or regulatory changes by HUD for the HERA provisions to be implemented. The notice also offered the opportunity for public comment on the guidance provided. HUD followed the November 2008 notice with a May 15, 2012, rule that proposed to establish, in regulation, the reforms made by HERA solely to the Section 8 Tenant-Based Voucher and Project-Based Voucher programs as discussed in the November 2008 notice, to make other related changes to the regulations, and to further solicit public comment. This final rule conforms the regulations of the Section 8 Tenant-Based Voucher and Project-Based Voucher programs to the statutory program changes made by HERA, makes other related changes to these regulations as discussed in the May 2012 proposed rule, and makes further changes to the two voucher program regulations as a result of issues raised by public comment or as a result of further consideration by HUD of issues pertaining to these programs.