Six states start federal housing pilot

Six states have worked out an understanding with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reduce duplicate inspections of affordable housing units. The states hope that by cutting back on repetitive housing inspections, those resources can go to providing more affordable housing. The agreement it part of the Obama Administration’s goal of streamlining federal rental policy.

The six states involved in the agreement are Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Washington. The agreement also aims to reduce regulatory requirements for properties that are subsidized through more than one agency. These requirements are often applicative and take up valuable resource allocations.

Michigan will lead the pilot program through its State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). The memorandum of understanding represents the coordinated efforts of HUD, USDA-RD, Treasury and MSHDA in identifying overlapping requirements between agencies and creating a more unified reporting and inspection process. The pilot is the result of a request from the White House’s Domestic Policy Council to find ways to increase the efficiency and improve service delivery across federal housing agencies.

“This initiative is an important step forward in the administration’s desire to streamline government policies and build strong inter-agency partnerships to serve the American public as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible,” said Director of Multifamily Housing for HUD in Detroit Barbara Chiapella, filling in for HUD Regional Administrator Antonio R. Riley.

Related posts:

1. New York invests $28 million in affordable housing
2. At-risk youth in Wisconsin get a fresh start
3. The federal deficit and the states: Saving money one process at a time