Fall Newsletter!

WI-CARH Fall 2023

Newsletter

Message from Russell Kaney WI-CARH President

As we move through the last quarter of 2023, we have lots of unfinished business for affordable housing. With the holidays fast approaching, there can be any number of disruptions that can affect your business. Staying on top of issues and anticipating your plans going forward can make the difference between a successful year or one fraught with disappointments.

The 24^th annual WI-CARH conference is right around the corner. I hope you will take the time to consider attending this year if you have not already registered. The planning committee has put together a full range of topics and speakers. National issues such as the budget and continuing resolution discussions, decoupling legislation, and Inflation Reduction Act opportunities are scheduled. New regulations and procedures are on the agenda including the soon-to-be-implemented Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) plus the new assessment and inspection protocols put in place in 2023. Closer to home in Wisconsin, we have the 2024 lease approved for use and Attorney Kevin Martin will be available to answer your questions. WI-CARH awards and scholarships will also be presented.

Included in your registration fee is the opportunity to network with your peers in Wisconsin affordable housing. We have a variety of exhibitors with services and products that can assist you with your housing operations. Plus, we feed you (breakfast, lunch, and post-conference reception) and provide door prizes, all at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

The conference is shaping up as a busy and informative day. We hope to see you November 8^th in the Dells!

Russell D. Kaney

President, WI-CARH

The 24th Annual Fall Conference - November 8, 2023, at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells

The 24th Annual Conference will be held on Wednesday, November 8 at the Wilderness Resort - Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells. The conference theme Moving in the Right Direction will help you stay motivated, informed, and on track with the challenges of today's rural housing industry. The conference will address timely issues and topics that matter to you.

HOTMA is generating quite a buzz in the housing industry due to the massive regulatory changes impacting household eligibility, effective January 1, 2024. Join Gary Kirkman, Director of Compliance Training for US Housing Consultants, as he discusses what to expect when HOTMA takes effect during the keynote session.

This session will be a high-level summary of the HOTMA changes impacting HUD MFH, LIHTC, RD, HOME and HTF. If you are involved in compliance and household eligibility determinations, you do not want to miss this session!

Gary will cover crucial changes in determining annual income (24 CFR 5.609), asset-related updates, and adjusted income calculation changes (24 CFR 5.611).

Conference sessions will include:

Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) Implementation and Updates
Reorganization Updates and Feedback
Decoupling Legislation and Efforts for Passage
Affordable and Rural Development Assessments and Inspections
Energy Opportunities Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
MFH Preservation Strategies for 2024 and Beyond
Lease and Legal Updates for Wisconsin
Service Coordination
WI-CARH Awards for Property and Management Excellence

Fees for members are $235 or three or more at $180. Non-members are $390 or three or more at $340.

Tentative Schedule

7:30-8:30 am - Registration and Breakfast with the Sponsors and Exhibitors

8:30-8:45 am - Welcome and Opening Remarks with Russell Kaney, WI-CARH President and Julie Lassa, RD State Director

8:45-10:15 am - Keynote with Gary Kirkman

10:15-10:45 am - Break with the Sponsors and Exhibitors Sponsored by Bonneville Multifamily Capital

10:45-12:00 pm - Sessions

12:00 -1:15 pm - Lunch and Awards Ceremony Sponsored by Cinnaire

1:15 -2:30 pm - Session

2:30-2:45 pm - Break with the Sponsors and Exhibitors Sponsored by Focus on Energy

2:45-4:30 pm - Sessions

4:30-6:00 pm - Social Hour Reception

Who should attend: This conference will be of relevance to property managers, owners, developers, housing authorities, decision-makers, and anyone involved and working in affordable and rural housing.

Hotel Information: A block of rooms is available at a discounted rate of $109 per night at the Wilderness Resort - Glacier Canyon Lodge where the conference is taking place. Call them at 1-800-867-9453 and tell them you are with the Leader #962276.

Be A Sponsor and/or an Exhibitor at the 24th Annual Meeting and Conference

We would like to invite you to join us as a Sponsor and/or an Exhibitor at the 2023 Annual Meeting and Conference to be held at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells on Wednesday, November 8.

Please consider signing up today to be a Sponsor and/or Exhibitor and help make this education and training opportunity affordable to all in the rural housing industry.

Register early and for exhibitors, space is limited. For more information or to register, please fill out the form. Contact the WI-CARH office email for more information.

Meet the 2023 WI-CARH Annual Fall Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors

Thank you for your continued support!

Please click on the logo to go to the websites

Award Nominations for Site Manager, Maintenance Person, and Property of the Year!

Don't delay! WI-CARH is now accepting your nominations for the following awards:

Site Manager of the Year

Maintenance Person of the Year

Property of the Year

Recipients will be announced at the WI-CARH Annual Conference on November 8, 2023. Each winner will receive recognition at the WI-CARH Annual Conference.

We welcome nominations from WI-CARH members, property management staff, residents, and cooperating agencies (such as USDA-Rural Development, Wisconsin Housing, and Economic Development, lenders, etc.).

Award Nomination Form

Youth Grant and Scholarship Opportunities

Wisconsin Council for Affordable & Rural Housing (WI-CARH) is accepting applications for the Youth Grant and Scholarship program. Please spread the word and help us make a difference in a student's future! Youth grants in the amount not to exceed $500 per student, per year, until all funds are used, will be awarded to enable students in grades 3-12 to participate in an academic enrichment activity. Eligible activities include Drivers Education, Little League, Soccer, Volleyball or Basketball Leagues, 4H Camp, Music or Band Camp, Sports Camp, Cheerleading Camp, Girl Scouts or Boy Scout Camp, and an International Youth Exchange Program. These activities are on a year-round basis and not limited to the summer.

Help your residents achieve their educational goals. A $500 scholarship will be awarded to a graduating high school senior or adult wishing to further their education. Eligible applicants can use the scholarship at any two (2) year or higher accredited public or private school in the State of Wisconsin which offers an associate or undergraduate degree or a vocational/technical program.

Download the attached flyer and post it in your lobby or breakrooms. On the flyer, there is a QR code that can be scanned to tell us more about what you would like to do and how we can help you achieve your goal.

WI-CARH 2024 Residential Lease Will Be Available Soon

Orders are being accepted for the WI-CARH Lease. This lease is approved for use in any Rural Development supervised property. Using this lease for your property will ensure that you are in compliance with Wisconsin law and RD regulations while saving you the expense of hiring a lawyer to do the same thing. Just like last year, it is available in three formats:

FHA Software Generated Lease - WI-CARH has teamed up with Simply Computer Software to give FHA Software users the access and ability to generate their WI-CARH Residential Lease and Amendments forms within their FHA Software program. Users of this program can generate the lease through the RD 3560-8 Tenant Certification - PRINT options window. All of the applicable project, unit and tenant information will automatically be inserted.

Stand-alone WI-CARH Lease Generation Program - A link will be sent to you from Simply Computer Software that will allow you to download and install the WI-CARH Lease Generation Program which includes pre-entered property listing information you provided. To produce a lease, just open the program, select the property, enter pertinent tenant information, and print.

Paper Lease - A package of 10 leases and 10 amendments will be shipped to you which you will use to handwrite all pertinent tenant information.

To purchase the lease, complete the lease order form and mail it in with your payment to the WI-CARH Office at: P.O. Box 258098, Madison, WI 53725.

Multifamily Housing Partnership Presentation

On July 20, 2023, Rural Development Multifamily Housing leadership held a meeting providing a quarterly update to our external partners. The update included information about leadership changes, budgets, new tools and resources, Multifamily Physical Inspection Pilot Program (MPIPP), and lots of other pertinent information and updates. These meetings will continue to be held on a regular basis, with our next partnership meeting tentatively scheduled for October 26, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A link to that meeting will be sent out via GovDelivery once we get closer to the date. Interested parties are encouraged to join a mailing list to receive future updates via GovDelivery from Rural Development Multifamily Housing.

Here’s a copy of our presentation from July 20, 2023: Multifamily Housing Partnership Updates

If you are looking for the servicing specialist for a specific property, you will find a complete and sortable list here: https://www.sc.egov.usda.gov/data/MFH.html

If you have any questions, please contact your servicing specialist, as identified in the above sortable list, or contact the applicable Regional Director, as follows:

The four regions and the contact information for each Regional Director follows:

Western Region: Becki Meyer, Regional Director

MFHFODWest@usda.gov

(AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)

Southern Region: Byron Waters, Regional Director,

MFHFODSouth@usda.gov

(AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI)

Midwest Region: Eric Siebens, Regional Director,

MFHFODMidwest@usda.gov

(IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI)

Northeast Region: Donna O’Brien, Regional Director,

MFHFODNortheast@usda.gov