Whether it is new construction or acquisition/rehab, there are many details and compliance issues that can derail a LIHTC lease-up. Missing essential deadlines or not accurately tracking transfers can quickly throw a project out of compliance, or worse yet, could result in the project not being considered a LIHTC project at all. Creating Accurate First Year LIHTC Files Making sure a Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties’ first-year files are accurate is among the most vital compliance requirements. Fundamentally, if you don’t get the household qualifications correct at the initial certification, it can permanently affect the project’s annual credit delivery and even result in a loss of credits. The initial lease-up for a property can be fraught with complications and surprises, so being properly prepared is essential. Succeeding at LIHTC Lease-Ups In order to achieve a successful lease-up, deadlines must be met, data must be tracked, and investor credit delivery expectations must be met and even exceeded! In this two-hour webinar, Amanda Lee Gross will provide valuable information on what data needs to be collected and tracked when conducting a LIHTC Lease up, whether it is new construction or Acquisition/Rehab. Topics include: • Crucial First-Year Deadlines • Calculating and claiming Credits for Year One • Acquisition/Rehab basics • Unit Transfers in Year One • Impact of Noncompliance in Year one • Working with a Lease-Up Tracking Sheet (Amanda will provide a sample)

The Importance of Income Certifications All of the major funding programs, including Multifamily HUD to USDA/RD, and LIHTC, use income certifications to determine initial and continued eligibility for the programs. HUD and RD also use the income to establish what rent the household can afford and how much subsidy the owner is eligible to receive. Accuracy on income certifications is paramount to remaining in compliance with each of these programs. This webinar breaks down best practices and requirements for all of the major funding programs. This will include what to include when verifying income from wages as well as fixed income sources like social security. In this two-hour session, Amanda Lee Gross will discuss: • Verification Requirements • Signature Requirements • LIHTC, HUD and RD COVID-19 Guidance to Date • Post-COVID-19 Tenant File Follow -Up • Confidentiality and Data Security • Practical Points to Cover in a COVID -19 Policy and Procedures for Conducting Income Certifications •Confidentiality and Data Security While Working from Home

No matter how much we prepare, no matter how much we double and triple check our files, non-compliance will happen. Whether it’s an over-income household or damage to dwelling units, LIHTC audits are designed to uncover the mistakes that fall through the cracks. How do housing professionals develop the necessary skills to help identify correct LIHTC non-compliance issues? Whether it’s reviewing tenant files or performing inspections to find physical issues, Amanda Gross will discuss best practices to keep non-compliance at bay. https://www.us-hc.com/training/webinar-correcting-non-compliance-for-lihtc-projects-august-4-2020/

Stumped by the Affordable Housing Student Rules? 

There are student eligibility requirements applicable to each of the four major housing programs, LIHTC, HUD, Rural Development, and the HOME Program. These requirements affect whether a household is eligible to occupy a unit or receive rental assistance, and also affects how the treatment of student income determining a household's annual income. While each program has student eligibility requirements, the requirements are not the same for each program, which can pose a compliance challenge for housing professionals dealing with layered properties. 

Student Eligibility in Affordable Housing 

In this 90 minute webinar, Amanda Lee review the student eligibility requirements and exceptions for the following housing programs 

• LIHTC 
• HUD
• HOME Funds 
• Rural Development 

Amanda will wrap up the session by reviewing the treatment of student income, including the student financial assistance . 

Selecting the correct Income and Rent Limits for LIHTC projects is never easy. Learn about Income Limit and Rent Limit requirements for the LIHTC program and how to stay in compliance with the limit requirements for layered programs.

With continued advances in technology, we are now living in the “Age of the App” which has created peer-to-peer payment apps, such as Venmo, Cash, Paypal, etc. The determination of annual income includes considering proceeds from household assets, and one of many challenges for housing professionals in determining when an asset is treated as an asset, and when an asset is actually treated as an income source. 

Learn to Conquer Asset Calculations 

In this webinar, Amanda Lee Gross will review common assets encountered by housing professionals and she will even touch upon some less common assets as well. Amanda will also clarify when an asset source is actually treated as an income source. Amanda will also speak to: 

• Are these peer-to-peer treated as household assets?
• Are deposits made into the app treated as income? 
• Potential changes related to assets under HUD’s proposed rule implementing HOTMA. 
• Handling income and assets utilizing of peer-to-peer apps

Working with Gig Income for HUD and LIHTC Compliance

What is “Gig Income”? Companies like Uber, Lyft, and Upwork are providing workers the ability to earn income on their own terms. This can mean someone driving a few Uber routes a week, taking on a data entry job on Upwork, or full time employment through one of the many freelance sites. This presents challenges for assisted housing compliance, as income may be sporadic, subject to change throughout the year, and include self-employment expenses.

Handling Income From Self-Employment 

Verifying and calculating income from self-employment has always been challenging for HUD, Tax Credit and other assisted housing programs. Income in the Gig Economy is no exception to these challenges In this webinar, Amanda Lee will discuss the requirements on how to determine annual income from self-employment and how to document anticipated income from employment in this new economy.

• Determining Income from Self-Employment
• Units being Used for Business
• Documenting Self-Employment Income (Including for Lyft & Uber Drivers)
• Review of IRS Tax Forms, (Changed in 2019) 1040 & Schedule C.

Learn to Conquer the Challenges of the Gig Economy

These new sources of income will require new policies and procedures, and a new way of thinking about verifying income. In this session, attendees will receive:

• A certificate of attendance 
• A content-rich PDF manual 
• Interactive webinar training where you can ask questions and participate in knowledge checks 

Do you find yourself stumped by students? There are many requirements that relate to student in affordable housing. There requirements not only effect whether a household is eligible to occupy a unit or receive rental assistance, but also affects the how the income of dependent students is treated. 

In this 90 minute webinar, Amanda Lee Gross will discuss the student eligibility requirements applicable to the LIHTC, HUD, RD and HOME programs, to provide you the information you need to ensure compliance when more than one type of funding applies to your project. 

Amanda will finish off the session by discussing the treatment of student income, including student financial assistance income , when determining household income. 

In 2018 the Low-income Housing Tax Credit program introduced a significant change - the new “Income Averaging” Minimum Set-Aside election.

In this webinar, Amanda Lee Gross breaks down the changes to Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code relating to this new election and does so in an easy to understand format. Amanda Lee also highlights the benefits as well as the potential challenges owners may face with making this all-important election.

Topics include:

• Overview of the LIHTC program’s Minimum Set Aside (MSA) Requirements
• Understanding the available options
• Effect of the owner's multiple building election on the MSA
• Method of Achieving the Average Income Set-Aside
• Calculating income and rent limits based of the new set-asides
• Complying with the Next Available Unit Rule at an Average Income project
• Potential affects of Noncompliance at an Average Income Project

In this content packed webinar, Amanda Lee reviews the recertification requirements that apply to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and how a recertification can trigger the applicability of the Next Available Unit Rule. This session also includes valuable tips and red flags to be aware of when processing recertifications . 

In this session, Amanda Lee will address the following questions: 

- Which LIHTC projects must conduct annual recertification? 

- How can noncompliance from a Late recertification be corrected? 

- When is the HFA permitted to file an 8823 regarding late/incomplete recertifications, and when are they not permitted? 

- Does the Next Available Unit Rule apply to 100% LIHTC Project? 

- How is the Next Available Unit Rule apply to project that elected the Average Income Minimum Set Aside ? 

Get the answers to these questions and more by attending this webinar!

Tax Credit/LIHTC Housing Projects are aging and many are in need of rehab and recapitalization. The challenges that come with this are many, and the rules can be complex.

During this informative and engaging webinar, Amanda Lee will provide attendees the information needed to maintain compliance when conducting Acquisition Rehab at a LIHTC project. 

Topics Include: 

• Certification of existing tenants
• Unit transfers
• Key deadlines
• Maximizing Credit Delivery
• Overview of Resyndication. 
• Overview of the Uniform Relocation Act. 

All attendees will receive a comprehensive course manual that can be used as a reference manual long after the webinar has concluded.

It Aint Over till It’s Over – The Treatment of Over-Income and Ineligible Households in Affordable Housing Programs – 90 Minute Webinar (Recorded Live July 11, 2019)

We all know that a household must be income qualified to move into an affordable housing unit, but sometimes even the most diligent compliance professional misses a detail or there is misreporting by the resident and a household is admitted who is not income qualified. What to do in these situations leads to many questions, such as:

• What happens if a household becomes ineligible after moving in? 
• What happens to an existing tenant who does not meet program requirements during Acquisition/Rehab? 

In this 90 minute webinar, Amanda Lee Gross will answer these questions by discussing the requirements regarding the treatment of these types of households for the following programs: 

• LIHTC
• HUD
• RD
• HOME

Amanda Lee Gross will also guide attendees on how to maintain compliance related to over-income or ineligible households when a project has more than one of the above funding sources. All attendees will receive a comprehensive course manual that can be used as a reference manual long after the webinar has concluded.