Shutdown

The Politics of Autism discusses legislation before Congress.

Suzy Khimm and Laura Strickler at NBC:

Most of HUD’s routine enforcement activities have been suspended, including mandatory health and safety inspections of housing for low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities, according to the shutdown contingency plan that HUD posted on its website. Public housing officials say they don’t know how long rental assistance payments will keep coming from the government, and a suspension could put millions of tenants at risk if the shutdown drags on into February. And if there are any problems in providing affordable housing grants to local and state governments, as well as nonprofit groups, there are few people on hand to resolve them, according to one furloughed staffer.

Matt Shuham at TPM:

According to the Post, the Jan. 4 memo to 1,500 landlords urged them to draw on reserve cash to prevent evictions, now that departmental spending has dried up.

“Many agency officials,” the Post reported, “didn’t realize” that a HUD program covering thousands of tenants expired on Jan. 1.

The HUD memo obtained by the Post carries the subject “Impact of Government Shutdown on Multifamily FHA Mortgage Insurance Applications and Production Activities” and reads in part:

“Owners of properties with FHA insured mortgages or 202/811 Capital Advances may submit requests for releases from their reserve for replacement accounts to cover funding shortfalls caused by non-payment of monthly rental subsidy.”

Sections 202 and 811 cover capital advances and rent subsidies to expand housing opportunities for the elderly and individuals with disabilities, respectively.