Latest Housing Updates from LeadingAge National
(Aug. 5, 2025) Affordable housing provider members should note the following updates from LeadingAge National:
LeadingAge National to Host HOTMA Forms Feedback Workshops. LeadingAge National has announced two dedicated calls for members to discuss and develop feedback on the newly released materials issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for implementation of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA). HUD posted the draft materials – including forms and model leases – that are needed for HUD’s Multifamily Housing providers to comply with the new HOTMA requirements for income certifications and more. HUD posted the materials to the drafting table, which gives stakeholders a chance to review the drafts; next, HUD will publish the draft forms to the Federal Register to formally request feedback within a 30-day window. LeadingAge National will lead discussions with members over two dedicated calls in September; members can register here for the calls on Sept. 16th and Sept. 23rd, both from 2:30-4 p.m. ET. Review the draft documents here, and keep up with LeadingAge National’s work on HOTMA here.
New Advocacy Resources Featuring LeadingAge Affordable Housing Provider Members. In partnership with one of its in-house advocacy experts and two LeadingAge housing provider members, LeadingAge National developed new advocacy resources: Congress in Your Neighborhood and Strategy for Engaging Residents in Legislative Action. Members can access them for free on the LeadingAge National Learning Hub.
OIG Initiates HUD Audit for Improper Payments. On July 3rd, the HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiated an audit to estimate improper payments in the agency’s Project-Based Rental Assistance Program, which LeadingAge members participate in. An OIG letter to Lamar Seats, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing, states that the goal of the audit is to determine whether Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) are “proper,” and if not, to estimate the total improper and unknown payments. According to the letter, OIG will test a sample of June 2025 HAP and annualize the results to produce an estimate for one year, projected to be completed by April 2026. Although OIG will utilize HUD’s Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS) to select the sample of tenants to be tested, the auditors will work directly with property owners and Project-Based Contract Administrators (PBCAs) to gain the information necessary to conduct the actual audit. Several LeadingAge members report being contacted to participate in the randomized audit and are fully complying with the review. Earlier this year, OIG released a report stating that HUD had failed to provide an estimate of improper Multifamily Housing rental assistance payments for the eighth year in a row. More information is available here.
Bipartisan Housing Bill Moves in Senate. On July 29th, the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee voted unanimously to pass a large housing bill out of committee. The Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025 (ROAD to Housing Act) is a bipartisan housing package that proposes reforms to HUD programs. The bill includes provisions supported by LeadingAge National that would help non-profit affordable senior housing developers preserve and expand affordable housing, including components to provide some relief and streamlining of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); help communities address zoning and land use policy barriers to affordable housing supply expansion by directing HUD to develop best practices; authorize funding for a five-year pilot program for home repairs, including accessibility improvements and home repairs; authorize funds for new housing; streamline inspections for the use of vouchers where other programs have already inspected the housing; reauthorize the HOME Program; and allow Rural Housing Service multifamily contracts to decouple from their rental assistance to preserve housing stability for residents. The bill itself does not provide any new funding, but it would authorize funding if appropriators chose to fund these programs. LeadingAge National supports the bill and congratulates Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for shepherding it through committee. For a section-by-section analysis of the bill, click here. For legislative text, click here.
Contact: Jeff Diamond, jdiamond@leadingageny.org