In a June notice, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) detailed the general requirements for the agency's fiscal year 2010 competitively awarded grant programs. HUD also included new requirements for applicants to comply with state and local laws banning housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or lawful source of income, such as Section 8 rental assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance or earnings from seasonal employment. In addition to requiring applicants to comply with all applicable federal fair housing and civil rights requirements, as it has in the past, HUD's minimum funding requirements will now exclude applicants who have been charged with a systemic violation of state or local laws proscribing housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or source of income. See the general funding notice online at www.hud.gov.

Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) announced on July 7 that it will conduct pre-application site reviews for all multifamily housing development owners and developers planning to request 2011 funds under the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Small Multifamily Affordable Loan (SMAL) programs. Project applications will not be accepted without a site review, which consists of KHC staff's initial professional recommendations about site and location rather than set scoring criteria. Site reviews will be completed by November 1. During the review, applicants must present a site plan outlining the layout of the rental buildings, community room, recreational areas and parking. A pre-approval site visit does not ensure approval of a funding award. Applications submitted to KHC for the 2011 and 2012 application rounds will be reviewed and scored based solely on the development's qualifications. Applicants must contact KHC business development officer Tammy Stansbury at (800) 633-8896 or tstansbury@kyhousing.org to schedule a review. KHC will post pre-application site review guidelines on its web site, www.kyhousing.org.

The Blanck Group issued a report in June that investigates whether current federal fair housing accessibility standards and existing safe harbors for multifamily housing are the only means of achieving accessibility. Supported by the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC), the report's areas of study included running and cross slopes; reach ranges relative to environmental controls; centering in kitchens and bathrooms; and methods of measurement. NMHC reports that findings from "Accessibility Standards for Multifamily Housing: Report on Approaches with Focus on Slope, Reach, Tolerance and Measurement," call into question the state of the science in the accessibility standards development area. The report recommends alternatives to the current standards, notably the use of tolerances in place of strict measurement protocols as defined in various safe harbors. Download a copy of the full report at www.nmhc.org.

KHC is accepting nominations for the 2010 Kentucky Affordable Housing Conference awards under the following categories: affordable housing builder, Dorothy Williams lifetime achievement, homeownership, homeless leadership, Mae Street Kidd and nonprofit organization. Nominations are due no later than August 20. The awards will be presented during the conference on September 22. KHC reserves the right not to present an award in any category for which it has not received appropriate nominations. Contact Amanda Palmer at (800) 633-8896 or apalmer@kyhousing.org for more information.

U.S. Residential Group Inc. announced in July that an investor group has selected it to manage two tax credit communities, Bluebonnet Ridge and Siegen Village Apartment Homes, in Baton Rouge, La. With the properties' tax credit rent restrictions expiring within the next few years, U.S. Residential Group will implement plans to reposition the properties through rehabilitation. The company specializes in due diligence consultation, distressed property stabilization and repositioning, construction and rehabilitation management, resident retention programs and transitional management of real estate-owned property.