Industry Updates from Housing Credit Connect

The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA)’s Housing Credit Connect is a chance for Housing Credit professionals from across the nation to network and participate in industry education provided by numerous affordable housing experts.

ProLink Solutions is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for this year’s conference. Below are some highlights from this year’s event.

Keeping up with Compliance Technology

This session featured a panel which was hosted by Wendy Quakenbush, the Director of Multifamily Compliance at the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Ryan Kim, VP of Professional Services at ProLink, was featured as a guest panelist for the session and was joined by Alex Melikan, Director of Investment Management at MRI Software/TCAM, and Mary Beth Snyder, Resident Screening Industry Principal at Yardi.

The panelists spoke of recent updates in affordable housing space including the Average Income Test (AIT) ruling, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act (HOTMA) income and asset rules, and the NSPIRE inspection protocol, which was also published by HUD. During Ryan’s demonstration of the Procorem Tenant Portal’s recent enhancements made to support Average Income, Wendy Quakenbush commented, “our system for handling AIT is nowhere near as good as ProLink’s.”

The panelists also discussed the importance of incorporating artificial intelligence into business intelligence methods such as dashboards and analytics, which help streamline asset management in affordable housing.

Ryan Kim speaks about HOTMA during the Keeping Up with Compliance Technology panel at NCSHA’s Housing Credit Connect.

Application of the NSPIRE Protocol in Housing Credit Inspections

NCSHA also hosted a panel dedicated solely to the topic of NSPIRE, which is a hot button issue in affordable housing as of late. Panelists discussed NSPIRE, new scoring procedures, practical aspects of implementing the new standard, and common challenges properties typically encounter, as well as coordination with HUD’s physical inspection alignment initiative.

Issues discussed during the panel included how 25% of findings are related to solely smoke detectors, that landlords are often hearing the new standards are complicated and expensive, and how common on-site struggles tend to come from a lack of staff understanding on NSPIRE.

Conclusion

Overall, the conference highlighted the dynamic changes and ongoing challenges within the affordable housing industry, emphasizing the importance of technological advancements and continuous education. ProLink Solutions remains committed to supporting the industry through innovative solutions and active participation in pivotal discussions, demonstrating a dedication to advancing affordable housing compliance and management. We are proud to sponsor NCSHA and are looking forward to next year’s event.