OHFA has created new Tenant Selection Plan (TSP) guidelines to provide direction for property owners/management agents on what must be included in TSPs. Compliance with mandatory elements of the guidelines is required for all projects funded by OHFA while the Tenant Screening Criteria section contains highly recommended best practices. OHFA will review TSPs during the Compliance Next Steps process and possibly during compliance audits. Please review the new guidelines.

OHFA’s Office of Multifamily Housing is confirming each project’s affordability start and end dates for their HOME awards. This will ensure every project is on the correct six year full recertification cycle for their HOME units. Owners and management agents with HOME funded projects will receive an email to confirm their project’s affordability start and end dates. Please be on the lookout for this email in coming weeks. Owners will have 10 business days to respond.

OHFA intends to resume physical inspections on projects beginning as early as mid-August. Owners will receive the normal 14-day notice on all upcoming inspections. The compliance staff will adhere to all UPCS guidelines when inspecting units and buildings on projects. OHFA staff will wear masks when inspecting units, but may not wear a mask when inspecting the exterior of buildings as long as a safe distance can be kept from the auditor and any other person. These guidelines are subject to change based on circumstances at the time the audit is conducted. All staff will also complete a symptom self-assessment on the morning of the audit to be sure they are symptom free. Auditors will also be asking tenants a series of questions before entering a unit in which the tenants are home. Reminder--The IRS waiver of inspections and income recertifications for LIHTC projects will officially end on September 30, 2021.

This free, four-hour webinar focuses on OHFA's requirements for the multifamily programs it manages and will provide industry professionals with tools and knowledge of OHFA forms, policies and much more. Topics concerning COVID-19’s impact on audits and recertification requirements will be discussed. All training will be held from 12:30-4:30pm.

Be sure to use OHFA’s Help Desk for inquiries and questions.

When you use this tool, it allows us to target resources so we can better serve you and help OHFA staff more efficiently track the number and types of inquiries we receive.

Check out OHFA’s latest blog post to learn more about OHFA’s Lead Paint Safe Pilot Loan Program, where “OHFA and Huntington National Bank are partnering for a limited time to offer qualifying Toledo homeowners low-interest home repair loans to help pay the costs to make their homes Lead Safe.”

Did you know that OHFA has a podcast? In the latest episode of the Doorsteps podcast, Dr. Cody Price is joined by Michael Pires of the Ohio State University to discuss The Power of Home, a pilot program that aims to support OHFA’s first-time homeowners by providing free education and financial tools through the Keep app.