NAR Urges Reason in Puerto Rico

Last week HUD announced that would suspend subsidies for federally assisted housing units that did not have utilities in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The reason is because HUD requires all units to be decent, safe, and sanitary and a unit without utilities does not meet that standard. NAR has members who manage federally assisted housing units all over the nation, including the islands. Given the extraordinary conditions in Puerto Rico and the USVI, NAR sent a letter to HUD, urging reasonable accommodations for these properties. If a unit is otherwise habitable, but does not necessarily have 24-hour generated electricity (to conserve gasoline, which is a scarcity on the island), we believe the subsidy should not be withdrawn. If HUD pulls their portion of the rental assistance payment, these properties may have to shut their doors until electricity is restored to the islands. The residents of these units will have nowhere to go. HUD is reviewing the policy and is considering waivers.