U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

Special Attention of: Notice PIH 96-19 (HA)

Secretary\'s Representatives; Issued: April 18, 1996

Public Housing Directors;

Administrators, Offices Expires: April 30, 1997

of Native American Programs;

Public Housing Agencies; Indian Cross References:

Housing Authorities; Resident

Management Corporations; Resident

Councils; Resident Organizations

Subject: Additional Budget Line Item for the Tenant Opportunities
Program

(TOP) in the Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS)/Voice Response

System (VRS)

1\. PURPOSE. This Notice transmits information on an additional line
item

that has been added to the Tenant Opportunities Payment Voucher, Form

50080 TOP Credit Control System (LOCCS)/Voice Response System (VRS).

This Notice establishes a new line item for Travel, Budget Line Item

(BLI) Code 9590. In the prior TOP Application Kit, the guideline limit

for travel related to training was approximately \$5,000. Under the new

BLI for Travel, TOP grantees are retired to limit spending to no more

than \$5,000 for a 3-5 year period. This action is effective

immediately.

2\. APPLICABILITY. This Notice applies to:

A. Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) funded on behalf of Resident

Councils (RCs)/Resident Management Corporations (RMCs) in FY 1988,

and Resident Councils (RCs), Resident Management Corporations

(RMCs), Resident Organizations (ROs) with FY 1989-FY 1993 Resident

Management Technical Assistance Grants (RMTAG).

B. RCs/RMCs/ROs, who have received a TOP Technical Assistance Grant.

C. HUD Field Offices of Public Housing (FOs) and HUD Area Offices of

Native American Programs (AONAPs)

PR: Distribution: W-3-1, R-3-1(PIH), R-6, R-7, R-9, 138-2, 138-7, RMC-2

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3\. BACKGROUND. The \$5,000 travel budget under TOP is to support
incidental

travel expenses related to activities that directly pertain to the

grantees\' ability to locally administer, manage and implement the TOP

work plan, in accordance with program statutes and requirements. All

travel shall be directly related to the timely accomplishment of the TOP

with goals to be accomplished in the various phases of the work plan.

Requests for travel funds above the \$5,000 limit require justification,

and must be approved by the HUD FOs/AONAPs. HUD is developing policies

and procedures governing travel to be performed by RM/TOP grantees and

will be published in the near future.

4\. DIRECTION. The cumulative disbursements for travel, from the time of

grant execution to the present, taken from the BLI 9580 Miscellaneous or

other categories in LOCCS, including monies expended for travel to HUD-

sponsored training workshops or PM/TOP National Grantee Workshops,

should be entered into LOCCS on BLI 9590 Travel. The Travel BLI 9590

has already been added to the LOCCS/VRS. The HUD Form 50080 TOP

LOCCS/VRS Payment Voucher has been revised to include a category for

Travel \-- see Attachment A. In addition, a chart which includes a

description of the activities for the budget line items 9510-9580 on the

Form 50080 is enclosed (see Attachment B).

A. The following actions are required by the grantees:

1\. TOP grantees are directed to immediately revise their work

plan/budgets to reflect monies that will be used for travel

purposes. Expenses charged to BLI 9590 category will include

per diem costs that cover meals and incidentals, and other

costs such as airfare, train, bus, taxi cab, car rental, cost

of attending workshop/conference, i.e., registration fee,

lodging, etc. TOP grantees should submit their work

plan/budgets the FO for review and approval.

B. The following actions are required by the FOs/AONAPs:

1\. The Community Relations and Involvement Specialists (CRIs) are

directed to contact the grantees via telecon or written

communication to ascertain the amount of funds which has been

spent on travel. The FOs/AONAPs may request documentation,

i.e., receipts for hotel, plane, meals, etc., if appropriate,

to substantiate the amount of funds spent by the grantee for

travel expenses.

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2\. The CRIs/AONAPs are directed to enter into LOCCS/VRS the

dollar amount expended for travel. The LOCCS/VRS will allow a

soft edit to enter the actual amount expended for travel. If

this amount exceeds the \$5,000 limit for travel, just enter

the actual amount in the LOCCS/VRS. Request for additional

funds beyond the \$5,000 limit requires justification, review

and approval by the FOs/AONAPs.

The FOs/AONAPs are directed to make changes to the BLIs in LOCCS/VRS to

reflect the TOP grantees\' travel budget within 30 days from the date of
this

Notice.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Distressed and Troubled

Housing Recovery

Attachments

ATTACHMENT A

ATTACHMENT A CONTAINS FORM HUD-50080-TOP, LOCCS/VRS TENANT OPPORTUNITIES

PROGRAM PAYMENT VOUCHER.

ATTACHMENT B

TENANT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM \[TOP) BUDGET LINE ITEM DESCRIPTION

BUDGET

LINE

WORKPLAN ITEM ELIGIBLE COSTS PER BUDGET LINE ITEM

Task 1: All costs related to developing a system

Organize PH 9510 of resident outreach, creating an advisory

Community board, block/building captain training

program, costs to attend initial HUD-

required grantee training, etc.

Task 2: All costs and expenses dealing with

Operating 9520 developing written policies and

Procedures procedures for the operation of the

RC/RMC/RO, fees associated with

incorporation for 501(c) (3), developing

financial management system, determining

office support needs.

Task 3: All costs and expenses related to the

Develop MOU/ 9530 development of a partnership with

Partnership the HA and resulting MOU.

Task 4: Plan All costs related to creating a technical

for Technical 9540 assistance strategy, including any

Assistance assessments needed to determine training

needs, costs involved in Assistance

developing a plan to hire, select,

compensate and evaluate professional

consultants/trainers and/or community

organizers, including the development of

service contracts.

Task 5: All costs relating to the actual

Consultant 9550 compensation paid to professional

and/or Trainer consultants, trainers, community

Contracts organizers.

Task 6: Applicable to grantees with property

Property 9560 management only. All training costs of

Management residents to develop skills as potential

employees of RMC directly related to

operation, management, maintenance,

financial management systems, fair

housing, feasibility and market studies,

development of business plans, revolving

loan funds and legal advice in starting

resident management. Costs related to

gaining assistance in negotiating

management contracts, and designing a

long-range planning system.

ATTACHMENT B

TENANT OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM \[TOP) BUDGET LINE ITEM DESCRIPTION

BUDGET

LINE

WORKPLAN ITEM ELIGIBLE COSTS PER BUDGET LINE ITEM

Task 7: Self- 9570 All costs relating to the design,

Sufficiency implementation and management of

Programs social supportive services (self-

sufficiency and youth initiatives)

including feasibility studies to

determine needs, costs of

coordination of supportive services,

training and workshops associated

with various supportive services,

youth services, resident managed

business ventures.

Task 8: 9580 Other costs not specifically dealing

Miscellaneous with one of the other budget line

items and general costs such as

office equipment, furniture,

supplies, insurance, child care,

audit, telephone, postage,

newsletters, flyers etc.

Task 9: 9590 All costs specifically related to

Travelveling to and from training

activities, workshops/conferences,

registration fees, local travel

(taxi), per diem, airplane, and

other associated expenses such as

phone calls, parking, tips, etc.