Message of the Month

*With the holiday season fast approaching, EPS needs your help! – Please send your information to EPS as early as you can, preferably, so you have your MAT 30 and Tenant files into EPS by the first of the month. In order for us to process your voucher, it is essential that you respond to all requests for information within a 24–36-hour time period, due to the shortened deadline to ensure properties are paid on time, or it is likely that we will revise your voucher. Thank you so much for your cooperation. It is truly appreciated!

*COLA RATES HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO 2.8% FOR 2026 – Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information | News | SSA (https://www.ssa.gov/cola)

*HOTMA Compliance Deadline has been extended!HUD released Notice H 2025–03 –Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commisioners (https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/hsgN-25-03.pdf)- which is extending the deadline for compliance with Section 102 and 104 of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 that was supposed to be implemented on July 1, 2025.  The new date was scheduled for January 1, 2026, which will have given Owners and Agents six additional months for training, updating their systems, and aligning implementation with the required changes. We encourage you to not make Tenant Override changes to your certs in your software and to wait until all of the spec changes for 203A with the HOTMA have been fully implemented with TRACS and site software. If you have any questions related to HOTMA and or its compliance, HUD encourages you to contact them at: MFH_HOTMA@hud.gov.

*NEW HUD released the 2026 Inflationary Adjustments – Annual Inflationary Adjustments and Passbook Rate | HUD USER (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/inflationary-adjustments-notifications.html#year2026)

  • Eligibility restriction on net family assets will increase from $103,200 to $105,574. Asset limitations for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA
  • Threshold for cash value of non-necessary personal property to be included in net assets will increase from $51,600 to $52,787. Annual income for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, 202/811 PRAC, 236 IRP, 811 PRA, SPRAC, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA, HOME, HTF
  • Deduction for each dependent will increase from $480 to $500. Adjusted income for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, 202/811 PRAC, 236 IRP, 811 PRA, SPRAC, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA, HOME
  • Income exclusion for earned income of dependent full-time students will increase from $480 to $500. Annual income for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, 202/811 PRAC, 236 IRP, 811 PRA, SPRAC, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA, HOME, HTF
  • Income exclusion for adoption assistance payments will increase from $480 to $500. Annual income for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, 202/811 PRAC, 236 IRP, 811 PRA, SPRAC, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA, HOME, HTF
  • Deduction for elderly and disabled households will increase from $525 to $550. Adjusted income for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, 202/811 PRAC, 236 IRP, 811 PRA, SPRAC, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA, HOME
  • The HUD Passbook Savings Rate will adjust from 0.45% back to 0.40% as of January 1, 2026. Passbook savings rate for Section 8 PBRA, 202/8, 202/811 PRAC, 236 IRP, 811 PRA, SPRAC, HCV, Public Housing, Section 8 Mod Rehab, Section 8 Mod Rehab SRO, HOPWA, HOME, HTF