Affordable Housing Provider Survey - Fall 2023

Question Title

* 1. What do you anticipate to be your top three challenges in the next three months? (select three)

Financial challenges, including operational shortfalls and funding delays

Vacancy issues

Fair housing issues

Tenant Files and HUD Compliance

Inspections and maintenance

Disaster preparedness and recovery

Resident mental and behavioral health

Safety concerns at the property

Staffing and workforce

Unit turn-over and waitlist management

Other (please specify)

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* 2. How long would you estimate waitlists for your property/ies? (select all that apply)

Waitlist open with immediate vacancies

Less than 6 months

1-2 years

3-4 years

5 or more years

Our waitlist is closed

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* 3. What are the vacancy rates at your property/ies? (select all that apply)

0-2%

2-4%

4-6%

6-8%

More than 8%

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* 4. What types of workforce challenges are you experiencing at your affordable housing communities? (select all that apply)

Difficulty identifying candidates

Difficulty attracting qualified candidates

Difficulty retaining staff

Difficulty keeping up with market pay rates/raises

Low employee morale

Low productivity

Challenges with workplace culture

Challenges meeting emerging workforce demands, like flexible hours or remote work

I’m not having workforce challenges

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. What strategies are you implementing to navigate workforce challenges? (select all that apply)

I'm not having workforce challenges

New marketing techniques to identify candidates

Adjusted pay/benefits to attract candidates

Increased flexibility and leave to adjust to new workforce demands

Training and professional development opportunities to help with retention

Team building and employee services to help boost employee morale

Intentional adjustments to workplace culture

Hiring of temporary staff

Cross-training current staff to cover position vacancies

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. Which part of your staff is experiencing the most workforce challenges? (select all that apply)

Property management

Leasing agents

Compliance directors

Facilities managers

Maintenance techs

Service coordinators

Accountants

Regional/middle Management

Executive leadership

Other (please specify)

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* 7. To your knowledge, how do residents in your community/ies primarily access the internet at home? (select all that apply)

In common areas through property-supplied WiFi

In their apartments with support from the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

In their apartments through self-funded internet service

In their apartments through property-supplied internet

Residents use other means to access the internet

Residents rarely access the internet on the property

I don’t know

Question Title

* 8. Is your community working with a partner/partners to help residents access services? (select all that apply)

Yes, we partner with PACE providers

Yes, we partner with our local Area Agency on Aging

Yes, we partner with Adult Day services

Yes, we partner with the local Senior Center

Yes, we partner with the local food bank

Yes, we partner with local health clinics and pharmacies

Yes, we partner with the local university/college

Yes, we partner with local non-profit organizations

Yes, other

We provide services for residents in-house

No, we do not provide resident services

Question Title

* 9. Do you currently have a service coordinator program? (select all that apply)

Yes, funded out of the property’s budget

Yes, funded through HUD grants

Yes, funded through fundraising

No, we don’t currently have any/a sufficient number of service coordinators

Question Title

* 10. Are you interested in applying for new service coordinator grant funding, if made available by HUD?

Yes, we want to EXPAND our service coordination programs

Yes, we want to ESTABLISH NEW service coordination programs

No, we have enough service coordination

No, we are not interested in service coordination

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 11. If you have a Section 202 PRAC property, have you incorporated the $15 Per Unit Per Month Supportive Services Fee into your budget requests?

Yes (please specify the uses below)

No, but we plan to start requesting it

No, not interested

I don’t know what this is yet

Not a PRAC/not eligible

Specify uses here

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* 12. How high was your most recently approved Budget-Based Rent Increase (if applicable)?

<3%

3-4.9%

5-6.9%

7-9.9%

10-14.9%

15-20%

Greater than 20%

Not a PRAC/not applicable

Question Title

* 13. During a potential government shutdown at the end of September, HUD will continue to fund monthly subsidy contracts until funding runs out. In the unlikely scenario that HUD funding runs out, does your property have Reserve for Replacement accounts or Residual Receipts Accounts that could cover emergency operational shortfalls (with HUD approval)?

Yes, for one month

Yes, for up to two months

Yes, for up to three months

Yes, for more than three months

Question Title

* 14. Have your property insurance rates and related costs increased over last year’s rates?

Yes, by 0-10%

Yes, by 11-20%

Yes, by 21-30%

Yes, by more than 30% (please specify below)

No, our rates are staying flat or reducing

Specify here

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* 15. Have your property insurance deductibles changed over last year?

They have gone up significantly

They have gone up slightly

They have stayed the same

They have gone down

I don't know

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* 16. Which statement is most accurate about your property’s insurance coverage?

My insurance coverage has gone down and my rates have gone up

My insurance coverage has gone down and my rates have gone down/stayed the same

My insurance coverage has gone up and my rates have gone up

My insurance coverage has gone up and my rates have gone down/stayed the same

Question Title

* 17. If your property insurance rates have increased and/or your coverage has gone down, what was the given reason? (select all that apply)

Claims history

Risk increase due to weather events

Market trends

Liability increase

Health care components at the property (emergency call systems in place, etc.)

Crime/safety issues

References to the neighborhood or surrounding community

Other (please specify)

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* 18. What challenges have you experienced related to property insurance for your affordable housing community? (select all that apply)

Insurance policy availability

Premium rate increase

Deductible increase

Coverage reduction

Other (please specify)

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* 19. Do your residents have renters insurance?

I don’t know

Yes, less than 10% have renters insurance

Yes, less than 25% have renters insurance

Yes, less than 50% have renters insurance

Yes, more than 50% have renters insurance

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* 20. Which parts of HOTMA will have the most impact on your residents? (select all that apply)

New asset limitations and program eligibility

New rules on income and exclusions

New rules on medical/elderly deductions

Changes to calculating net family assets

Changes to recertifications

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 21. Which parts of HOTMA will be most difficult for staff to implement? (select all that apply)

New asset limitations and program eligibility

New rules on income and exclusions

New rules on medical/elderly deductions

Changes to calculating net family assets

Changes to recertifications

Other (please specify)

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* 22. Are you interested in utilizing recently announced opportunities to make housing communities more green/climate resilient? (select all that apply)

Yes, I’m interested in applying for HUD’s new Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP)

Yes, I’m interested in utilizing HUD’s new utility benchmarking tools

Yes, I’m interested in accessing the IRS’s new program for solar projects benefiting affordable housing communities

No, I’m not interested in these opportunities

I don't know

Question Title

* 23. Are you aware of current COVID-19 cases in your property/ies?

Yes, in some of them

Yes, in most of them

No, in none of them

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* 24. Are you hosting vaccine clinics at your housing communities this season? (select all that apply)

Yes, for flu

Yes, for COVID-19

Yes, for other vaccines

Yes, for a combination of vaccines at one or more clinics

No, we are not hosting vaccine clinics

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* 25. What barriers have you experienced in hosting vaccine clinics at your housing community/ies? (select all that apply)

Cost

Attendance

Vaccine availability

Pharmacy partnerships

Other (please specify)

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* 26. How prepared is your property for REAC’s new NSPIRE housing inspection protocol, which HUD is planning to implement in October of 2023? (choose one)

I am familiar with HUD’s proposed new protocol, including the draft standards, and feel prepared

I have some familiarity with the proposed new protocol and feel somewhat prepared

I am not prepared now but I believe I’ll be ready for the new protocol when it is implemented

I am unfamiliar with the protocol or not do feel well prepared

My communities do not participate in HUD programs/not applicable

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* 27. What are you most concerned about for REAC’s new NSPIRE housing inspection protocol? (select all that apply)

Understanding/training staff on changes to building requirements

Paying for building upgrades to comply with new standards

Adjusting to the new scoring system

Helping residents understand the new unit-focused inspection protocol

Adjusting to the use of new inspection software

I’m not concerned about changes under NSPIRE

Other (please specify)

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* 28. Are there any experiences or stories from your housing community/ies that you would like to share?

Thank you!