SPM has developed and issued a new company-wide Extended Absence from the Apartment policy applicable to all HUD-assisted and LIHTC communities, including Section 8, PRAC, Section 202, and LIHTC properties. The policy requires written resident notice of any absence expected to exceed 14 consecutive ...
SPM has developed and issued a new company-wide Extended Absence from the Apartment policy applicable to all HUD-assisted and LIHTC communities, including Section 8, PRAC, Section 202, and LIHTC properties. The policy requires written resident notice of any absence expected to exceed 14 consecutive days; documentation supporting the reason for and expected length of the absence (e.g., a physician’s statement, discharge plan, or nursing facility admission/discharge documentation); a maximum absence of 90 consecutive days, extendable to a total of 180 days only with documentation supporting the need for additional time, with any absence beyond 90 days requiring written approval from the Divisional Vice President; and, when a medical absence triggers an interim certification, a determination of whether program rent requires adjustment based on income or benefit changes. All notices, documentation, approvals, and follow-up contacts must be logged on the new Extended Absence Request and Tracking Form and retained in the resident file. MFCS and property management staff — including the Property Manager, Regional Property Manager and Compliance Specialist — are being trained on this policy, and supervisory review of all extended-absence cases will confirm ongoing compliance going forward. Management is also reviewing the specific resident file identified in the finding and is coordinating with the HUD Account Manager to determine the appropriate disposition of assistance payments, certification corrections, and occupancy status in accordance with HUD requirements.