HAI Group Blog

Insurance, Risk Management, and Professional Development Tips for the Affordable Housing Industry.

Simplify Your Staff Training with HAI Group Online Training’s Assign and Buy Tool

HAI Group Online Training has proudly supported the public and affordable housing industry for the past three decades. Today, more than 30,000 users from 3,000 organizations nationwide trust HAI Group Online Training for professional development, certifications, and the skills needed to excel in the field. Our training platform offers the convenience of learning at your own pace, from any location, at a time that suits you best.

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Research Case Study: Opportunity Home San Antonio's JEDI Team

Opportunity Home San Antonio, formerly known as San Antonio Housing Authority, is working to prevent institutional racism and ensure employee equity through established goals to ensure that race does not determine housing assistance or supportive service outcomes and that residents live in neighborhoods that benefit from equitable investment across systems.

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VAWA 2022 Q&A: Addressing Key Questions for Housing Providers

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), enacted in 1994, provides housing protections to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Despite its long-standing presence, many public and affordable housing providers still have questions about implementing VAWA, especially after the act's reauthorization in 2022, which expanded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) enforcement authority. Since then, HUD has initiated multiple cases involving non-compliant housing providers.

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Claims Corner: Navigating Legal Risks in Public Housing Security

Some housing agencies employ security personnel directly or through third-party services to ensure resident safety. However, these personnel can face complex and tragic situations requiring difficult decisions, as highlighted in a recent wrongful death lawsuit in Ohio in which a police officer employed by a public housing authority (PHA) fatally shot a man, claiming self-defense.

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Building Safe and Fair Housing for All: A Focus on LGBTQ+ Communities

Public housing authorities (PHAs) have an obligation to affirmatively further fair housing by combatting discrimination and taking steps to create safe and inclusive communities. Often, specific communities get left behind in efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals face hurdles to accessing safe, fair, and affordable housing. Yet, discussions to further fair housing often do not include them.

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Staying Cool in Public Housing: HUD's New Guidelines for Extreme Heat

As temperatures rise, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is taking action to ensure public housing residents can stay cool during the scorching summer months. In a June 13, 2024 notice, HUD reminded public housing authorities (PHAs) that they can utilize capital and operating funds to help residents beat the heat. Additionally, HUD clarified that PHAs may establish a policy to provide individual relief and immediately start granting relief requests from air conditioning or cooling-related surcharges or utility supplier billings based on severe or extreme heat.

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From Mitigation to Maintenance: Top Online Training Courses for Housing Professionals

As a housing professional, you juggle various responsibilities, including customer service, mitigation, mediation, transportation, and maintenance. Mastering these skills and ensuring resident safety and satisfaction doesn't happen overnight—it requires dedicated training.

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