This is to achieve Goal 5:Transform The Way HUD Does Business, Sub-Goal C: Create flexible, modern rules and systems that promote responsiveness, openness, and transparency and HUD's 2nd Core Value: Efficient and Effective ways

Specifically, HIAMS Requestor (GTR) Training is an 1 ½ day IN-PERSON training course that OCPO usually only offers once a month (if that) and it is usually in HQ. This required training has become an obstacle for GTR Appointments.

HUD GTRs change frequently due to work load balance, new personnel, retirements, etc. GTRs that do not complete HIAMS Requestor Training are not provided HIAMS role of GTR. These certified GTRs without HIAMS Requestor Training cannot be appointed as GTRs via modification in HIAMS. This has a direct impact and hinders management’s ability and flexibility to manage its staff and carrying out HUD’s mission.

We needs to work smarter in our current environment of lack of travel funds, budget cuts and sequestration.

For example In February 2013, HQ paid for two DHOC employees to fly to DC at a cost of $2534 ($1,267 each) to attend classroom HIAMS Requestor (GTR) training. However, in April 2013 an urgent need arose that another staff needed the training. The travel estimate for this trip is $1655 which is a 25% increase from the February rate of $1267. This increase is most likely due to the Cherry Blossom season in DC, which runs from April through June. Due to lack of travel funds and the trip being unplanned the staff member was not able to go and to date has still not received the training and is unable to be a GTR by OCPO standards.

The Requester training uses primarily examples from the Requisition (new) side of HIAMS and Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product. However, 90% of the GTR work in HIAMS is specific to HUD modifications to the COTS product, and very rarely requisitions for new contracts. As a result, field staff has developed and provided supplemental guidance and training for GTRs and GTMs to cover the Request for Modification (old) side of HIAMS and to address HUD specific requirements.

There are several efficient and effective ways the training can be delivered. Some possibilities are: Live Meeting, Webcast, shared desktop, Train-the-Trainer, OCPO staff from offices around the country can deliver onsite training in the field, or some combination of the above.

There is something special about working for HUD. It shows up in our mission statement: “to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.” Few other government departments or agencies work to create something. Most others regulate or protect; we build, repair and offer hope. It also shows up in our co-worker’s charitable work with Feds Feed Families and Combined Federal Campaign.

HUD has trained, developed and provided motivation for thousands of employees over the years, with many leaving early to help the public navigate HUD systems or work with HUD partners in continuing HUD’s mission. Many have been brought in by different Administrations, where they can see from the inside how HUD works.

HUD also has a huge cadre of employees that have recently retired or are eligible for retirement. Some will hang on with HUD looking to continue the mission, but also at the expense of HUD’s budget. Other’s will leave, but will find that their desire to contribute hasn’t waned, but not at 40 hours a week.

The seed I would like to plant is developing an Alumni Association, hence the working title of HUD Renew. The mission statement would simply mirror the Departments.

Although ex-HUD staff are free to find charitable or job opportunities and many have, a focused group can leverage their knowledge skills and abilities to become something bigger. Possibilities are numerous:
• A clearing house for opportunities (Habitat for Humanity builds, worldwide)
• Finding sponsors/negotiated travel discounts for those opportunities
• A think tank for ideas
• Lobbying
• Support for newly retired
• A social network
• Fund raising
• Low cost navigation of HUD programs to those in communities that need it
• Link to Current HUD programs - Newsletter

Previous Division, grade or years of service will not have any bearing. Continuing of the mission will be the only goal. An SES maybe pounding nails in the future next to an employee formally in their line of authority, but whom they had never gotten to know.

Of course there are a host of ethics issues too, so if the seed germinates, it has to grow outside of HUD. But being free of government rules can also allow growth.

Let occupants of foreclosed houses stay at the property until payment arrangements can be made or the house is actually sold, but require them to maintain the property in an acceptable manner. Currently, thousands of homes have been abandoned and foreclosed and are sitting vacant in neighborhoods causing blight because of vandalism. As a result, property values of the remaining homes are dropping and states are demolishing homes to preserve the communities--homes that would have been otherwise habitable if the occupants were allowed to remain. Instead of evictions and abandonments, recommend that HUD should take a more active role and create a program that would allow the occupants to remain in the homes at: (a) the reduced, newly appraised value; and (b) a special helping hand lower interest rate that would allow the borrowers to make payments based upon income. The plan would have to be drafted, but it is workable if acceptable to the banks.

The current application for FAC-COR (GTR/GTM) Certification or Recertification is five pages long and very cumbersome. It is so difficult to follow and read, OCPO just recently had to create a consolidated checklist, page 5 of the application, that the applicant has to repeat all the course information on one page (See Attached document FAC COR OLD ) in attempt to simplify OCPO's review.

While it is OCPO's aspiration for this application process to be automated through the Fedearl Acquisition Institute's FAITAS system by the end of FY13 or sometime in FY14, there is still an opportunity to make changes and improvements to the application in the interim. Attached is a 2 page version of the application capturing all of the information OCPO is seeking in an easy to ready simplified format (See Attached Document FAC COR SUGGESTED NEW).

Or, perhaps to get rid of "paper" altogether, someone in IT could create a similar form through InfoPath.

There are many children in the Low Rent Program PHAs who may be neglected due to lack of programs, lack of transportation and/or resources from doing well at school. In the summer, many PHAs use local resources or organizations that volunteer. Unfortunately, most volunteer organizations are Bible Vacation groups not education enhancing groups.
If HUD were to collaborate with the Dept of Education (DOE), as it has done with the VA for the VASH program, and provide an Education Coordinator for every 50 plus students or so to serve as a case worker/coach for the students, it would definitely help to improve the educational productivity of each student.
I am an avid admirer of Marva Collins' and her accomplishment in Chicago. This may be tested out as pilot programs in key PHAs and once all kinks are ironed out, it may be implemented nationally.

Believing a healthy body primes us all for the best, more efficient, effective life-style and reduces costs associated with unhealthy bodies and minds, it is time HUD soldiers in the fight to improve the lives of our citizens, begin a supported investment in improving their health through teamwork. Each office within a Region can establish a team (Team OGC, CPD, etc.), they will get a base-line fitness work-up, have an official HUD weigh-in and record keeper, and after 90-days, (1) the Team that loses the moset weight gets bragging rights; lunch; and each member of the team gets two days off; the individual that loses the most weight in the competition gets three days off; and the individual whose #'s improved the most (not including weight, so cholesterol, blood pressure) gets one day off.

I propose a new smartphone app focused on location based, subsidized housing searches.

HUD has an app for HUD Homes but it is limited in scope. HUD needs a complete overhaul of how it approaches IT and how it delivers information to the public.

We have publicly available information from the National Housing Preservation Database listing federally subsidized housing units. We can geocode those locations to render as points on a map. A user can filter their search by radius from current location, whether the unit accepts Section 8, does a PHA have an open waiting list...the possibilities are endless. The app can link to the local PHA/HRA of a user, can provide typical housing information that each field office receives calls on a regular basis, and should provide contact information to the nearest PHA/HRA (phone number, address, URL).

In addition to the new subsidized housing app, a similar location based, interactive subsidized housing map should be placed on the front page of each public field office website.

Finally, this project will truly give HUD the WOW factor in terms of technology that is has been lacking in the past. This idea also covers Goal 5 of the HUD Strategic Plan: Transform the Way HUD Does Business. More Americans are getting their daily news and information from smartphones and web-based searches yet HUD is content with mailing thick paper copies of public housing lists.

Let's create a 21st century product and get this smartphone app created.

With cuts to authorized travel due to the effects of Sequestration, HUD needs a cost-effective method for staff to still participate in offsite conferences, meetings, and other events. This can be done "vitually".
Rather than sending several people to an event, HUD can leverage its enterprise videoconferencing capability by sending one person to an event to set up a virtual connection.
For example, at this year's Western Lenders Conference, 10 HUD staff from 6 different field offices and HQ are scheduled to be speakers and/or panelists. If HUD sends just one person to the event who is technically proficient and properly equipped, that person can connect to a HUD-scheduled videoconference via VPN using Jabbar (HUD's desktop VTC client). Everyone who is scheduled as an actual participant can thus be connected to the event from any HUD office.
In addition to the significan cost savings with travel expenses, the time saved by each individual would also be greatl.
HUD can start out with one fulltime person to travel and setup videoconferences with several others designated as backup or secondary in order to cover overlapping events or unavailability of the primary.

HUD had a program that was designed to help struggling homeowners. The Assignment Program was government assistance to homeowners that went into default on their FHA mortgage loans.

Instead of foreclosing on the borrowers, qualified borrowers would be able to stay in their homes and pay their mortgage directly to HUD. HUD would provide temporary relief when needed to further assist the homeowners.

Curently, HUD has a Loan Modification program that should act as a temporary aid for homeowners. However, the Assignment Program was a much broader and effective method for continued homeownership possibilities.

With the Assignment Program, whena mortgagor went into default on his/her mortgage, they would be sent to HUD for an application into the program. If they qualified for the program, their mortgage would be assigned to HUD. HUD would pay off the existing mortgage and become the mortgagee. HUD could then provide the homeowner assistance without incurring any further delinquent interest due to the mortgagee,

Someone previously suggested that a Servicing Mortgagee should be allowed to reduce interest rates to help struggling mortgagors, well that could happen under a HUD controlled environment.

Two things that are true to HUD: 1 - EVERY office needs a certain mixture of skills that is either not available or not respected within their current personnel; 2 - EVERY office pays a ridiculous sum of money to contractors to say the exact same thing that HUD personnel has already described as needed for successful program operation.

Why not marry these two (and include HUD's rotation program) to create an office specifically designed to tackle HUD wide special projects and initiatives.

Currently, the rotation program is trying to fill that void. However, managers will not let their most talented employees apply for rotations because they are either bogged down with office essential projects or necessary to perform program operations as desired.

In addition, there are people on staff who have worked with/competed against the very consulting agencies that we currently employ to handle various tasks that agency personnel have experience performing prior to coming to HUD. Why is their experience in project management and corporate solutions continuously being tossed aside for yet another bloated contract with Deloitte?

In a year where most of us are taking paycuts due to the lack of funds... how about we start looking for internal fixes to our most pressing issues? That starts with a group that is created to do so - a Special Project Office.