Attorneys representing public housing authorities (“PHAs”) must be familiar with the multitude of federal laws, regulations, notices, and policy guide books that govern PHAs, as well as state laws that governs the activities of public bodies. We have provided training seminars for public housing officials at the local, state and national levels on various topics, including, but not limited to: conflicts of interest, open meetings and closed sessions, public records, fiduciary duty, corporate organization, commissioner liability, trespass policies, pet policies, fraud policies, reasonable accommodation policies, common use property policy, grievance processes, Violence against Women Act (“VAWA”), Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (“HERA”), Neighborhood Stabilization Program, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”), low income housing tax credits, municipal finance, mixed-finance developments, Section 8, Moving To Work, smoking bans, and federal and state procurement.
We are general counsel to seven (7) PHAs, and as such, we attend working sessions, committee meetings, special board meetings and regular board meetings of our PHA clients and provide advice on a variety of issues on a regular basis.
In addition to reacting to legislative changes, we have assisted clients in reviewing and revising their procurement policies consistent with 24 CFR Part 85 and other relevant procurement regulations and HUD Guidelines. We have been involved in several litigation matters related to the procurement of HOPE VI developers, construction contractors, demolition contractors, and others. We have also defended lawsuits and potential lawsuits against clients alleging discrimination and reverse discrimination.