1 / 42

TRACS Development Status

TRACS Development Status. 202C & More Jed Graef, Bostonpost Technology Mary Ross, Ross Business Development. Goals. Develop workable action plan Identify & Address Areas of Concern Maintenance Release Potential Enhancements. Clarification of Current Rules . Review of HUD Requirements.

ron
Download Presentation

TRACS Development Status

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. TRACS Development Status 202C & More Jed Graef, Bostonpost Technology Mary Ross, Ross Business Development

  2. Goals • Develop workable action plan • Identify & Address • Areas of Concern • Maintenance Release • Potential Enhancements

  3. Clarification of Current Rules Review of HUD Requirements

  4. Certification Submission Requirements – Sites to HUD • Does site software make it easy or hard to submit certs as they are completed? • Can the function be made automatic? • Enter “transmit and receive mode” • Prompt to send when site is closed?

  5. Certification Submission Requirements – CA to HUD • Must allow multiple transmissions from OAs throughout the month. • Must forward information to HUD as processed. Failure to do so results in false double subsidy situations. • Some CAs are batching based on the voucher and holding certs until they appear on the voucher. Do not batch.

  6. CA Edits and Error Messages • There are four and only four categories of messages outside of MAT errors • Fatal Error • Discrepancy • 1, 2, 3, 4 • Informational • Status Code (voucher) • Use these and only these as message types followed by a colon and the message code

  7. CA Error Compliance • If reporting a discrepancy, the next line must contain an Action Processed code that reflects the severity that the CA attaches to the error-1 through 4. • If the CA software is fataling a cert with a level 1 discrepancy it should be reported as: • Fatal Error : CE111 • This allows the site to understand what is expected

  8. Receipt Acknowledgement • If you want to acknowledge the receipt of a file, do not say that you have received the file followed by the usual @*@ and header. • The header must come first followed by the acknowledgement • The message must have a type and code • Informational : CA001 (or whatever) • Thanks for file xxxxxxxxx.yyy • And end with “-CA”—CA001-CA

  9. Options • CAs need to follow the spec and not invent new error categories and methods of communicating information • When reporting a calculation error, report both the site submitted value and the CA calculated value • Ditto for income limit and rent errors and similar discrepancies

  10. Fatal Errors and Compliant Files • CAs may not fatal or hold certifications that are legal per the spec and acceptable to TRACS. • Split GRs that are currently legal • MAT10 GRs that the CA software does not handle properly • Household splits and swaps that do not count as double subsidy situations per the 202C spec • Children in joint custody • If it is unclear whether TRACS would accept, try submitting

  11. Move out After Death • Termination is no longer appropriate • This is a training issue • HUD Field Offices • Software Vendors • Contract Administrators • Owner/agents

  12. Options/Suggestions • Increase Awareness • Monitor Compliance • Software Vendors • Update/Enhance Site Products • Contract Administrators • Users

  13. Contract Combinations/Terminations • Last HAP Issue • Run next HAP after the contract is expired • Take the total and add as an OARQ to the current HAP • Design/site software issue • Some software cannot run a subsequent HAP until the first one is closed

  14. Options/Suggestions • Modify site software to allow the workaround in a final voucher situation • Define an exception to the cert selection rules for a final voucher

  15. Certification Selection Rules • Clarification Document • Mid month MI to AR beginning of next month • Some feel that rule does not make sense • 12/31 TM on Feb voucher • MAT 10 UT following partial rule not full cert rule • Need to consider when data is entered on site

  16. Cert Selection Rules • CAs must not change a voucher date unless the date is • Is illegal (voucher date is too early per the rules) or • Is wildly off (voucher date is more than 3-4 months in the future relative to the cert) • Or because cert processing and voucher inclusion is delayed • If the CA software fixes illegal dates - good practice to return a message to the site listing the reported and new dates

  17. Gross Rent Changes • Signature Requirements – currently required only if TTP, TR, UA change due to: • UA Change • Noncitizen rule • Cannot auto-sign MAT 10 with GRC • Notices vs when the GR is executed

  18. GRCs--Continued • Recommendations vs. Rules • Cert selection is a rule • When to execute the GR is a recommendation • MOR vs. Voucher processing at CA • When signature is required, current handbook forbids transmission of the GR certs until they are signed • A modification to this policy has been requested for Change 3

  19. Option 1 • Make it explicit that you can run a “GR-like” notice process whenever you want to produce the 30-day notice. • Consider scenarios • CAs must respect the anticipated voucher date • Clean up is required on the notice if new certs are entered later on

  20. Option 2 • Another is that the GRC could be entered in advance • Site software creates • Notice • Cert for signature • Similar cleanup issues • MI effective earlier than the GR

  21. Option 3 • Change the anticipated voucher date rule for GRCs • Allow them to appear on an earlier voucher • Only for GRCs effective on the first of the month (7/1 GR on July voucher)

  22. Resolution • Primarily a software issue • Should we say it is OK to run GRCs in advance? • If so, need to pick up what happens to certs entered after the GRC • MI • IC • AR • IR • UT

  23. Adjustment Issues • Adjustment and rounding (daily rate and line totals) • Are there calculation issues with • Adjustment line items? • Incorrect adj periods? • Incorrect cert selection? • Numbers printed seem to be accurate – are property managers/site software or CA software completing the calculations correctly?

  24. Cert Rounding Issues • Cert rounding—are there issues? • CA adjustments for rounding cannot be automatic unless you can prove you are right – Appendix H is the deciding document • CAs must be able to accept site certs if the CA software calculates incorrectly • Is this an issue with “old” certs that have been corrected? • Corrected move in calculates using 202C rules • If only changing non-financial aspects may have $1.00 adjustment—202B vs 202C

  25. Changes to the Voucher Complaints Voucher too long Hard to read Hard to reconcile

  26. Example of Voucher Formatting Issues • All double spaced—no structure—more pages • GRC adjustment through May 31. • Some adjustments ended on 2/2. • Makes no sense unless there was a MO, TM or UT. • The reason the adjustment stops needs to be illustrated or it does not make sense to the voucher auditor.

  27. Options/Suggestions • Clarify the rules • Single space adjustments with a blank line between units/tenants • Clarify starting and ending dates • For clarity, ending date needs to pull in TMs and MOs previously billed • Add an adjustment total in the blank line

  28. Options/Suggestion • Add more examples to the spec – Jenny spreadsheet • New Cert type codes • AR-U (already flagged) • IR-U (already flagged) • AR-G (no flag) • IR-G (no flag) • MI-G (no flag) • Etc.

  29. Necessary Changes Required Changes or Enhancements for TRACS or the MAT Guide

  30. S8 Income Exception Code • MAT Guide is being updated • Original Exception Code is included on all subsequent MAT 10 records • A code is not added if a tenant’s income increases and no code was needed at MO or IC • New TRACS error?

  31. Options • Implementation to be coordinated with a TRACS update

  32. First HAP Issues • First HAP issues (regulatory) KC HUB – 202C Specific • Cert selection rules for initial PRAC HAP • Resolution is necessary is to agree how first vouchers get created

  33. Options/Suggestions • Treat an initial PRAC HAP the same as a RAP/Rent Supp HAP for month 1 only • Include all certs effective less than or equal to the voucher date on the HAP

  34. TM for PRAC (Not a 202C Issue) • Rules require the tenant to pay operating rent if they fail to certify and they are paying less than operating rent at that time • What transaction is required • TM? • AR or IR with the rent forced to operating rent but otherwise not calculating correctly?

  35. Regulatory Requirements • Double subsidy? SSN Rule?– • Should a TM be allowed if the tenant is paying less than operating rent? • Zero assistance MAT 10 certs are allowed in PRAC situations • What happens to the annual recert requirement? – PRACS recertify no matter what

  36. Options/Suggestions • Allow terminations despite the Handbook statement that TMs do not apply to PRACS • Require MAT10s forcing the rent to operating rent

  37. Multi-year retroactive certifications due to fraud and other reasons– Not 202C Specific • Warning – as CAs take over new properties or as CAs change, new CAs will often start with nothing but a current baseline. • What are the requirements on history? • Also occurs with site SW vendor change.

  38. Options • Best practices for proof of missing history • Signed Certification? • Original Voucher? • Eliminate retroactive activity as does RHS (only future certs)

  39. Timing of Software Changes • Need to coordinate with any changes required to implement the new SSN rule that is effective September 30

  40. Options/Suggestions • October rollout? • February/March rollout? • Fall and Spring releases?

  41. Action Items • Summarize Action Item List

  42. Thank you for your time! Thank you for your time! Thank you for your time!

More Related