Common HUD Terms and Acronyms

Acronym

Definition

ACA

Annual Community Assessment

ACA

Asset Control Area.  FHA Single Family Housing designated area for special property sales initiatives.

ACRS

Administration’s system for tracking requests for administrative services

ACC

Annual Contributions Contract.  Annual Contracts with Public Housing Authorities for payments towards rents, financing debt service, and financing for modernization.

ACS

American Community Survey

Adm

Administration (HUD Office of)

AFGE

American Federation of Government Employees.  One of two (AFGE, NFFE) HUD employee unions.  AFGE has national recognition.

AHS

American Housing Survey

AI

Analysis of Impediments (to fair housing), a part of Consolidated Plans

Allocation

Budget Authority transferred from one agency

Allotment

Authorization by authorized employee to subordinates to incur obligations

Antideficiency

Prohibits obligations or expenditures prior to appropriations or in excess of apportionment

APICs

America’s Private Investment Companies

APP

Annual Performance Plan

APPS

Active Partners Performance System

Apportionment

OMB distribution of authorized (appropriated) funds

Appropriations

Statutory authority permitting agency to incur obligations

APR

Annual Performance Report (Annual Progress Report for homeless programs)

ARAMS

Automatic Renewal and Amendment Management Subsystem

BEDI

Brownfields Economic Development Initiative.  Grants, connected with 108 guaranteed loans to improve security of viability of projects.

BLS

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

BOSS

Budget Outlay Support System

BRI

Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative.  Interagency initiative  addressing financial and legal risks of brownfield clean up and redevelopment.

Brownfields

Vacant or underutilized industrial and commercial properties that are environmentally contaminated

Budget Authority

Legal authority to enter into financial obligations

CBD

Commerce Business Daily

CDBG

Community Development Block Grant (CPD program)

CEF

Community Empowerment Fund, administered by CPD

CFO

Chief Financial Officer (HUD Office of)

CHAS

Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy

CHDO

Community and Housing Development Organization.  Non-profit housing provider receiving minimum of 15% of HOME Investment Partnership funds

CHRB

Community Housing Resource Board.  Organization assisting with voluntary compliance with fair housing laws.

CIO

Chief Information Officer (HUD Office of)

CIR

Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations (HUD Office of)

CLPHA

Council of Large Public Housing Authorities

CMHI

Cooperative Management Housing Insurance Fund.  One of four FHA funds

CO

Contracting Officer

CoC

Continuum of Care approach to assistance to the homeless

Continuum of Care

Federal program stressing permanent solutions to homelessness

COE

Army Corps of Engineers

Con Plan

Consolidated Plan, a locally developed plan for housing assistance and urban development under the Community Development Block Grant and other CPD programs

Contract Authority

Statutory authority.  Budget authority permitting contracting or obligations prior to an appropriation for payment.

CPD

Community Planning and Development (HUD Office of)

CPO

Chief Procurement Officer (HUD Office of)

DAP

Development Application Processing (FHA - Multifamily Housing)

DAP

Down payment Assistance Program (FHA - Single Family Housing)

DARTS

Departmental Accounts Receivable Tracking/Collection System

Data Warehouse

Information system storing HUD program and operational data

Davis Bacon

Statutory requirement that persons working on Federal assisted projects be paid at least minimum prevailing wage rates.

DE

Direct Endorsement.  Program permitting lender processed and endorsed FHA mortgages.

DEC

Departmental Enforcement Center

DGMS

Department Grants Management System

DM

Data Mart

EA

Environmental Assessment.  Analysis to determine affect of a project on the environment.  May lead to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

EC

Enforcement Center (formally:  Departmental Enforcement Center)

EC

Enterprise Communities

EDA

Economic Development Administration (part of Dept. Of Commerce)

EDI

Economic Development Initiative (CPD program)

EDSS

Economic Development and Supportive Services (CPD program)

EEO

Equal Employment Opportunity

EHOP

Equal Housing Opportunity Plan.  Plan developed by Public Housing Agencies for use in Sec. 8 and Moderate Rehabilitation programs.

EIS

Executive Information System.  Designed for senior management for analysis

EIS

Empowerment Information System.  Programmed reports for top executives

EIS

Environmental Impact Statement.  Analysis of environmental impacts of a proposed project.

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPACS

(HUD) Executive Performance Accountability and Communication System (for performance plans for Senior Executives)

EPPES

Employee Performance Planning and Evaluation System.  Used to measure/rate employee job performance.

ESG

Emergency Shelter Grants (CPD program)

EZ

Empowerment Zones

F 47

see MFIS

Fair Housing Act

1968 act (amended in 1974 and 1988) providing HUD Secretary with fair housing enforcement and investigation responsibilities

Fannie Mae

See FNMA

FAR

Federal Acquisition Regulations

FASS

Financial Assessment Subsystem

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Administration

FFS

Federal Financial System

FHA

Federal Housing Administration (HUD Office of Housing)

FHAP

Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHEO program).  Program assisting State/local govt with process fair housing complaints.

FHEO

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (HUD Office of)

FHIP

Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHEO program).  Program to assist state/local govt, community groups and housing resource boards to combat housing discrimination.

FHLBB

Federal Home Loan bank Board

FHLMC

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.  Federally chartered stockholder owned corporation supporting secondary market for conventional mortgages.

FLRA

Federal Labor Relations Authority

FMC

Financial Management Center (Section 8; under PIH)

FMR

Fair Market Rent (maximum rent for Section 8 rental assistance)

FNMA

Federal National Mortgage Association.  Federally chartered, stockholder owned corporation supporting secondary market for FHA, VA, and conventional mortgages.

FONSI

Finding of No Significant Impact.  Environmental Assessment finding that a project will not significantly affect the quality of human life.

FPM

Field Policy and Management (HUD Office of)

Freddie Mac

See FHLMC

FSI

Financial Systems Integration

FSS

Family Self Sufficiency program

FTE

full-time equivalent (employee) (2080 hours of paid employment)

FY

fiscal year

GI

General Insurance Fund (one of four FHA insurance funds)

GIMS

Grant Interface Mgmt System

Ginnie Mae

(HUD) Government National Mortgage Association

GIS

geographic information system

GMC

Grants Management Center (under Public and Indian Housing)

GMP

Grants Management Program

GMS

Grants Management System

GPRA

Government Performance and Results Act.  Requires Federal Agencies to establish performance standards and report on results.

GSA

Government Services Administration

GTM

Government Technical Monitor (for contracts)

GSE

Government-sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac)

GTR

Government Technical Representative (for contracts)

HAP

Housing Assistance Payments

HAP

Housing Assistance Plan.  Housing Plans required by CDBG program.

HART

HUD Assistance and Recovery Team

HERFORU

HEREMS Field Office Reporting Utility aka HEREMS

HFA

Housing Finance Agency.  State or local agencies responsible for financing and preserving low/mod housing within a state.

HHS

Health and Human Services (U.S. Department of)

HMDA

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.  1975 Act, amended 1989 requires mortgage lending institutions to collect and disclose information on their lending practices.

HOC

Homeownership Center (FHA - Single Family Housing field structure)

HOME

Home Investment Partnerships (CPD program)

HOPE VI

Program for Revitalization of Severely Distressed Public Housing (PIH program)

HOPWA

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (CPD program)

HUD

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUDCAPS

HUD Central Accounting Processing System

IBS

Integrated Business System

ICDBG

Indian Community Development Block Grant Program

IDAs

Individual Development Accounts

IDIS

Integrated Disbursement and Information System (CPD system)

IG

Inspector General (HUD Office of)

IHAs

Indian Housing Authorities

IHBG

Indian Housing Block Grants Program

IPA

Intergovernmental Personnel Act.  Permits temporary assignment of employees to public and private sector.

IT

Information Technology

LAS

Loan Accounting System; direct loans

LASS

Lender Assessment Subsystem

LDRS

(HUD) Leadership Development and Recognition System (incentive awards system for executives, managers, and supervisors)

LIHTC

Low Income Housing Tax Credit

LM

Loan Management

LMR

Labor-Management Relations

LOCCS

Line of Credit Control System

LR

Labor Relations (usually in reference to HUD programmatic compliance with Davis-Bacon and related Acts)

MAHRA

Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997

MAP

Multifamily Application Processing (FHA-Multifamily Housing process)

MARS

Multifamily Accounting Report and Servicing System aka CSMS; hud-held loans

MBA

Mortgage Bankers Association

MBE

Minority Business Enterprise

MBS

Mortgage-backed securities (for secondary market issued by Ginnie Mae)

MDDR

Multifamily Delinquency and Default Reporting System

MFHRHIIP

Multifamily Housing Rental Housing Integrity Improvement Project

MFIS

Multifamily Insurance System aka F47-insured loans

MIS

Management Information System

MLIS

Mortgage Lending Information System

M&M

Management and Marketing.  Single family program to manage and market acquired properties using contractors.

MMIF or MMI

Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (one of four FHA funds)

MSPB

Merit Systems Protection Board.  Independent Agency which hears and adjudicates Federal employees’ allegations of abuse of merit principles.

MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

MTCS

Multifamily Tenant Characteristics System

NACO

National Association of County Officials

NAHASDA

Native American Housing Assistance Self-Determination Act

NAHB

National Association of Home Builders

NAHRO

National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials

NAPA

National Academy of Public Administration

NAR

National Association of Realtors

NAREB

National Association of Real Estate Brokers

National Partnership for Reinventing Government

Formally known as NPR (National Performance Review).  Review of federal government operations resulting in recommendations for improvement.

NCHS

National Center for Health Statistics

NCSBCS

National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards

NFC

National Finance Center

NFFE

National Federation of Federal Employees (one of 2 employee unions in HUD)

NIBS

National Institute of Building Sciences

NOFA

(HUD) Notice of Funding Availability

NPR

See National Partnership for Reinventing Government

NSF

National Science Foundation

NTO

National Tenant’s Organization

ODEEO

(HUD) Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity

ODOC

(HUD) Office of Departmental Operations and Coordination

Officer Next Door

HUD sale of Single Family Properties in revitalization areas to police officers in order to improve neighborhood security

OGC

(HUD) Office of General Counsel

OHHLHC

(HUD) Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control

OLHC

See Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control

OLR

(HUD) Office of Labor Relations

OMB

U.S. Office of Management and Budget

OMB Circular A-76

Policies and procedures to determine if work should be contracted or performed in-house

OMB Circular A-102

Policies for Federal Departments for establishing and maintaining internal controls in program and administrative activities

OMHAR

(HUD) Office of Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring

ONAP

Office of Native American Programs

Operating Subsidies

Payments authorized by the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 for operating costs of low-rent public housing projects.

OPIIS

Online Property Integrated Info