"On Being Festive" - NPH December 2018

NAVIGATEHOUSINGCONSULTING.COM

DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE NO. 10

ON BEING FESTIVE...

A LOOK AT THE HOLIDAYS, DECORATIONS, AND FAIR HOUSING

FAIR HOUSING

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FAIR HOUSING

ON BEING FESTIVE..

NPH | DECEMBER 2018

Did you know 71% Of Americans identify as Christians?

People of the Mormon and Jewish faiths account for about 2% each, followed by Muslims at less than 1%. About 24% identify as non-Christian or non-religious. (Pew Research.)

Looking at those numbers, it's obvious many of your residents will observe a religious celebration this month.

There are several on the calendar.

Hanukkah (Chanukah): Solstice: Festivus: Christmas Eve: Christmas Day: Kwanzaa Week:

December 3-10, 2018 December 21, 2018 December 23, 2018 December 24, 2018 December 25, 2018 Dec. 26, 2018 - Jan. 1, 2019

The list goes on. Some will not celebrate anything. Everyone is different. As a result, holiday decorations are a point of concern each year. Navigate's Property Management team knows this very well.

By Ebony Hall

Menorah for Hanukkah

Over the past few years, there has been an issue of being able to display Holiday decor," says Property Manager Valerie Mayfield. "We decided residents can decorate their windows and doors but not the hedges, common areas or grounds."

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FAIR HOUSING

NPH | DECEMBER 2018

Be Festive. Not Religious.

Religion is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. That means being aware of how holiday decorations and greetings within your community can leave some residents feeling left out and even litigious.

The U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prohibits "inherently religious activities" for any organization receiving direct HUD funds.

HUD's guidance from 1995 points out several "secularized terms or symbols relating to religious holidays such as Santa Claus, Easter Bunny or St. Valentine's Day images, or phrases such as "Merry Christmas", "Happy Easter", or the like does not constitute a violation of the Act." "Nativity scenes, crosses, Bibles, “Happy Birthday Jesus” signs, and Stars of David are all definitely religious in nature," according to SanDiego.gov, "rather than secular and should be avoided in public areas of a housing facility. " So, it's okay to be festive this holiday season. It is, of course, the most wonderful time of the year. Just rememberdifferent people celebrate in different ways.

Watch our video on holiday decorations and Fair Housing!

Christmas Tree for Christmas

FAIR HOUSING

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NPH | DECEMBER 2018

WHAT DO YOUR HOUSE RULES SAY? Some agencies spell out what types of decorations residents can put up. Here are some tips from various agencies and law firms around the web. The best advice we can offer? Check with your attorney. se tho ve t a gi h d t and e z i d to ce has mp nfor igions e n rel ent ly e tm even o all ect o r a t f p or o e e f b t tion y e ed aith st ...th s mu idera ator eir f bility s a n i e h n l t r m ru l co crim on hei co a is d ht ch. t i a equ d a d base o i ) w n. gC avo dents g (sic eligio ousin i r n res feri heir -FairH r e et t in tic c a pr

Kinara for Kwanzaa

The appearance of a property to the public is the responsibility of management. If the residents decorate the lobby and front door, therefore, management should exert some control over the type of decorations used.

Don’t overreact. The holiday wish for peace on earth may be beyond reach, but peace within your community should be achievable.

-Meeb.com

-SanDiego.gov

Many visit places like Chicken Itza to celebrate the Winter Solstice

NPH wins marketing awards Navigate Affordable Housing Partners, the Hands-On Thought Leader™ in the Affordable Housing industry has earned two gold MarCom Awards as well as one honorable mention.

The MarCom Awards is an international competition honoring excellence in marketing and communications. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies, and freelancers.

Navigate’s “Navigating Public Housing” newsletter won for outstanding achievement. The winning issues were the April 2018 “National Fair Housing Month Special Issue” and the June 2018 “#METOO - When Residents Harass Your Staff” issue. The Marketing Department earned Honorable Mention for its “Going Smoke-Free” issue from August 2018.

“We started this newsletter in March of this year,” says Marketing Coordinator Ebony Hall, “and the goal was to provide Public Housing professionals with the information they can use every day. To be recognized by the MarCom Awards is an honor.”

MarCom selected this year’s winners from about 6000 entries.

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GOBBLE, GOBBLE

TURKEY DELIVERY Video by Charles Rowe Photo by Ebony Hall

GIVING

NPH | DECEMBER 2018

This year the Navigate team delivered turkeys to more than 140 of our residents just in time for Thanksgiving. Team members went door-to-door on Navigate's two properties, giving out turkeys and spreading holiday cheer.

"Happy Thanksgiving"

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CLIMATE CONTROL

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NPH | DECEMBER 2018

ENERGY SAVERS THAT MAKE 'CENTS' TIPS FROM A HOME SERVICES EXPERT

(Family Features) A home that operates efficiently isn't just better for the environment. Ensuring your home systems are as efficient as possible can also help reduce the financial burden of maintaining your home throughout the year.

These tips from Gary White with JCPenney Home Services can serve as areas of focus for lowering your energy bills and lessening your appliances' negative impact on the environment.

Water Heaters Ways to increase the efficiency of your water heater include, taking shorter showers, decreasing hot water laundry cycles, turning down your water heater's thermostat, and adding insulation.

Heating and Cooling Did you know that 40% of a home's energy expenses are from the heating and cooling (HVAC) systems?

Proper maintenance of the system will help ensure the efficiency of its performance. One easy way to do this can be changing the air filter periodically.

Thermostat Upgrading your home's thermostat may also prove to be an energy and money-saver. Adding a "connected thermostat" and syncing it to your smartphone allows you to observe and adjust your home's temperature levels even when you're away from home. So if you're in a rush getting out the door and forget to about the AC, you can change it from your phone, eliminating the misfortune of paying for unnecessary energy when no ones at home.

Weatherproofing Making sure your home is completely sealed improves your home's energy efficiency. Windows that are ajar, cracks in the walls/insulation, cracks around plumbing or lighting fixtures can be easily overlooked places of energy loss. It's also important to assess your home's fireplace, attic, garage, crawl space, and anyplace in your home where it would be easy to overlook the proper measures needed to have a sealed and cost-efficient home air system.

?YTREPORP RUOY ROF TSEB S'TAHW

CLIMATE CONTROL

Climate control can save money and energy. From Ductless Systems to Heat Pumps to even Hybrid systems, you should evaluate what might be best for your home/property.

Heat Pumps: This type of system can be energy efficient all year round because instead of generating energy/heat, heat pumps move the heat.

Hybrid Systems: These types of systems combine elements from both heat pumps and energy generating systems like furnaces or HVACs. These systems are usually more expensive up-front, but yield more savings in the long-run.

Ductless Systems: Consider a flexible option. Ductless systems can be efficient by not requiring any ductwork. Therefore, it is easier to install. These simple systems could be most efficient in smaller spaces like a converted attic space.

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CLIMATE CONTROL

NPH | DECEMBER 2018

HVACS ALL THE RATINGS / ACRONYMS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ASSURE A/C SYSTEM EFFICIENCY

You most likely already know HVAC stands for "Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning." Here are a few more.

AFUE: Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating measures the amount of fuel used to heat your home against the amount of fuel wasted. This rating is relevant to oil or gas furnaces.

SEER: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) measures the efficiency of your HVAC. Federal Regulation requires a SEER of 13 or higher. The more efficient the system, the less it will cost.

HSPF: The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) measures a heat pump's efficiency in heating a home. A higher HSPF number means greater efficiency and monthly savings. HVACs are required to have a 7.7 rating or higher.

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