InfoBytes Blog
HUD Releases Draft Section Of Overhauled SF Handbook
On October 29, HUD released a draft section of its new FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (SF Handbook). The draft section consolidates all FHA Single Family requirements—including content from hundreds of mortgagee letters, housing notices, and other requirements—for application through endorsement into a single, authoritative source for FHA Single Family Housing Policy. HUD stated that the new SF Handbook is “universally and fundamentally different in the format, style, content and delivery.” While many of the changes made in developing this first draft section of the SF Handbook are designed to conform FHA policy to a standard format using clear, consistent language, other proposed revisions reflect actual proposed changes to policy. The draft section and other information about the broader project are available on a new HUD website. HUD provided tips for reviewing the draft and requested that stakeholders provide comments on the draft section by November 29. HUD noted that the draft posting is the first phase of a multi-phased effort to overhaul the SF Handbook.