1-800-MULTI-70
(1-800-685-8470)

The Multifamily Housing Clearinghouse (MFHC) is a source of information on initiatives, programs and policies of HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs. We operate a toll-free 800 line -- 1-800-MULTI-70 (1-800-685-8470) -- staffed by information specialists trained to answer questions, make referrals and send out information to all of HUD's clients, including residents of HUD-assisted multifamily rental housing, nonprofits, resident organizations, federal, state, and local agencies, housing authorities, individuals, and private organizations.

Our 800 line also features the Multifamily Complaint Line, which assists HUD with its "Get Tough" initiative by helping to identify owners and managers who are not properly maintaining their properties, who are discriminating against residents, or who are engaged in illegal practices. Staff address the resident concerns directly, make appropriate referrals, or, if warranted, fax the complaint to the appropriate HUD Field Office for action. We include in our faxes citations from HUD handbooks, guidelines and regulations to help spur quick action and resolution of the complaints.

MFHC prepares and disseminates publications supporting the Office of Multifamily Housing. Our publications include:

• Resident Rights and Responsibilities, a brochure outlining what residents of HUD-assisted and -insured properties should expect as well as what they should and should not tolerate.
• Service Coordinators Chronicle, a newsletter is designed for individuals who coordinate services for the elderly and disabled living in multifamily properties. MFHC researches and writes articles and produces and distributes this publication.
• Elderly Housing with Supportive Services: Best Practices, a brochure that highlights 23 projects that were recognized by HUD and the Department of Health and Human Serivces' Administration on Aging for their cooperative, innovative ways of combining housing with a high level of supportive services.
• Keeping Your Rent Affordable, an information packet for tenants in those Section 8 projects where an owner is prepaying the mortgage on the property and opting out of the HAP contract.
• Service Coordination: A How-to Guide, a handbook for owners and managing agents of housing developments interested in developing and implementing service coordination under HUD guidelines.

In addition to the phone line, MFHC supports other projects for HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing, including the collection of Annual Financial Statements, preparation of Civil Money Penalty notices, and technical assistance to the Portfolio Reengineering Demonstration and the Mark-to-Market Programs.