On 8/23/17, HUD issued RHIIP Listserv 391 introducing a mandatory requirement to certify TRACS & TRACS Coordinators.
The requirement to ensure that TRACS and TRACS Coordinators actually need access to resident data located in the TRACS database is mandated by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Starting September 1, TRACS Coordinators will be required to certify all TRACS Users who continue to need access to TRACS data. It is mandatory that Coordinators certify all TRACS Users no later than December 31, 2017. Users who are not certified by December 31, 2017 will no longer have access to TRACS.
If a TRACS User is assigned to a property and the TRACS User no longer needs access, the coordinator should remove access by going to User Maintenance/Property Assignment Maintenance and un-assigning the TRACS role for the user. Other roles should be un-assigned as appropriate.
If there is a chance that the TRACS User may have access to TRACS files for properties that are part of another portfolio Do Not Deactivate the Role in User Maintenance – Actions and User Maintenance – Roles and Do Not Terminate the User. Examples of TRACS Users who may have access to multiple portfolios include Contract Administrators, service providers such as service bureaus and software providers (in some cases).
Coordinators may review HUD’s Mandatory TRACS User Certification Instructions available on HUD’s web site which can be access by typing the following into your browser: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/mfh/trx/trxsum.
The RHIIP Listserv also referenced a complimentary, interactive, online training option provided by HUD. This training provides an overview of the process and is intended for TRACS Coordinators. The training is not mandatory. However, TRACS User Certification is Mandatory; hence the reference “Mandatory TRACS User Certification.”
This complimentary training option, scheduled on August 30 from 1:00 PM EST until 2:30 PM EST, allows HUD to provide additional information to TRACS Coordinators. As of today’s date, this class is full.
If you are not a TRACS Coordinator, but you have signed up for the training, you may want to cancel your registration by clicking on the Cancel option included in your class registration confirmation. If you did not receive the confirmation, you may want to check your “Junk” mailbox.
If you do not plan to attend, please cancel your registration to allow more TRACS Coordinators to participate.
HUD plans to make a recording of the training available via a link on HUD’s TRACS web site. Specific information will be provided after the class.
We hope this clears up any confusion.
NOTE: You can access a HUD-posted training on this subject by CLICKING HERE.
This article was reprinted with permission and was first published in the August 25, 2017 RBD HUDBlast, an email newsletter published by Ross Business Development. The author of this article, Mary Ross, is my go to person for everything HUD. To subscribe to RBD HUDBlasts, CLICK HERE and follow the simple online instructions. Mary can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 770-424-1806.