President’s Forum: Focused on an Array of Affordable Housing Programs

Advocacy, Information, Training Efforts?

Because of our association’s full name—the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association—some may perceive we represent agencies that solely administer public housing. However, PHADA has long been involved with a broader universe of affordable housing programs, including the Section 8 tenant and project-based programs, the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the Moving to Work (MTW) program, and affiliated nonprofits, among others. Similarly, the association provides valuable information and training to members across all these program areas.?

The need for a wider umbrella became necessary as more HAs repositioned and diversified their portfolios. PHADA also successfully worked to provide HAs more access to other programs such as RAD and the expansion of the Moving to Work (MTW) program to 100 more HAs. Thus, I thought I would use this edition’s column to highlight some of our efforts across a spectrum of affordable housing programs.?

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Advocacy

PHADA has always advocated for increased operating and capital funds for public housing. This advocacy has an added benefit – it resulted in higher RAD rents, which are based on an agency’s share of operating and capital funds and tenant rents. As a result, when those funding prorations increase, so do RAD rents, allowing more agencies the opportunity to convert to the Section 8 PBV or PBRA platforms.

Many HAs accessed tax credits in the last few decades to develop and modernize properties and RAD conversions further accelerated that usage, increasing the overall demand. Consequently, just within the last month, the association wrote to Congress requesting that lawmakers act on stalled legislation that would expand and enhance the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. We will continue collaborating with partners such as the ACTION Campaign and others to try and move this much-needed legislation across the finish line.?

We have reported in the last few Advocates about PHADA’s efforts to protect the interest income of HAs from new HUD requirements that may require us to return some of that money. PHADA is concerned about this rule because some HAs use interest income to supplement their grossly underfunded operating and capital funds and for nonprofit housing that is so desperately needed in their communities.?

PHADA also strongly supports the Moving to Work program and we have argued that more HAs should be granted the flexibility that allowed many existing MTW agencies to innovate in their communities. Indeed, you can read a new report outlining some of the unique innovations in this edition.?

On the regulatory side, PHADA conducts effective policy analysis and advocates vigorously on behalf of ALL housing authorities, regardless of their funding platform. The NSPIRE, HOTMA, VAWA, and BABA rules are examples that affect housing providers of all types. PHADA has played an influential role in making those and many other regulations more workable. You can read more about this in a special publication we did a few years back (which staff are now updating) here.

Another new regulation we are closely reviewing will affect all U.S. communities and local agencies such as ours. On October 8, the Biden Administration issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. You can read more about that rule here.?

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Providing Information, Education

In addition to advocacy, PHADA’s principal areas of concentration are providing HAs with information along with training and education. We have strived in recent years to provide more of that on subjects such as tax credits, RAD, and nonprofit affiliates.?

We also updated and broadened our curriculum under the PHADA/Rutgers Executive Director Education Program (EDEP) to include courses such as the Future of Affordable Housing and Preservation Strategies and Organizational Leadership.?

Recent editions of the Advocate have included articles and information about a wide variety of programs. This included coverage of expiring tax credit properties, HOTMA rules affecting multifamily housing providers, the digital divide that affects residents in all low-income housing, post-hurricane resources and disaster preparedness, and climate-related federal money that is available to some housing providers.?

We are happy to provide some new and updated BABA-related resources to members. We have a great deal of material now on the front page of our website, which includes background and things like available waivers, FAQs for housing providers, and other relevant information. Please see page 5 for more information.?

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Conclusion

PHADA has made deliberate efforts to be more engaged and active in all these program sectors. Our leadership recognizes there may be even more we can do to effectively represent such a diverse membership. I therefore invite and welcome your input, so please contact me or our Washington staff with any suggestions.?