What Is Moving To Work? - San Antonio Housing Authority

MTWAMERICA’SHOUSINGPOLICY LABwww.HUD.gov/MTW1MTWAMERICA’SCost Savings and HOUSINGPOLICY LABEffectiveness:• Moving to biennial, instead ofannual, rent determinations forsome households (this MTWinnovation was adopted byHUD for all agencies).• Simplifying rent calculations.• Utilizing funding flexibility(“fungibility”) to support security,self-sufficiency, and developmentactivities without the burdensomeaccounting required by multiplerestricted funding allocations.• Replacing inefficient systems forensuring housing quality standardsand rent reasonableness withrisk-based, technologicallydriven solutions.• A host of other administrativereforms, both large and small,that are increasing efficiencyand reducing overhead.What Is Moving To Work?Created by Congress in 1996, Moving to Work (MTW) is aU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)demonstration program that allows housing authorities todesign and test innovative, locally-designed strategies forproviding low-income families with affordable housing andnew paths to economic independence.What are MTW’sGoals?Congress established threestatutory goals for MTW:1 Reduce costs and achievegreater cost effectiveness inFederal expenditures;2 Give incentives to families withchildren where the head ofhousehold is working, is seekingwork, or is preparing for work byparticipating in job training,educational programs, orprograms that assist people toobtain employment and becomeeconomically self-sufficient; and3 Increase housing choices forlow-income families.“MTW is currently theonly HUD programthrough which publichousing authorities canwholly transform theiroperations, programsand housing. Thebroad flexibility towaive statute andregulations allowsthese agencies tobetter serve and housetheir residents andbroader communitieswhile streamlining theirinternal operations.”From: HUD’s August 2010Report to Congress

2Incentives forSelf-Sufficiency• Modifying rent calculation formulasto provide non-punitive incentivesfor participants to increase theirearnings and save for the future.• Crafting local self-sufficiencyprograms that account for eachcommunity’s socio-economiccharacteristics and opportunities.• Developing employment centersand programs that help residentsprepare for and obtain steady,good paying jobs.3Increase HousingChoices• Redeveloping old properties anddeveloping new ones, therebysustaining and creating a widerange of housing options forlow-income families.• Constructing mixed-incomehousing, acquiring or renovatingsenior and supportive housing;and designing local rental subsidyprograms that respond to specificcommunity needs.• Creating “sponsor based”programs with local nonprofitsthat provide housing andsupportive services to specialneeds populations that non-MTWhousing authorities cannottypically reach.• Developing local homeownershipprograms that allow workingfamilies to purchase homes andbegin building assets.How Are Housing AuthoritiesUsing MTW?MTW agencies are using their flexibility to design andmodify programs and housing models that meet theircommunities’ unique needs.Evaluating the Success of MTWEach agency is evaluating the success of its MTW initiatives.Many work with local universities in this effort. Most ofthis research involves measuring quantifiable outcomes, suchas the employment rate for able-bodied residents, increases infamily income, amount of funds leveraged for affordablehousing and supportive services, number of housing units inmixed-income environments and the distribution of housingunits and housing opportunities in assessing success.“So we should move aggressively to identify, test andevaluate a variety of new approaches and to instituteand spread effective initiatives, to help more poorchildren advance and poor adults surmount barriersto success in the labor market.”Robert Greenstein, Founder and Executive Director, Center on Budgetand Policy Priorities; February 4, 2013, NY TimesMTW Public Housing AgenciesWith the most recent expansion, 39 Public Housing Authorities (of 3,400 nationally) are nowdesignated as MTW agencies. These include large and small agencies in all parts of the country.Alaska Housing Finance CorporationAtlanta Housing AuthorityHousing Authority of Baltimore CityBoulder Housing PartnersCambridge Housing AuthorityCharlotte Housing AuthorityHousing Authority of Champaign CountyChicago Housing AuthorityHousing Authority of Columbus, GADelaware State Housing AuthorityDistrict of Columbia Housing AuthorityFairfax County Redevelopmentand Housing AuthorityHolyoke Housing AuthorityKeene Housing AuthorityKing County Housing AuthorityLawrence-Douglas County Housing AuthorityLexington-Fayette Urban CountyHousing AuthorityLincoln Housing AuthorityLouisville Metro Housing AuthorityMassachusetts Department of Housingand Community DevelopmentMinneapolis Public Housing AuthorityElm City Communities (New Haven, CT)Oakland Housing AuthorityOrlando Housing AuthorityPhiladelphia Housing AuthorityHousing Authority of the Cityof PittsburghPortage Metro Housing AuthorityHome Forward (Portland, OR)Reno Housing AuthoritySan Antonio Housing AuthorityHousing Authority of the County ofSan BernardinoSan Diego Housing CommissionHousing Authority of the Countyof San MateoHousing Authority of the Countyof Santa ClaraSeattle Housing AuthorityTacoma Housing AuthorityTulare Housing AuthorityVancouver Housing Authority