CLPHA Legislative and Policy Priorities

The Public Housing Program is home to over 1.1 million low-income families and is a multibillion dollar public asset for local communities. Along with the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, which houses another 2.2 million low-income families, public housing and Section 8 are the foundation of the affordable housing market. Between these two programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over forty percent of the individuals served are children, and approximately half of the households are headed by seniors and persons with disabilities.

For many families, the public housing and housing voucher programs are the gateway to housing stability, self-sufficiency, and economic independence. To accomplish these objectives, housing authorities are developing transformational partnerships with important and committed stakeholders to benefit children, seniors, persons with disabilities, veterans, and homeless persons. For many housing authorities, this means coordinating with the education, workforce development, health care, transportation, and social services systems at the local level to provide supports and opportunities to residents.

In addition, the nation’s investment of more than $100 billion in the public housing portfolio is at risk due to a lack of funds for capital improvement and replacement needs, as well as the cost and effect of excessive federal regulation. Consequently, transformation of the public housing portfolio to a more stable funding platform, such as Section 8, coupled with infrastructure spending, such as tax credits, capital funds, etc., is necessary to preserve public housing as a viable resource.