Moving to Work

The Moving To Work (MTW) program, authorized by section 204 of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996, offers a limited number of housing authorities the opportunity to design and test innovative strategies for addressing the needs of their tenants and communities.

MTW agencies have the flexibility to find new approaches that accomplish three primary statutory goals:

Reducing cost and achieving greater cost effectiveness in federal expenditures;
Giving incentives to families with children where the head of household is working, is seeking work, or is preparing for work by participating in job training, educational programs, or programs that assist people to obtain employment and become economically self-sufficient; and
Increasing housing choices for low-income families.

MTW Agencies

There are currently 80 housing authorities with MTW status.

39 original MTW agencies have agency-specific MTW agreements with HUD, detailing the flexibilities granted in order to meet program goals, and each have had their agreements extended through the end of 2028. Each year, the housing authority completes an annual plan, to be approved by HUD, and an annual report on the outcomes achieved. Congress authorized the expansion of the MTW program to 100 additional agencies in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

In January 2021, HUD announced the 31 agencies that have been selected for Cohort 1 of the MTW Expansion. This cohort is comprised of PHAs with 1,000 or fewer aggregate units of public housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) units.

In May 2021, HUD announced the 10 public housing agencies (PHAs) that were selected for Cohort 2 of the MTW Expansion. This cohort will evaluate stepped and tiered rent policies.

HUD has indicated that the future third and fourth cohorts of the MTW Expansion will evaluate work requirements and landlord incentives.

MTW News

4.27.22

HUD Now Accepting Applications for Fourth MTW Expansion Cohort: Asset Building

HUD has announced the newest opportunity for PHAs with 6,000 or less combined units of public housing and HCV units to apply for the fourth cohort of the MTW Expansion, which will test asset building initiatives (Asset Building Cohort). Asset Building Initiatives are defined as activities that encourage the growth of savings accounts and/or aim to build credit for assisted households.

Section 5 of PIH Notice 2022-11 outlines specific eligibility criteria, which include but are not limited to, a requirement that mid-sized PHA applicants are designated as a High Performer under PHAS or SEMAP. The Notice also specifies that to be considered for the MTW Asset Building Cohort, interested PHAs must submit a complete application package, which consists of two parts: Part I – MTW Plan and Asset Building Initiatives Information and Part II – Appendices. The MTW Plan, which is suggested to be no longer than 10 pages, includes the PHA’s vision and plan for the local MTW program, plan for future community/resident engagement, operating and housing inventory information, proposed use of MTW funds and partnerships. Under the Asset Building Initiatives Information PHAs must include an assessment of the agency’s existing asset building programs and select the asset building initiatives option that the agency will implement if selected to participate in the cohort.

CLPHA strongly encourages interested PHAs to apply for the latest MTW Expansion Cohort, as HUD has not indicated intentions to announce any additional cohorts at this time. Additionally, HUD must admit all 100 new MTW agencies by the end of 2022 according to the 2016 Appropriations Act, which authorized MTW expansion. HUD has brought on 70 new MTW agencies so far under the previous cohorts and there are currently only 11 slots left for mid-sized PHAs (1,000-6,000 combined units) to join the MTW expansion, with the remaining going to small PHAs with under 1,000 combined units.

To be considered for the MTW Asset Building Cohort, HUD must receive a complete application package by 11:59 PM ET on July 28, 2022.

Please contact Nicole Barrett, MTW program director of the MTW Collaborative, at nbarrett@mtwcollaborative.org with any questions.

Read the Notice

2.9.22

Affordable housing efforts to be expanded in Utah through federal program (Housing Authority of Salt Lake City)