The Changing Role of Public Housing Authorities in the Affordable Housing Delivery System (CM | 1.5)

Since the beginnings of the public housing program, public housing authorities (PHAs) in the U.S. have transformed from entirely public endeavors-funded by the federal government – to agencies that must respond to market forces and that combine both public and private efforts. As the recession began, PHAs were just beginning to experience the full effects of this transition.

 Using 13 cases studies of the largest PHAs in the Pacific Northwest Region, this webinar outline what activities PHAs are undertaking in this devolved, market-based context, speculating about the future. PHAs make trade-offs among paths that emphasize agency survival, producing more housing for the poorest households, identification as a non-profit housing provider (rather than depending on HUD), poverty alleviation, merging with another public agency, or closing. This diversity of responses points to the under-valued attribute of public housing authorities as local organizations receiving diverse mandates from the federal government and as local housing providers.

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