Public Housing

Public housing is housing stock that is owned by the government; federal public housing is owned by HUD and administered by local public housing agencies (PHAs). 

Additional public housing has not been built in decades. Advocates are thus focused primarily on preserving the public housing stock that remains. Issues facing today’s public housing include: generally well-run public housing agencies facing significant federal funding shortfalls; policies like demolition, disposition and the HOPE VI program that have resulted in the nationwide loss of public housing units; and calls for deregulation of public housing, through the expansion of the Moving to Work demonstration program and other efforts, that come at the expense of affordability, deep income targeting, resident participation, and programmatic accountability.

For more information on public housing, contact Sarah Saadian, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Field Organizing, at [email protected] or 202.662.1530 x228.

Additional Resources

Memo to Members and Partners Articles

NLIHC Summarizes Key Changes to Updated PHA Plan Templates

By Ed Gramlich, NLIHC Senior Advisor NLIHC combed through each of the five updated PHA Plan templates that public housing agencies (PHAs) must use when submitting Annual PHA Plans and a 5-Year PHA Plan. HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH 2025-18 on June 3…

HUD’s PIH Notice Announces Unspecified Revisions to PHA Plan Templates

By Ed Gramlich, NLIHC Senior Advisor HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH 2025-18 on June 3 providing guidance to public housing agencies (PHAs) on how they can access and submit automated PHA Plans. The Notice also announced revisions to the 5-Year PHA Plan and…

HUD’s PIH Revises Public Housing Demolition/Disposition Notice

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) issued Notice PIH 2024-40 on December 26, modifying previous guidance (Notice PIH 2021-07) regarding how a public housing agency (PHA) can apply to demolish or dispose of public housing under Section 18 of the Housing Act of 1937. The Notice is to be…