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

HUD Reposts RAD Factsheets for Residents

HUD’s Office of Recapitalization (Recap) posted eight fact sheets designed for public housing residents about the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD). An additional seven fact sheets are still in the process of being created. Recap also made public a five-minute video intended to explain RAD to…

NHLP Issues Reminder about Utility Allowances in HUD-Assisted Housing

The National Housing Law Project (NHLP) has provided a reminder about utility allowances in federally subsidized housing, “Protect Subsidized Tenants from Rising Utility Costs.” The reminder addresses the requirement that utility allowances be factored into the rent paid by HUD-assisted households…