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

Members of Congress Introduce “The People’s Housing Platform”

A group of congressional leaders announced on January 29 a set of proposals to address homelessness and housing poverty called “The People’s Housing Platform.” The congressional leaders are Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (…

Sign National Letter Urging Housing Investments in Infrastructure Package

House Democrats have unveiled a $760 billion blueprint for an infrastructure package that does not include robust resources to build or preserve affordable and accessible homes for America’s lowest-income seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, families with children, and other…

Smoke-Free Guidebook Available from NHLP, Webinar on February 5

A Guide to Equitable Smoke-Free Public Housing is available from the National Housing Law Project (NHLP). In addition, NHLP will host a webinar on Wednesday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss best practices for achieving a smoke-free housing environment while also ensuring equitable access to…