After a month-long hiatus, “Tenant Talk Live” will resume today, November 6, at 6 pm ET. The meeting will feature an overview of HUD’s Section 811 program, which provides affordable housing, voluntary services, and support for people with disabilities. Participants will learn about Section 811 from Technical Assistance Collaborative’s Ayana Gonzalez, who will provide attendees with a primer on the program, share how those who are eligible can access Section 811, and discuss opportunities for advocacy. Register for today’s Tenant Talk Live meeting here.
Ayana Gonzalez (she, her, hers), has 20 years of experience developing and implementing policies and practices related to affordable housing development and permanent supportive housing (PSH). Ms. Gonzalez is an expert in the design, financing, implementation, and evaluation of publicly funded PSH programs, and she provides training and facilitation for housing providers, service agencies, and state and local governments on PSH expansion and fidelity. She has extensive knowledge of federal and state programs used to finance housing and services for low-income and vulnerable populations, and she works closely with communities to maximize opportunities to prevent and end homelessness and to disrupt systemic and institutional policies that perpetuate disparate outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), youth and young adults, and other marginalized populations of people experiencing homelessness.
Section 811, which helps create new supportive housing units for people with disabilities, was originally part of the Section 202 program. The program became fully authorized by the “National Affordable Housing Act of 1990" and then further amended in the “Housing and Community Development Act of 1992." Thanks to the efforts of disability advocates nationwide, significant reforms to the Section 811 program were made in the “Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010,” including the creation of the Project Rental Assistance (PRA) program, one of the funded components of Section 811. PRA offers project-based rental assistance to state housing agencies that are receiving funding for capital through other programs. Another component of Section 811 is the Capital Advance/Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC), which grants non-profit organizations capital funding to develop integrated housing, group homes, or condominiums that have units set aside for people with disabilities. In early October 2023, HUD announced that it would make available $212 million to expand affordable housing and rental assistance through Section 811. To learn more about the program and related opportunities for advocacy, read NLIHC’s 2023 Advocates’ Guide article on Section 811.
“Tenant Talk Live” meetings are held the first and third Monday of every month at 6 pm ET. For more information on future topics, view our website: https://nlihc.org/tenant-talk-live-webinar. To stay up to date on “Tenant Talk Live” events and connect with other attendees, join the Tenant Talk Facebook group.
“Tenant Talk Live” would not be possible without tenants like you! We strive to connect and engage with residents and tenant leaders through our webinars. If you are a low-income tenant and have a topic you would like to propose for an upcoming “Tenant Talk Live,” or if you would like to participate as a speaker on an upcoming call or webinar, please email: [email protected].
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