NLIHC signed on to a letter submitted by the National Housing Law Project (NHLP) to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee leaders, urging Congress to oppose lifting the current, expanded cap on the number of public housing units that can be converted to Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs) or Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) until critical issues identified in the letter are fully addressed. The letter also urges Congress to direct HUD to promote alternatives to public housing demolition, disposition, voluntary conversion to vouchers, RAD/Section 18 blends, Faircloth-to-RAD transactions, or mixed-finance redevelopment that replaces or rehabilitates existing affordable units.
Any future expansion of RAD beyond the current statutory cap of 455,000 units must be informed by the statutorily required evaluations of the “demonstration” program, including one on the impact of RAD conversion on public housing tenants that must include an analysis of whether the resident rights and protections guaranteed under the RAD statute were implemented and enforced during conversion and are being implemented and enforced by the new owners after the conversion.
Congress must prioritize funding for public housing preservation programs and activities while guiding HUD on how best to spend such investments by strengthening HUD’s oversight and proper implementation of RAD and by eliminating health and safety hazards.
In instances requiring public housing demolition, disposition, or voluntary conversion to vouchers, Congress should direct HUD to require a market analysis and civil rights assessment to determine whether there are other affordable housing units available in the community and whether residents will be able to use issued vouchers in opportunity neighborhoods.
Read the NHLP sign on letter at: https://bit.ly/443vsme
Read more about the Public Housing program on page 4-32 of NLIHC’s 2023 Advocates’ Guide and on NLIHC’s public housing webpage,
Read more about the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) on page 4-46 of NLIHC’s 2023 Advocates’ Guide and on NLIHC’s public housing webpage,
Read more about Section 18 Demolition and Disposition and Section 22 Voluntary Conversion of public housing to vouchers on page 4-69 of NLIHC’s 2023 Advocates’ Guide and on NLIHC’s public housing webpage,