Federal, State, & City Housing Departments

Federal, State, & City Housing Departments- - - What They Do and What They Should Be Doing

Learning Objectives

Learn the power of these programs and how to influence them

Apply pressure to these programs and bureaucracies

Understand the general shape of housing policy bureaucracy at federal, state, and local levels

Federal, state, regional, and local Departments

US Department of Housing and Urban Development

• National/federal
• Abbreviated as HUD
• Complex bureaucracy
• Designs important programs, rules and regulations

About H.U.D.

President appoints the department head.

Assistant secretaries oversee divisions within HUD.

Congress decides on the budget yearly.

Department is broken down into regions nationwide and has field offices.

National regions of H.U.D.

How to influence H.U.D.

Know

Track

Bring

Inform

Leverage

Know which program you want to influence and what division of HUD it is located in.

Track changes to rules that impact this program. Submit comments and make testimony.

Inform a third-party compliance organization about the issues.

Leverage your congressperson’s political power to advocate for your issue.

Bring issues to your regional HUD office.

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State, Regional, and Local Housing

The state sets conditions for all local and county laws through its legislative powers

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)

• Board of seven appointed by the governor.
• A board of six has been in place for the past two decades.

• TDHCA operates under a statute written by the state legislature
• Approves applications for LIHTC developments
• Is supposed to make sure rents are affordable to low-income people, and that properties are well-maintained
• They produce the annual Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP)
• The QAP sets out the state's criteria for awarding federal tax credits to housing properties

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA)

Points of Influence with TDHCA

DIRECT ACTION

SPEAK WITH A STATE REP OR SENATOR

WRITE AN OP-ED OR MEET WITH THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF YOUR PAPER

SUBMIT COMMENTS

SPEAK AT BOARD MEETINGS

READ AGENDAS AND ATTEND BOARD MEETINGS

REGIONAL/LOCAL HOUSING

Housing Departments vs Housing Authorities

Housing Departments

• Might be blended with other departments
• Receive money from various HUD programs
• Look at past decisions to get a sense of priorities
• ASK YOURSELF: Is there a strategy, budget, or a plan? Who is this affordable to?

From Houston Chronicle’s “Houston gentrifying faster than other Texas cities, Fed analysis finds.” Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Point of influence: making comments

• Con plans: cover a period of three to five years and lays out how a city can make data-driven investment decisions with HUD program funds.
• Action plans: annual documents that provide a concise summary of the actions, activities, and the specific federal and non-federal resources that will be used to accomplish the goals of the Con Plan.

Other points of influence on your housing dept.

• Request regular meetings with program administrators
• Attend community engagement sessions
• Openly criticize processes or decisions that don’t feel right
• Make public comments on projects that matter to you
• Direct action

The Five Year Plan is submitted by PHAs to HUD every fifth fiscal year.

Public housing authorities (PHAs)

While the annual plan is submitted once a year, both plans require lots of documentation from your local PHA.

Housing Authorities

• Issue vouchers and operate properties
• Can be on a city level, county level, or both
• Have their own CEOs and boards

Note: HACA is just one example of a housing authority in Texas. There are many, many housing authorities located around the state.

• Tenant association, i.e Union of HUD Tenants
• Reading the agenda
• Watching and reporting on board meetings and minutes
• Speaking at board meetings
• Direct action

Points of Influence with your Housing Authority