Virtual Hearing - Preserving a Lifeline: Examining Public Housing in a Pandemic (EventID=111398)

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Connect with the House Financial Services Committee Get the latest news: https://financialservices.house.gov/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HouseFinancialCmte/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FSCDems ___________________________________ On Wednesday, March 24, 2020, from 12:00 p.m. (ET) Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance, Chairman Cleaver and Ranking Member Stivers will host a virtual hearing entitled, “Preserving a Lifeline: Examining Public Housing in a Pandemic." ___________________________________ Witnesses for this one-panel hearing will be: • Georgi Banna, Director of Policy and Program Development Director of Policy and Program Development, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials • Brian Gage, Executive Director, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority • Tamir Mohamud, Commissioner and Vice-President, Minneapolis High-Rise Representative Council • Oscar Durán, Executive Director, Municipal Housing Agency of Council Bluffs • Michael Hendrix, Director of State and Local Policy, Manhattan Institute ___________________________________ Introduction Public housing has served as an important lifeline for low-income families during the coronavirus pandemic by ensuring residents have an affordable home and by providing important services to help residents stay healthy and connected to their communities. The coronavirus pandemic has posed major threats to public housing communities and residents, many of whom are older or have a disability or underlying health condition and are therefore particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. Studies have shown that seniors living in public housing have greater challenges performing routine daily activities and have higher rates of obesity and diabetes. Additionally, people of color, who are at an increased risk of experiencing serious illness or facing structural barriers to receiving treatment once diagnosed, head a disproportionate number of public housing households.2 The challenge of keeping public housing residents safe has been particularly critical for public housing authorities managing properties with shared common spaces, elevators, staircases, mailrooms, hallways, and laundry rooms where the virus may be easily spread. The pandemic has also posed new challenges for residents who depend on regular services, such as medical check-ups and assistance from aides, that bring residents in contact with staff or others who may have been exposed. Public housing authorities (PHAs) operating through the pandemic have been called upon to protect the health of public housing communities and residents, and to adapt operations to continue to provide shelter and services to vulnerable residents. The State of Public Housing The Public Housing program plays a central role in addressing America’s affordable housing needs. Under this program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides grants to local PHAs that collectively own and manage roughly one million permanently affordable housing units. Public housing is home to approximately 1.7 million low-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals. Over half of public housing households are headed by seniors and people with disabilities; families with approximately 597,000 children comprise more than 37% of public housing households.6 The average income of a household living in public housing is $15,489 per year, and 82 percent of public housing residents are extremely or very low-income.7 In order to ensure affordability, rent for public housing residents is generally capped at 30 percent of household income. Providing vulnerable individuals with access to public housing provides benefits that cannot be fully replicated through other forms of housing assistance. For example, public housing is more likely to be accessible to people with disabilities than apartments that are available to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) holders.8 Additionally, landlord participation in the HCV program is generally voluntary and households with HCVs often face challenges finding landlords who will accept their voucher.9 In cities with tight rental markets, on average, it takes a voucher holder 94 days to find an apartment, while only 61 percent of voucher holders ultimately find a landlord who will accept it.10 Furthermore, unlike Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA) properties that are owned by private owners, public housing is permanently affordable; whereas, after a PBRA owner’s contract expires, the owner can choose to exit the program and begin charging market rents for their units. In many communities, no other source of housing is more affordable or readily available to low-income individuals than public housing. Federal Funding of Public Housing Over the past few decades, funding for the public... Hearing page: https://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=406267