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Moving to Work

The Moving to Work (MTW) program provides select public housing authorities with the opportunity to design and test innovative housing and self-sufficiency strategies for low-income families.

Public Review 2024 PHA Plan

The Housing Authority of Washington County is sharing its proposed 2024 Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan and related documents for public review and comment.

The 45-day public comment period will run March 18, 2024, through May 2, 2024. The Housing Authority Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on the proposed PHA Plan on Tuesday, May 7. More information about that meeting can be found here.

Please review the documents below and visit our Moving to Work page for more detailed information about that program. Written comments on the draft plan and supplement should be directed to Melissa Sonsalla, Policy and Planning Manager, at 161 NW Adams Ave, Suite 2000, MS 63, Hillsboro, OR 97124 or e-mail [email protected].

2024 PHA Plan - Draft (PDF 963.14 KB)

About Moving to Work

Moving to Work (MTW) is a HUD program that gives housing authorities flexibility around certain federal rules and regulations and allows the agency to implement local solutions. The Housing Authority of Washington County (HAWC) was selected for MTW status in May 2021. Our agreement is for participation for 20 years. We submit proposed activities once a year, typically as part of our PHA Plan.

The MTW program provides the Housing Authority of Washington County with a unique opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed housing and self-sufficiency strategies for serving low-income families. MTW agencies have greater flexibility to administer their public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs with policies that can address local needs and that allow the housing authority to utilize restricted funds in creative ways.

More information can also be found on HUD’s website at www.hud.gov/mtw.

What are MTW Activities?

The Housing Authority will use our MTW flexibility to create locally designed MTW activities. These MTW activities are ways the agency will operate differently than standard federal regulation, in an effort to create strategies that best fit our local needs. MTW activities will be shared with the community, with our Housing Advisory Committee and with our Housing Authority Board of Directors to solicit feedback on changes before plans are submitted to HUD for approval.

The MTW program has three statutory objectives: 1) increase affordable housing choices, 2) increase cost effectiveness, and/or 3) promote self-sufficiency. Each MTW activity will be designed to meet one or more of these statutory objectives.

2024 MTW Activities

In our 2024 submission (covering July 2024 through June 2025), we are focusing on fully implementing approved waivers, analyzing activities to determine impact on households and preparing for upcoming proposals.  We are not requesting any additional waivers in this submission. The PHA Plan includes previously requested and approved waivers, described in Form 50075-MTW.

Ongoing Activities

In our first years as an MTW agency, we have focused on strategies for cost reduction and administrative effectiveness.  In Year 1 (FY2022-2023) we implemented our tiered rent study, as well as a triennial review schedule for seniors and people disabilities.  We also simplified aspects of the rent calculation to create efficiencies for our staff, and better understanding and transparency for the households we serve.  In Year 2 (FY2023-2024) we expanded on these approaches, proposing a simplified utility allowance schedule and a locally designed payment standard, both to consider the conditions of our local community and respond to housing stability needs. A list of our MTW Activities can be found in the flyer below.

MTW Activities Flyer (PDF 195.15 KB)
Quick Info on Tiered Rents in English (PDF 447.07 KB)
Quick Info on Tiered Rents in Spanish (PDF 206.89 KB)

FAQs

Congress created the MTW program to allow housing authorities to alter HUD program rules for the Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing programs, including policy changes and flexibility in how it spends HUD money. The purpose is to identify areas where policy adjustments and local policy changes improve outcomes.

The MTW program provides HAWC with additional tools to reduce cost and to shift resources to help fill the funding gap. MTW also allows HAWC to adopt policies and implement programs designed to help clients become self-sufficient.

This is a prestigious designation, and the HAWC is honored to be designated as a MTW agency.

One of the goals of the MTW program is to increase affordable housing. HAWC will review a variety of options available using its MTW flexibility to provide more affordable housing in the County with creative funding solutions.

Each year, HAWC may adopt new MTW activities that may impact our residents and participants, depending on the policy change and the family's circumstances. Before adopting new activities, HAWC will hold public meetings and community discussions, to solicit feedback on the proposed changes.

As HAWC proposes changes or new activities, we will hold public meetings and community discussions to help people understand the changes and provide an opportunity for questions and feedback. Information about those meetings will be posted on the HAWC website.

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