Public Housing Programs

PIH Programs

Below is a summary of public housing programs within the Office of Public and Indian Housing:

Capital Fund
The Capital Fund provides funds to housing authorities to modernize public housing developments.

The PIH Office of Capital Improvements administers the Capital Fund. The Capital Fund provides funds, annually, to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) for the development, financing, and modernization of public housing developments and for management improvements. The funds may not be used for luxury improvements, direct social services, cost funded by other HUD programs, and ineligible activities as determined by HUD on a case-by-case basis.

Demolition/Disposition
The Demo/Dispo program was created in an effort to help eliminate old, run down public housing.

Homeownership
A Public Housing Authority (PHA) may sell all, or a portion of, a public housing development to eligible residents or resident organizations, for purposes of homeownership, provided that a Homeownership Plan has been submitted by the PHA and has been approved by HUD.

HOPE VI
Since 1993, HOPE VI has been the engine driving the revitalization of the Nation’s most distressed public housing developments by providing grants and unprecedented flexibility to address the housing and social service needs of their residents.

Housing Choice Vouchers (Formerly Section 8)
Allow very low-income families to choose and lease or purchase safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing.

Mixed-Finance Public Housing
Mixed-Finance public housing allows HUD to mix public, private, and non-profit funds to develop and operate housing developments.  These new developments are built for residents with a wide range of incomes, and are designed to fit into the surrounding community.

Moderate Rehabilitation
Provides project-based rental assistance for low income families. The program was repealed in 1991 and no new projects are authorized for development. Assistance is limited to properties previously rehabilitated pursuant to a housing assistance payments (HAP) contract between an owner and a Public Housing Agency (PHA).

Moving to Work Demonstration (MTW)
MTW is a demonstration program that allows housing authorities (Has) to design and test ways to give incentives to families to become economically self-sufficient, achieve programmatic efficiencies, reduce costs, and increase housing choice for low-income households.

Operating Fund
The Public Housing Operating Fund provides operating subsidies to housing authorities (HAs) to assist in funding the operating and maintenance expenses of their own dwellings, in accordance with Section 9 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended. The subsidies are required to help maintain services and provide minimum operating reserves.

Rental Housing Integrity Improvement Project (RHIIP)
Develops and implements plans which address HUD?s high risk rental housing subsidy programs.

Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) and Neighborhood Networks (NN)
The ROSS program links services to public housing residents by providing grants for supportive services, resident empowerment activities and activities to assist residents in becoming economically self-sufficient.