The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Housing Catalyst has been selected to join the latest cohort of the Moving to Work Demonstration Program. Moving to Work (MTW) provides public housing authorities (PHAs) with the opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed strategies that use Federal dollars more efficiently, help residents find employment and become self-sufficient, and increase housing choices for low-income families.
“As Moving to Work marks 25 years, we are pleased to announce the latest cohort of local housing authorities that will join this program to test new housing strategies,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. “These agencies have put forth impressive plans to further support housing choices for people in their communities, including innovative ways to engage landlords, who are critical partners in delivering HUD’s rental assistance program.”
Housing Catalyst is one of 29 PHAs that will be joining the demonstration program this spring. MTW agencies have directly influenced national policy for 25 years, paving the way for the future delivery of Federal housing assistance.
“We are honored that Housing Catalyst was selected to be a part of this MTW cohort,” said Housing Catalyst Chief Operating Officer Michele Christensen. “Joining Moving to Work will give us the flexibility to implement creative, entrepreneurial solutions locally while informing policy at a national level.”
The new MTW cohort will design and test incentives for property managers who rent to individuals and families with Housing Choice Vouchers. The goal is to increase the selection of homes available to voucher holders. This Landlord Incentive cohort continues MTW’s tradition of policy innovation benefiting residents who receive federal assistance.
First authorized by Congress in 1996, MTW provides PHAs the opportunity to redefine how they operate by giving them flexibility to try “outside the box” ideas that address community needs in innovative and creative ways. There are more than 100 MTW PHAs across 38 states and the District of Columbia.