HUD Secretary Asks Housing Authorities for MFP Update
HUD and MFP, Another Handle
On July 9, 2007, Secretary Alphonso Jackson, U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, wrote a "Dear Executive Director" letter to each public
housing authority. In this letter, he traced the Money Follows the Person
legislation, together with the New Freedom Initiative and Deficit Reduction Act
of 2005. This letter follows, in part, his meeting in March 2007 with ADAPT
members in Washington, D.C.
The Secretary has asked each Executive Director to submit to HUD by August 31,
2007 "details about how your agency [i.e., Public Housing Authorities] is
implementing strategies to carry out the MFP Rebalancing Initiative." You might
remember that Secretary Jackson in October 2006 wrote another "Dear Executive
Director" letter in which he "encouraged" them "to set local preferences for the
use of Public Housing units, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Mainstream Vouchers to
promote the MFP Rebalancing Initiative."
In the July 9, 2007 letter, he goes further. He recommends they "engage" those
agencies that "play a critical role by advocating for integrated housing
opportunities for seniors and people with disabilities," specifically mentioning
P&A agencies and Independent Living Centers.
He asks each Public Housing Authority to determine how it can "accommodate
people who may benefit from the MFP Rebalancing Initiative," including
"establishing local preferences [for people coming out of institutions],
ensuring access to waitlists [which could be opened for persons being
deinstitutionalized], and modifying your application process."
1. Advocates should use the July 9, 2007 HUD letter to meet with your Executive
Director (and Board of Directors) as soon as possible to review how both the
July 9, 2007 and October 2006 suggestions have been implemented, if at all.
Specifically: 1. Are the Mainstream Vouchers and Housing Choice Vouchers
directed to persons with disabilities who are part of the MFP program?
2. Is there a local preference for both vouchers and for public housing units
for persons leaving nursing homes and other institutions?
3. Can people in the MFP gain immediate access to waiting lists for vouchers and
public housing units?
Given the July 9, 2007 letter, there should not be excuses that a Housing
Authority cannot do, at least, these three. The Secretary stated that he and his
Department "strongly supports greater housing choice for seniors and people with
disabilities. By expanding the availability of accessible, affordable,
integrated housing options, we can, collectively, make this endeavor
successful." The HUD July 9, 2007 letter can be found at
www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/disabilities/MFP-RebalancingMemo.PDF
At that website, there is a name and address of a Deputy Assistant Secretary to
whom the Executive Directors are to forward their submissions.
We hope and assume HUD would like to hear directly from you regarding both your
successes and difficulties with your local Housing Authorities. So would we.
- Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues
