Requirement for a Resident on Board of Commissioners

Summary
Both bills require HAs to have at least one public housing resident on the HA's Board. Each provides for some exclusions, such as for Commissioners who are salaried and full-time.

S. 462
Section 102 "... the membership of the board of directors of each public housing agency shall contain not less than 1 member who is a resident of a public housing project operated by the public housing agency."

H.R. 2
Title I, Section 103 "... in localities in which a public housing agency is governed by a board of directors or other similar body, the board or body shall include not less than 1 member who is an elected public housing resident member ..." (emphasis added) A recent draft version allows housing authorities the option of electing the resident member of the Board of Commissioners, but only if such election is provided for in the authority's housing plan.

PHADA position

• PHADA objects to federal requirements that supercede state or local law. This provision effectively contradicts the bill's stated intent by actually taking authority away from localities.

• Board membership has historically been determined at the state and local level. Washington should not dictate to HAs who would be on their boards and how the boards should be composed.

• Current law does not prohibit board membership for any resident and in fact many housing authorities have residents serving on their boards.

• Elections politicize the process and may contaminate the governance of the HA and healthy resident organizations.

Suggested action
Remove these provisions and leave the composition of the HA board to the discretion of the state or the local community. If Congress does retain this provision, keep all exclusions and stipulate that the locality should appoint the resident representative.