PHADA President Mark Gillett.
I was honored and pleased to participate on a recent House of Representatives’ panel examining Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and public housing issues. The meeting was held March 25 and called by Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on T-HUD Appropriations. My home city’s Representative, Stephanie Bice (R-OK), and other subcommittee members also participated.
PHADA President Mark Gillett meeting with Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on T-HUD Appropriations.
The informal roundtable was designed to be an open forum on rapidly escalating HCV costs and related issues. Some other agenda items included providing more HAs Moving to Work (MTW) flexibilities, how to make administration of the program more efficient, and addressing issues to lift more people up and out of the program.
L–R: CLPHA President Jeff Patterson, CLPHA Vice President LaShelle Dozier, NAHRO President George Guy and Mark Gillett at the House roundtable.
Other panelists included: Chonda Tapley, Executive Director of the Fayetteville and Harrison Housing Authorities; Michael Reyes, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity Home San Antonio; LaShelle Dozier, CEO of the Sacramento HA and Vice President of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities; George Guy, President of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials and Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority; and Will Fischer, Senior Fellow and Director of Housing Policy at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
This was the latest in a series of sessions. The roundtables are designed as a “dinner party”-type education session for members to learn more about how these rental assistance programs work, and issues Congress should consider. Industry representatives thought it was a constructive dialogue with the lawmakers and their staffs, and we very much appreciated the invitation.