The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a comprehensive review of the Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration program. This initiative, which aims to enhance administrative productivity and resident benefits, will be examined by 14 agencies in an effort to expand services. The announcement was made by Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman after consultation with Congress and other stakeholders.
"We are committed to finding innovative solutions that increase and preserve our housing supply and empowers families," said Todman. "With this expansion complete, we look forward to learning from these communities and applying the most promising and successful ideas to inform future policy and programs."
According to a HUD news release, MTW offers residents tailored solutions designed to assist them and improve housing options for families. The program enables housing agencies to devise and test local strategies when developing policies and programs. The goal is to meet the specific needs of the families they serve as well as their community through inventive solutions.
"Well performing housing agencies can take their operations to the next level with the administrative flexibility and the ability to be more creative in fulfilling their mission," said Richard J. Monocchio, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. "It’s an exciting time at HUD. With this final cohort, we now have 100 additional housing agencies leading locally-designed housing innovations that will contribute to the Department’s cutting-edge policy development that can be scaled nationally."
In shaping policies evaluated by five cohorts, HUD collaborated with the Federal Research Advisory Council, according to the news release. This collaboration has increased the total number of MTW housing agencies operating in America to 139, spanning 40 states and Washington D.C. Furthermore, 17 states without prior MTW housing agencies now have access to new housing options. Since receiving congressional approval in 1996, MTW has been influencing national policy on housing for over two decades.
