Moving To Work
Moving to Work
In May 2022, the Norwalk Housing Authority (NHA) became a Moving to Work (MTW) agency. MTW is a demonstration program through HUD for public housing authorities (PHAs) that provides them the opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed strategies that use Federal dollars more efficiently and increases housing choices for low-income families among other things. MTW allows PHAs exemptions from many existing public housing and voucher rules and provides funding flexibility with how they use their Federal funds. PHAs in the MTW demonstration have pioneered a number of innovative policy interventions that have been proven to be successful at the local level and subsequently rolled out to the rest of the country's PHAs.
NHA is part of an expansion of MTW agencies referred to as the "Landlord Incentives Cohort". The NHA will initially focus on landlord incentives to increase the pool of landlords participating in the program, particularly in higher opportunity neighborhoods, which in turn will increase housing choices for our Section 8 families. NHA will use MTW flexibility to 1) establish higher payment standards in high opportunity neighborhoods which will give participants greater access to more neighborhoods, 2) pay landlords up to one-month contract rent as reimbursement for time the unit spends vacant between HCV participants, and 3) reimburse landlords for tenant-caused damages that cannot be covered entirely by the tenant's security deposit for up to the amount of two months contract rent after tenancy.
For full details on our MTW program please visit the Resources section which has links to all our MTW documentation.
FAQ's
Will I be required to work?
No, program participants will not be required to work. NHA will continue to encourage self-sufficiency through job training, education programs, and/or other activities that support economic self-sufficiency.
Will I have to move?
No, you will not be required to move. NHA is encouraging participants of the Section 8 program that do choose to move, to move into higher opportunity neighborhoods.
What is MTW?
Moving to Work (MTW) is a demonstration program for public housing authorities (PHAs) that provides them 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.
What is the Landlord Incentives Cohort?
The Landlord Incentives Cohort is part of the expansion of the Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration Program. Through this cohort, HUD will evaluate landlord incentives and their impact on participation in HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program to see if it improves residents' ability to use vouchers in their community.
Will my rent change?
Rents will continue to be calculated in accordance with the Section 8 program rules at approximately 30% of your income. Tenants whose current rent is above the payment standard may see a reduction in their share of the rent.
Can I join the Section 8 program?
No, our waiting list is currently closed and we are not accepting applications.
Will this affect Public Housing residents?
No, the initial MTW initiatives are only applicable to the Section 8 program. Should future plans impact public housing, NHA will hold meetings with residents and the community to inform them and seek their input. The NHA will consider using the funding flexibility that comes with MTW to make additional investments in the public housing.
How do I become a Section 8 Landlord?
If you own rental housing in Norwalk we encourage you to consider renting to a family or individual participating in the Section 8 program. Please see our Landlord Section 8 Participant Handbook for details on the program and participation. You can also list your apartment at www.gosection8.com.
Resources
Please click on the following links for full details on the NHA MTW initiative.
1. HUD MTW Website https://www.hud.gov/mtw/
4. ACC Amendment
6. Draft MTW changes to the NHA Section 8 Administrative Plan
Public Notices/Hearings
How Do I Participate?
NHA will hold public meetings to discuss the changes we intend to make to our existing polices to meet our MTW objectives. These meetings and accompanying documentation will be published on our website and all program participants, landlords and members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend.
Comments can be sent to Ms. Anna Keegan, Director of Policy and Moving to Work, at akeegan@norwalkha.org.