News and Updates
MUPHT Speaks to "TRA" in Letter to HUD Secretary Donovan
Dear Secretary Donovan:
The Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants wants to thank you for the opportunity for
our resident leaders to provide you and your senior staff with input on HUD's new proposal,
Transforming Rental Assistance (TRA). On April 1 3a~nd 14~H,U D held an historic convening
of public housing, multifamily housing, and voucher residents. The Mass. Union leaders who
attended this convening have reported back to our board and membership and we wish to convey
the following.
Keeping Public Housing Public
The fact that the Administration and HUD, with Congress's approval, appropriated $4 billion in
stimulus funds for capital improvements in public housing was a great first step in addressing the
$20-$30 billion capital backlog in federally funded public housing. We also commend HUD for
working to develop a way to raise the money needed to preserve public housing instead of
demolishing it.
But having learned more fi-om residents in multifamily housing about their experiences with
private investors and lenders in terms of long-term affordability, organizing, and enforcing tenants'
rights, we have many questions about making public housing dependent on private dollars. We are
concerned about the risks of foreclosure and about the capacity of housing authorities to leverage
$7.5 million in private dollars that you anticipate in the first phase.We would echo the question that has been raised: Can the Administration seek to renew the
$4 billion of stimulus funds for the next five years to address the backlog without having to
compromise the "public ownership" of public housing?