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Local housing authorities are facing a time of change and must learn to adapt if they are to provide needed services to their community. Housing officials must work to provide permanent housing for low income families and to build community support. Reduced federal money means housing authorities must focus on fundraising.

Local housing authorities need to team with private businesses to meet new federal mandates required by the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. The act requires agencies to build up their income and it also requires mixed income development.

The rules outlined for public housing authorities in the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 can be quite complex and difficult for small housing agencies to understand. The various elements of the law that apply to small agencies are explained, as are the various exemptions.

The Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the leadership of Sec Andrew Cuomo has made many significant budget and policy accomplishments through the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act. The new housing law, which the Secretary, the National Assn of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and other housing and community development industry groups lobbied for, increases the HUD's budget by $2 billion. It provides new affordable housing vouchers, introduces new Federal Housing Administration loan limits, and provides empowerment vouchers to help renters become home owners. The new law also reforms the public housing system by reducing segregation and promoting work and self-sufficiency, and increases funding to vital programs.

The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 introduces considerable changes to the laws covering public housing and Section 8 programs. It combines the Section 8 voucher and certificate programs, sets administrative fees for Sec 8 programs, and identifies other agencies that can manage these programs aside from those currently administering them. The Act also authorizes the Secretary of the Dept of Housing and Urban Development to implement any provision in the Act by notice, by rule making and by negotiated rule making. Under the new law, agencies are required to prepare a five-year and an annual plan. The elements that the latter must include are a statement of community needs, a statement of financial resources, grievance procedures, capital improvement plan and home ownership programs.

An examination is presented on the efficacy of the Dept of Housing and Urban Development in implementing policies directed toward funding and producing affordable quality housing, along with performance improvement recommendations. These include a revision of current performance measurements, enhancement of electronic communication systems used for reporting functions, department staff increases and implementation of self-assessment procedures.

This article discusses the impact of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibilty Act of 1998 on the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, or FSS. Issues discussed include Section 8 vouchers and certificates for public housing units, FSS program sizes, and funding by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development of FSS programs.

Local housing commissioners should learn more about the requirements of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998. One of the law's provisions requires commissioners to sign off on a 5 year agency plan so they should learn more about the law by planning training sessions.

The enactment of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act (QHWRA) of 1998 represented the most significant restructuring of the public housing and voucher programs since their formation. Congress, HUD, and industry and low-income advocates debate the way the mission and operations of the public housing program were to be restructured and sustained.

The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (QHWRA) constituted the largest overhaul of the public housing and voucher programs. Local housing agencies have begun to address the enormous backlog of public housing capital needs by borrowing against future appropriations of Capital Funds.

The author examines 1998 federal housing legislation requirements and possible changes to the law. Topics include low-income housing, assistance programs, and rating government programs., Everyone wants their housing and neighborhoods to be decent, safe, affordable, and close to job opportunities. Yet, many of our nation's housing assistance programs have fallen short of those goals. [...]