The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $10 million in grants to expand tenant education opportunities and resources for low-income residents of homes supported by the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program. This funding will support capacity building efforts that enable thousands of tenants who live in HUD’s project based rental assistance housing to more effectively engage with property managers and owners to help sustain safe, decent, and affordable housing. Funding awarded today can be used for training and technical assistance, as well as establishing and operating tenant organizations. Providing new funding to support tenant organizing efforts advances Biden-Harris Administration goals to protect renters, give them a voice, and ensure that all Americans have access to safe, quality and affordable housing, and was a key action from the Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights.
“We are dedicated to helping the families we serve live in homes where they can thrive,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Under this Administration, we have prioritized opportunities for tenant organizations to be heard, to be part of the solution-making of preserving affordable housing that we have, and increasing housing affordability for low-income Americans.”
Tenant capacity building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, abilities, processes, and resources that tenants and tenant organizations need to be active partners in the preservation and improvement of their housing communities. HUD is committed to bolstering tenant participation among low-income renters as a critical effort to maintain sustainable projects and communities.
“Empowering tenants is one of the important steps we can take to support high quality HUD-assisted properties,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. “This funding will provide vital support to organizations advocating for tenants and working to ensure that households have safe, decent, and affordable housing.”
Funds awarded to the tenant advocacy organizations are available through HUD’s Tenant Education Outreach (TEO) Program and will enable the AIDS Healthcare Foundation—in partnership with the Massachusetts Alliance of HUD Tenants—to strengthen tenant organizing groups. These organizations will make funds available over the next two years to approximately 30 eligible tenant advocacy organizations on a first come, first served basis, to build the capacity of tenants as active partners in the preservation of affordable rental housing for low-income residents.
The TEO program will help tenants in their efforts to work productively with property management, hold management accountable for property conditions, improve management and oversight of these multifamily properties, and advocate to preserve affordability.
Funds from the TEO program can also be used for training, technical assistance, staffing, supplies, and other operational costs for tenant organizations to preserve decent, safe, and sanitary housing. The TEO program builds on the successes of previous program models to empower tenants to advocate for their concerns and engage collaboratively with assisted housing providers.
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