As federal housing policy changes, why Atlanta families will be ready

This month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed a new rule enabling housing authorities to implement work requirements and time limits more broadly in federally assisted housing.

The rule is not yet final, and conversations are being had about how it would be implemented, who would be affected and what safeguards families would need. But the seriousness of the discussion alone warrants proactive and resident-centered leadership now.

Atlanta Housing families face real barriers every day, from child care and transportation to wages, health, caregiving responsibilities and a labor market that is often less than welcoming.

As conversations continue about the next chapter of public housing in America, we must all come together to ensure our families are prepared for the future and equipped to navigate it.

Atlanta Housing is no stranger to being ahead of the federal curve. That has long been part of our agency’s DNA.

This year marks 30 years since Atlanta became one of the first housing authorities in the country selected for the federal “Moving to Work” designation under the Clinton administration in 1996, an early recognition that local housing authorities needed greater flexibility to connect housing assistance to work, mobility and long-term self-sufficiency.

Atlanta did not wait for Washington to settle every debate before acting. Under the leadership of Renee Glover, Atlanta was one of the first cities to adopt work requirements intended to encourage families to find employment, training opportunities and greater independence.

Atlanta families in public housing are not a monolith

Terri M. Lee is president and CEO of Atlanta Housing. (Courtesy)

For years, Atlanta has leveraged Moving to Work flexibility to test approaches that connect housing assistance to human development and long-term upward mobility.

History is the best teacher, and we have since learned that requirements alone do not create opportunity. A rule by itself does not produce a job, secure child care, solve a transportation barrier or help a resident recover from the economic shocks of the last several years.

Families become self-sufficient when standards are matched by real support, when accountability is paired with access and when, beyond telling people to succeed, we invest in their ability to do so.

That is the lens through which Atlanta Housing approaches this critical moment. As federal housing policy inches closer toward stricter work requirements, new time limits or both, Atlanta Housing is building systems strong enough to help them succeed under any policy environment.

Our goal is to make Atlanta Housing residents policy-proof.

Legacy is what informs the next chapter of our work. If the first generation of housing reform in Atlanta asked how housing could better connect families to work and opportunity, the challenge of today is how we build a fuller ecosystem of support that helps residents move not only into stable housing but through housing toward lasting independence.

For years, Atlanta has leveraged Moving to Work flexibility to test approaches that connect housing assistance to human development and long-term upward mobility.

History is the best teacher, and we have since learned that requirements alone do not create opportunity. A rule by itself does not produce a job, secure child care, solve a transportation barrier or help a resident recover from the economic shocks of the last several years.

Families become self-sufficient when standards are matched by real support, when accountability is paired with access and when, beyond telling people to succeed, we invest in their ability to do so.

That is the lens through which Atlanta Housing approaches this critical moment. As federal housing policy inches closer toward stricter work requirements, new time limits or both, Atlanta Housing is building systems strong enough to help them succeed under any policy environment.

Our goal is to make Atlanta Housing residents policy-proof.

Legacy is what informs the next chapter of our work. If the first generation of housing reform in Atlanta asked how housing could better connect families to work and opportunity, the challenge of today is how we build a fuller ecosystem of support that helps residents move not only into stable housing but through housing toward lasting independence.

That does not mean every family should follow the same path, the same timeline, under the same conditions. Our families are not monolithic. Some need short-term support to the next chapter, while others face barriers that require more intensive services, more flexibility and a deeper investment. Any permanent federal affordable housing policy must grapple with these realities.

Commitment to building affordable housing is firm

Many argue that dignity is found in compliance with a work requirement. We believe dignity is found in being equipped to meet the moment. It is found in having options, like being able to say yes to a job opportunity that pays a livable wage because child care is in place, transportation is reliable, training is accessible, and you have the self-belief that our bright vision for the city’s success includes you, too. That is the work in front of us.

Today, Atlanta Housing is working to strengthen the conditions under which 27,000 families can build more stable futures. In the months ahead, that will require us to deepen partnerships with employers, workforce agencies, educators, service providers and community institutions willing to invest in the infrastructure of self-sufficiency, including workforce connections, education pathways, coaching and wraparound supports that help residents translate housing stability into economic mobility.