Public Housing Reform Overview

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What is public housing reform?

Public housing reform is represented through the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (QHWRA). QHWRA was signed by President Clinton on October 21, 1998 and is found in Title V of HUD’s FY1999 appropriations act (P.L. 105-276).

QHWRA is landmark legislation which will make public housing reform a reality by:

• Reducing the concentration of poverty in public housing
• Protecting access to housing assistance for the poorest families
• Supporting families making the transition from welfare to work
• Raising performance standards for public housing agencies, and rewarding high performance
• Transforming the public housing stock through new policies and procedures for demolition and replacement and mixed-finance projects, and through authorizing the HOPE VI revitalization program
• Merging and reforming the Section 8 certificate and voucher programs, and allowing public housing agencies to implement a Section 8 homeownership program
• Supporting HUD management reform efficiencies through deregulation and streamlining and program consolidation