The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has put forth a new proposed rule that provides public housing authorities (PHAs) and Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA) owners with the ability to mandate work requirements and time limits for non-elderly, non-disabled work-capable adults living in HUD-funded housing.
Less than 1% of all PHAs have work requirements. According to HUD, nearly half of the non-elderly, non-disabled assisted households showed zero earnings for any household members in 2024. Since 2010, the average length of stay across major HUD rental programs has increased from five-to-six years to nearly eight-to-nine years. Nearly 90% of able-bodied Section 8 voucher recipients will spend more than five years in subsidized housing, and 50% will spend more than 15 years.
Meanwhile, HUD noted it is only serving one-quarter of eligible Americans in need of housing assistance.
The proposed rule gives direct flexibility to all PHAs and PBRA owners to implement a work requirement of up to 40 hours per week and/or time limits of two years or more for non-disabled, non-elderly adults ages 18 to 61. PHAs and owners can designate who within a household is subject to the work requirements and how to apply the work requirements.
“Housing assistance was never meant to trap work-able individuals on government support their entire lives, rather it should be a temporary foundation to launch into a life of self-sufficiency,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner. “Getting a paycheck is empowering, getting a welfare check is not. HUD’s proposed rule will restore dignity and well-being among residents we serve. Our proposal expands access for deserving families on waiting lists, while still preserving protections for elderly and disabled households.”
The problem with this is that most people on it will have already or will get a psychiatric evaluation to say they have a mental illness and most all people have some form of that, so the disability part should be defined more clearly, perhaps as a disability that prevents them from being able to work in any capicity.
Where did you buy your crystal ball from? Does it tell you where the jobs are? While I agree with the concept, I don’t think it is based in reality. The same idea was introduced in 2021. “Work Requirement Cohort” This program was rescinded as a result of not adequately considering the economic challenges for the poor to obtain employment. Here is an idea, all of the government contracts handed out each year, make a deal that each facility hire a candidate that lives in HUD housing, which is located all over the United States.
I 100% agree that people are being enabled and need to be accountable. If the government funded programs don’t do that then it is expected that they will be taken care of their whole lives. The people in need when funds are available can’t get help because of those who take advantage.
I think this is a great policy
If you’re going to impose work requirements, you must also provide the jobs, and the renumeration must be enough for the employee to live with dignity.
BALANCE IS NEEDED!!
If the meaning of “you”. means YOU and US, (the Taxpayers, the Government.)
YOU/US “MUST” provide NOTHING but to selves. Yet! YOU/US are WILLING to “PROVIDE” for the improvement of the COUNTRY because it SHOULD improve and protect YOU/US.
“REMUNERATION’: Again: Is NOT a “MUST” it is according to one’s willingness and ability to improve, his/her work, ability, perseverance, etc.. Yet! YOU/ US/ GOVERNMENT, are WILLING to “PROVIDE” for the INTERIM IMPROVEMENT of the individual in TEMPORARY need. YOU/US are also WILLING to PROVIDE for the TRULY, EXCEPTIONALLY incapable ones. Because: In turn, these SHOULD be improving and protect YOU/US.
BALANCE IS NEEDED!!
Let’s look at the reality of today. People cant afford rent for a dinky 300 or 400 square foot studio or room in a home. Even if they make 25.00 an hour, which most people don’t. If you add groceries, heating, a car payment, insurance for the car, health insurance, clothing, a pair of shoes, dental care, a phone, gas, electric bill. God forbid you have children to care for too. Do the math yourself. It seems all the respondents have not had to worry about anything practical like trying to live not just survive.
I think the point of the proposal is to make more vouchers available to exactly those you describe. I’ve worked with many section 8 recipients, and some absolutely need the assistance, and others take advantage of or abuse the system. My heart broke for a hard-working (and formerly battered) single mom with 4 kids for whom we tried to find a rental and her voucher expired before we could find a suitable place within the voucher approved price. Luckily, they could live with her mom, but with a 2-hour commute each way. On the other end, one section 8 tenant refused to pay her part of the rent and left pet feces and garbage everywhere when her landlord terminated her lease. I’ve seen elderly struggle to pay rent without assistance. There must be a better focus to help those who truly need (and deserve) it.
Then you get two jobs or three jobs. At 18 I worked full time during the day, came home and went to work as a waitress four nights a week. Still struggled but its what we did ” back in the day”
??? If most of new barely speaking English, legal and non legal immigrant in good and not so good health come in America, find work and some become reasonable rich.
While some of the residing, fully English speaking and schooled American born, in good and not so good health can NOT find work and cry constant poverty?
Great policy, but I’m sure there are people who will find a way around the regs.
This should have been the policy from day one. No more free rent so to speak!!
I think it is a good policy. I have seen people that know how to ‘work the system’. They live on government assistance because that is what their mother did and their grandmother did, etc. I have heard this very thing from tenants… It is not fair to people that are struggling. Mentally, everyone is better off if they work for what they have. In my experience people that are given things don’t respect what they are given or themselves.
It is true that some jobs don’t pay enough. Work 2 jobs. I have certainly done worked 2 jobs and put myself through college at the same time.
I have seen the abuse myself. The Housing authorities are not interested in changing anything, too much work. Some years ago, I encountered a tenant living on sec. 8 in an apartment which I was showing to a buyer. The tenant only lived here in the summer, the rest of the year she lived in the Dominican Republic. I notified the housing authority, they were not interested in following through, and the apartment building was owned by an attorney.
I’m in agreement as long as truly disabled people are treated as such and obviously elderly who dont work any longer. I see generations in subsized housing and thats insane. Should always be a hand up not a hand out. Theres no reason why I bet at least half of the people continue to live there