Gov. proposes sweeping consolidation of local housing authorities

A bill filed by Gov. Deval Patrick in the first days of the 2013-14 legislative session would bring sweeping changes to the organization and management of public housing authorities.

The bill would consolidate 240 local housing authorities into six regional entities that would take ownership of all federal and state public housing and assume fiscal and operational management responsibilities.

Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said the proposal “builds on our administration’s regionalization agenda to increase efficiencies in the delivery of local services, while also addressing the capacity challenges some local housing authorities have had.” He said the administration is looking to “provide solutions that will improve the effectiveness of these facilities for the long-term.”

Under current law, each housing authority has an executive director appointed by a local five-member board, which has full control over management, finance and operations. Four board members are local appointees and one is a gubernatorial appointee. Local housing authorities have the ability to regionalize if they choose.

Under the governor’s plan, each of the six regional housing authorities would have an executive director and a governing board of nine members, all of whom would be appointed by the governor. Local elected officials could, at their discretion, appoint a five-member local housing commission to oversee land use and redevelopment decisions and to foster tenant engagement within the public housing located in their municipalities.

The governor’s housing bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Housing, which will hold a hearing on it in the coming months.

The proposal follows the release last June of the report of the Commission for Public Housing Sustainability and Reform. The commission’s charge was to create a “modern, sustainable public housing infrastructure that is poised to invest resources efficiently, implement effective innovations, provide enhanced services to residents, and increase transparency and accountability.”

The report recommended the creation of a single housing authority property management system with local site staff, regional supervision and technical assistance, and centralized back office and application and wait list functions.

The report also called for increased funding for tenant organizations and operating resources, a working group to update outdated housing regulations, and increased public information and transparency around local housing authorities.

• Link to a copy of the governor’s press statement announcing his housing authority legislation