The Changing Role of Public Housing Authorities in the Affordable Housing Delivery System

As the great recession began, public housing authorities (PHAs) were just beginning to experience the full effects of neoliberal policy implementation and devolution. Using 13 case studies of the largest PHAs in the Pacific Northwest, this paper outlines activities that PHAs undertook to balance public mission with private-market means. PHAs made trade-offs among five paths that emphasize agency survival, producing housing for the poorest households, identifying as a nonprofit housing provider, poverty alleviation, or gaining other public powers. This diversity of responses points to the under-valued attribute of PHAs as local organizations with diverse mandates. Dependence on the federal government, local charter, and the degree of integration with local government likely contributed to PHAs' propensity to develop non-US Department of Housing and Urban Development-assisted affordable housing. Even with this creativity, adequate resources are necessary to meet the demand for affordable housing for the poorest households as market conditions change.