“As Moving to Work marks 25 years, we are pleased to announce the latest cohort of local housing authorities that will join this program to test new housing strategies,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. “These agencies have put forth impressive plans to support further housing choices for people in their communities, including innovative ways to engage landlords, who are critical partners in delivering HUD’s rental assistance program.”

“We are excited and humbled about our MTW Landlord Incentives cohort selection. We also understand the magnitude that more landlords equal more housing choices for our voucher participants. This selection will allow us to create innovative solutions to increase landlord satisfaction, improve communication, and enhance customer service to cultivate better public housing authority-landlord relationships by investing in technology,” said Senior Vice President/COO, Dr. Michael C. Threatt.

DH is humbled to be selected amongst the 29 PHAs chosen for the Landlord Incentives cohort for the MTW Demonstration Program with the ability to test ideas, concepts, and methods to serve better the communities in which they reside. HUD understands that for agencies to truly operate with best practices; groundbreaking innovation should replace the “one-size fits all” approach. PHAs a part of the MTW cohort display innovative thinking and demonstrate the capacity to initiate effective change that impacts the specific community, the nation, and public policy.

“The regulatory flexibilities associated with the MTW Landlord Incentives cohort will increase housing choices for voucher holders in the Wiregrass Metro (WMA). The MTW program will provide voucher holders with the opportunity to live in mixed-income neighborhoods within the WMA that includes the five counties under the Wiregrass Regional Voucher Program (WRVP) of Geneva, Houston, Dale, Henry, and Coffee,” said Vice President of Affordable Housing & Compliance, Dr. Tamara Berry-Andrews.

DH is uniquely positioned to work very effectively with HUD in this endeavor to meet the three statutory goals of the MTW Demonstration and HUD’s Office of Policy, Development & Research (PD&R) to monitor and provide statistical analysis of the MTW activities implemented in the WMA. Not only does DH plan to meet the three statutory goals but the agency is excited to contribute to evidence-based research for the MTW Landlord Incentives cohort by streamlining its HCVP operations for cost-effectiveness, enhancing self-sufficiency opportunities, and
increasing housing choices for voucher holders. DH understands the importance of thinking outside the box, focusing on best practices, and providing creative housing solutions to serve the
most vulnerable with regulatory flexibility, to merge funding streams and design innovative policies that can be replicated throughout the country.

President/CEO Samuel P. Crawford states, “It is a surreal and humbling moment for our PHA as we move forward with enthusiasm and continue to strive toward living up to our slogan, ‘You Are Our Why.’ We are also excited to enhance our relationships with landlords to expand housing opportunities for our voucher holders in the WMA. Our MTW selection will allow us to increase self-sufficiency, continue to optimize our day-to-day operations through technology, and increase housing opportunities by adding more landlords to our portfolio.”

The removal of the bureaucratic red tape will develop better relationships between landlords and DH, which will lead to more affordable housing choices for voucher holders. DH plans to increase housing choices for voucher holders by utilizing mobility counseling, wrap-around services, and the Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) payment standards. DH also plans to increase housing choices by expanding housing opportunities and deconcentrating poverty for voucher holders by providing access to jobs, good schools, healthcare, a healthy environment, healthy foods, safe neighborhoods, and transportation services through the MTW designation.

DH Board Chairman David C. Jamison comments “After a 25-year career as a Senior Policy Development Officer at the HUD headquarters in Washington DC, I am ecstatic about this opportunity of a lifetime to become an MTW Agency. On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, let me say how pleased we are at this MTW selection! Congratulations to our great staff.”

Becoming a part of the MTW cohort will allow DH to effectively answer the shortage of affordable housing challenge by employing cost-effective and efficient strategies to Attract, Retain and Recruit Landlords in the WMA. As the 2021 Best-Practice Award Recipient for the Alabama Association of Housing & Redevelopment Authorities (AAHRA-Alabama NAHRO), DH looks forward to the exponential growth to come and takes solace in knowing its implementation of best practices and commitment to developing Wiregrass communities for 80 years has launched it into national success.

For more information on our MTW designation or to speak with Dothan Housing’s representation, please send an email to DH’s Communications Coordinator, Leah McKay, at [email protected].