JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A proposed change from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could give local housing authorities the option to require some residents receiving federal housing assistance to work or face limits on how long they can receive assistance.
Click here for more Addressing A4dability coverage.
Recommended Videos
The proposal would allow public housing authorities to require work-eligible adults, generally those ages 18 to 61, to work up to 40 hours a week as a condition of receiving housing assistance.
There are exemptions for certain residents, including people with qualifying disabilities and adults age 62 and older.
The proposal is not yet final, and local housing authorities would have the choice of whether and how to implement the requirements.
In Jacksonville, Housing Authority CEO Cheron Corbett said the agency is already preparing for the possibility.
“Because the Jacksonville Housing Authority is federally funded by HUD, you know, we must follow those rules and regulations,” Corbett said. “So it could actually go into effect as early as the end of this year, or potentially the first quarter of 2027.”
The proposal also would allow housing authorities to establish time limits on housing assistance, with limits of no less than two years.
Corbett said Jacksonville would favor work requirements over time limits.
“Term limits is too harsh,” she said. “Two-year max and you would be out, which would create an extensive amount of homelessness.”
How many Jacksonville residents could be affected?
Corbett said about 45% of Jacksonville Housing Authority residents who are between the ages of 18 and 61 are currently working.
That means a majority of residents in that age group are not working, although the number who would actually be subject to a work requirement would depend on the final federal rules and individual exemptions.
Corbett said the housing authority wants to address barriers that can make it difficult for residents to work, including transportation and child care.
“We need to have more wraparound services to promote upward mobility and self-sufficiency,” Corbett said.
While HUD’s proposal would allow requirements of up to 40 hours a week, Corbett said Jacksonville is considering a 30-hour requirement if it adopts a policy.
“We recognize when we look at statistical data, it’s difficult for mothers with children and then others to achieve full-time work,” she said.
The goal, Corbett said, would be to help residents move toward financial independence rather than simply remove them from housing assistance.
Potential impact on housing waitlist
Corbett said if residents increase their income and eventually leave subsidized housing, their vouchers or units could become available to families waiting for assistance.
She said the agency is working to prepare residents well in advance of any potential policy change. Residents have received notices and JHA has held public hearing to answer questions about the possible change to work requirements.
“We’ve had a magnitude of meetings for months,” Corbett said. “We put this information out with these proposed HUD rules in all of our resident surveys. And so, we’re actively engaging in the community because this could actually happen.”
The Bipartisan Policy Center has said previous experiences with housing work requirements have produced mixed results. Some housing authorities have discontinued or changed their policies because of administrative burdens and employment barriers faced by residents.
HUD’s proposal would require housing authorities that adopt work requirements or time limits to provide supportive services, including job counseling, transportation and child care.
Corbett said Jacksonville’s approach would be designed to prevent residents from suddenly losing their housing.
“The misconception is that, you know, people are going to go instantly homeless,” she said. “The reality of it is, is that because we’re planning so far in advance, if this was to come as a public housing authority, we’re already preparing you.”
HUD has not said when it will issue a final rule, or whether it will finalize the proposal.
If the rule is approved, Jacksonville Housing Authority would have to decide whether to adopt a work requirement or time limit and how to structure the policy, including how many hours residents would need to work and which activities would count toward the requirement.