Your PHA and You: Public Meetings

Have you ever received in the mail— a notice of a public meeting being held at your local PHA? Have you often wondered what these letters/meetings were, perhaps  wondered on them, then said to yourself…”I am way too busy to bother with these minuscule things!” and then you toss the notice? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. Well, I am a tad ashamed to admit— I am one of those “have done it” HCV program tenants. My reasons are numerous—due to my multiple health issues, and then, the concerns for transportation to/from the venue as well as needing an interpreter at the meetings.

But what are these meetings? These meetings are public meetings your PHA holds every so often - sometimes once a month, sometimes quarterly, depending on the PHA. In these meetings, the tenants, landlords, and certain PHA staff are given the opportunity to voice their opinions and make suggestions and simply talk with each other. This is your chance to voice concerns regarding the HCV program, your PHA, and even policy & procedure concerns. As more tenants and landlords choose to go to these meetings, we’ll have open dialogue with each other and changes will be made.

I strongly encourage you to go to these meetings at your PHA. We want everyone involved in the PHA programs to voice their thoughts and recommendations for better housing, more funding for all PHA’s and their programs, blending multiracial communities together, and the option of having a HCV and residing wherever we choose.

I hope to see the day come where everything is equal—no matter what your race or income status - so, how about it? Let’s help this become a reality—by going to your local PHA public meetings and advocating changes system-wide (i.e., nation-wide).  The HCV and public housing has come a long way from the housing of yesteryear. Remember, it is our job to educate, and help spread the word so that the stigma of  living in subsidized housing can come to an end, once and for all.