{"id":4252,"date":"2021-06-18T18:59:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-18T18:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/affordablehousingonline.com\/blog\/?p=4252"},"modified":"2023-02-17T16:14:19","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T16:14:19","slug":"q-how-can-i-make-suggestions-to-improve-my-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/affordablehousingonline.com\/blog\/q-how-can-i-make-suggestions-to-improve-my-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Q: How can I make suggestions to improve my community?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Philadelphia Housing Authority Resident Council members pass out masks to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by pha.phila.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Every day, the Affordable Housing Online team gets questions about important affordable housing issues. Our Ask A Housing Expert<\/strong><\/em> blog highlights a question that can help a great number of low-income renters.<\/p>

Today’s blog is from Housing Policy Specialist Robin Lovelace. Robin has 23 years of experience as a housing authority administrator in Indiana.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Since 1994, HUD has been funding Resident Councils so that Public Housing Agency (PHA) residents can be active participants in the management and policy-making of their community. They help make decisions, and come up with strategies to improve the quality of life for PHA <\/strong>residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These Resident Councils are where you can promote your ideas to make a change for the good and improve your quality of life and those of your neighbors. This is where your voice can be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our team got a question from Alfred H. this week, who wanted to know what he can do to make his voice heard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I keep complaining about the bad condition of our picnic area, but nothing is being done about it. What more can I do?”<\/p>Affordable Housing Online user Alfred H.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In these situations, sometimes the best course of action is to take the lead yourself, by becoming a member of your Resident Council. If you\u2019re interested in becoming a Resident Council Board Member, here\u2019s all the information you need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who can be a Resident Council Board Member?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Resident Councils are for Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher (PBV), Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher residents who live in an apartment complex can have a resident council too, if 20% (or more) of the tenants in the apartment complex are using Housing Choice Vouchers to pay their rent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, resident councils can be organized in Public Housing, PBV, PBRA and RAD converted apartment complexes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The voting membership for a Resident Council must consist of heads of households and other residents at least 18 years of age or older, and whose name appears on a lease for the unit in the Public Housing or Housing Choice Voucher program that the resident council represents. At a minimum, the governing board should consist of five elected board members. [Source: 24 CFR \u00a7 964.115(c)]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resident Council Members are charged with the following:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n