It s Your Move
Nonprofit organization Administer Baltimore Housing Mobility Program Housing Choice Voucher and mobility counseling Families who move largely from highly segregated, high poverty neighborhoods 3,400 families currently leased
Baltimore Housing Mobility Program (BHMP) arose from Thompson v. HUD suit filed in 1995 by ACLU of Maryland Partial consent decree in 1996 created structure of BHMP; program began leasing in late 2002 Program managed by for-profit company from 2002-2014 Final settlement in 2012 created regional administrator, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership, to oversee BHMP
Regional operating area - 6 county jurisdiction Voucher administration Tenant based and PBV Two year opportunity requirement 90-130% FMR payment standards Extensive pre/post-move counseling Housing search assistance Generous voucher search time Landlord outreach Security deposit assistance MTW flexibility through HABC
3,400 families in HCV program 1,200 families in Pre-Move counseling 3.2 average family size 63% 3+ bedroom households 8% 1 bedroom households 400 new vouchers each year through 2018
$71,092 median income of tracts with BRHP families (or 80% of AMI) 76% of BRHP families in Opportunity Areas and 83% in suburban areas 19.1% median tract percent African American vs 89.5% in pre-move neighborhood 8.1% median tract poverty rate vs 30.3% in pre-move neighborhood
BHMP Opportunity Map Non-Opportunity Area Opportunity Area 361 of the 667 tracts in the Baltimore Region are Opportunity Areas. There are 159,838 rental units in Opportunity Areas, or 44% of the region s rental units. Only 22% of the region s voucher holders live in a BRHP designated Opportunity Area. ~76% of BHMP families live in Opportunity Areas.
Opportunity area Non-opportunity area Non-residential area Water Pre-move location Post-move location 1 dot = 1 rental unit
Opportunity area Non-opportunity area Non-residential area Water Pre-move location Post-move location 1 dot = 1 rental unit
Improve leasability Pay off critical debts Save for security deposit Learn where opportunity areas are and about benefits of living in these areas Gain housing search skills and tools for success in new community Gain trust in BRHP Counselors past professional experience includes foreclosure prevention, teaching, youth development, domestic violence intervention, child abuse and neglect prevention
Orientation Provide roadmap of services Explain benefits of opportunity moves Introduce our jurisdiction Explain program requirements Going for your Goals Workshop Series Banking and Budgeting Home Maintenance and Landlord Relations Conducting a Successful Housing Search Action Plan Identify leasing barriers Credit repair Bill payments Savings plan Identify family needs for new community
Driving tours of opportunity areas and transportation to available units BRHP employees rent vans and use personal vehicles One-on-one search assistance Negotiation with landlords Public computer terminals in BRHP lobby Website for searching allowable areas and affordability Additional referrals Expanding your housing search workshop Tracking and enhanced outreach to voucher holders nearing expiration and searchers without a unit Regular check-ins with voucher holders who have not submitted a Request for Tenancy Approval yet
Structured support for two years for all families Additional support during first two years and beyond as needed Resource connections Landlord-tenant mediation Individual and conference calls, in-person meetings Retention/second move counseling Workshop, one-on-one sessions Housing search assistance
Scattered site project based voucher program ~200 units Regional PBV Program Partnership with Baltimore Metropolitan Council and local PHAs 100 PBVs from regional pool Initial phase: Tax credit units in opportunity areas Mobility Works Consortium Partnership with housing mobility practitioners, experts and advocates
Abingdon, Harford County Towson, Baltimore County Hampden, Baltimore City
Questions?
Determined for the 667 census tracts in the Baltimore Region BHMP had operated for years using an impacted/nonimpacted standard, excluding impacted areas with no more than: 10 percent poverty 30 percent African American population 5 percent public housing BRHP transitioned to Opportunity-based targeting in 2014 Leveraged existing opportunity indices supplemented with ACS, HUD, school, and internal administrative data
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Opportunity Index Based on 11 indicators in three categories Community health Economic opportunity Educational opportunity Opportunity Mapping Advisory Panel (OMAP) Opportunity Index Based on 92 indicators in six categories Education Housing and neighborhood quality Social capital Public health and safety Employment and workforce Transportation and mobility Prior nonimpacted definition DHCD Opportunity Index OMAP Opportunity Index Prior non-impacted definition Must be a tract with no more than 10 percent poverty, no more than 30 percent African American, and no more than 5 percent public housing
Feature Baltimore Chicago Dallas Nonprofit, mission-driven Regional operating area Portability enhancements/streamlining HCV administration Educational workshops Individual counseling Under contract with PHA Opportunity move requirement Encouragement for opportunity area Litigation initiated Moving to Work Landlord financial incentives Security deposit assistance Exception payment standards/safmr