2021

Philadelphia, PA- March 22, 2021 – The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and Temple University’s College of Public Health have launched a ground-breaking initiative to vaccinate residents in high-risk, lower-income neighborhoods against COVID-19.

In recent weeks, faculty and fully trained nursing student volunteers from Temple University’s College of Public Health and the School of Pharmacy have participated in clinics set up to vaccinate residents at PHA’s senior living locations.

“We are grateful to Temple for the resources invested in our PHA communities,” said, PHA president and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare inequities in the healthcare system.

Working alongside PHA residents, PHA and Temple are developing strategies for culturally responsive healthcare that centers on a community’s unique needs. This new model makes residents and healthcare workers partners in improving health outcomes and ensuring all residents have access and opportunity to convenient care that best suits their needs.”

“We are the agents that put the needle in the arm, but what makes this successful is the collaboration with the residents of the community,” says Temple Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Interprofessional Education Susan VonNessen-Scanlin. “Service to the community is central to the College of Public Health’s mission, and we feel so honored to be able to partner with PHA, be welcomed into our local communities, and be part of the solution to ending this pandemic.”

Agreement means students at 8 PHA communities will continue to get vital learning supports

(Philadelphia – March 1, 2021) — The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has extended its agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia through the end of the school year to continue to provide remote learning support for school-aged children at eight PHA developments.

PHA adapted the Out of School Programming model at the start of the school year, so that the Boys and Girls Club would provide programming five days per week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Abbotsford, Raymond Rosen, Spring Garden, Wilson Park, Johnson Homes, Harrison Plaza and Bartram Village.

The programming being provided by the Boys and Girls Club includes learning support, internet access, access to materials and supplies, and oversight of children as they engage in remote learning. Staff members ensure that students are accessing their schoolwork in a quiet and nurturing environment. They distribute meals to the students during their school day and offer assistance with their assignments when needed. They also oversee adherence to COVID-19 rules and regulations, ensuring that students and staff are safe.

“Based upon the work performed to date, especially adapting to the challenges created by the public health crisis, the PHA board made the decision to continue these vital services,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah. “Students living at these sites are depending on this programming, and we cannot let them fall behind in their studies. We wanted to assure their families that this support will continue until July 1.”

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is providing an opportunity for public review and comment on the following:

• Proposed Amendments to PHA’s Moving to Work (MTW) Annual Plan for PHA to convert public housing assistance for 58 scattered site public housing units to Project Based Voucher (PBV) assistance at a proposed new construction family development in the Sharswood neighborhood under the transfer of assistance provisions of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, and conversion under RAD of the 50 unit Casa Indiana development. The Amendments will be incorporated in their entirety into PHA’s then-current MTW Annual Plan through an attachment entitled “Rental Assistance Demonstration Significant Amendment”. PHA’s MTW Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2021 was approved by HUD on March 24, 2020. PHA’s FY 2022 MTW Annual Plan, which was submitted to HUD in January 2021, is pending HUD approval as of the publication date of this notice.
• Proposed revisions to the Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy and the Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan. PHA is proposing revisions to these documents which were last updated and approved in October 2019.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is providing an opportunity for public review and comment on the following:

• Proposed Amendments to PHA’s Moving to Work (MTW) Annual Plan for PHA to convert public housing assistance for 58 scattered site public housing units to Project Based Voucher (PBV) assistance at a proposed new construction family development in the Sharswood neighborhood under the transfer of assistance provisions of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, and conversion under RAD of the 50 unit Casa Indiana development. The Amendments will be incorporated in their entirety into PHA’s then-current MTW Annual Plan through an attachment entitled “Rental Assistance Demonstration Significant Amendment”. PHA’s MTW Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2021 was approved by HUD on March 24, 2020. PHA’s FY 2022 MTW Annual Plan, which was submitted to HUD in January 2021, is pending HUD approval as of the publication date of this notice.
• Proposed revisions to the Public Housing Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy and the Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan. PHA is proposing revisions to these documents which were last updated and approved in October 2019.

1.1 Moving to Work Demonstration

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has been designated a Moving to Work Demonstration site, provided under Section 204(a) of the 1996 Appropriations Act. The Moving to Work Demonstration Agreement was effective April 1, 2001 and is expected to continue until the end of PHA’s 2018 Fiscal Year (FY), unless such term is otherwise extended by HUD.

PHA’s MTW Agreement provides that PHA shall have flexibility to design and test various approaches for providing and administering housing assistance that reduce cost and achieve greater cost effectiveness in federal expenditures; give incentives to households with children whose heads of household are either working, seeking work, or are participating in job training, educational, or other programs that assist in obtaining employment and becoming economically self-sufficient; and increase housing choices for low income households.

PHA is exempt from certain provisions of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 and its implementing regulations.

This allows PHA to design and test innovative methods of providing housing and delivering services to lowincome households in an efficient nd effective manner. PHA may adopt and implement policies for admission and occupancy, eligibility, selection and assignment, hardships, change in income, definition of elderly, recertifications, establishing rents, lease requirements, and other specific criteria. The policies PHA has implemented pursuant to MTW are included in this Administrative Plan, PHA’s MTW Agreement, and PHA’s Annual Plans.

Rental Assistance Demonstration Significant Amendment

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is proposing an amendment to its Moving to Work (MTW) Annual Plan as required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide information on PHA’s planned activities under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. The amendment will be incorporated in its entirety into PHA’s most recent HUD-approved MTW Annual Plan – either the FY 2021 Annual MTW Plan, which has already been approved, or the FY 2022 MTW Annual Plan, which is pending HUD approval as of the date of publication of the public notice of proposed amendment.

Pursuant to this Amendment, PHA will: 1) transfer assistance from 58 vacant, uninhabitable scattered site units to the proposed Sharswood Phase IV-A new construction development to be developed by the Philadelphia Housing Authority as part of the Sharswood/Blumberg Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan; and 2) convert 50 units to project-based assistance at the existing Casa Indiana public housing development sponsored by HACE.