Making the MTW Program Permanent
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Introduces “Moving to Work Reform and Expansion Act of 2016” (H.R. 5137)
On April 29, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) introduced the “Moving to Work Reform and Expansion Act of 2016” (H.R. 5137). The bill would make the Moving to Work (MtW) program permanent and would remove the cap for the number of non-troubled agencies allowed to apply. NAHRO has long supported an expansion of the MtW program and is pleased to see Majority Leader McCarthy’s effort in pushing the bill forward.
PHAs that participate in the current MTW demonstration enjoy broad funding flexibility and may experiment with alternative program structures to better serve their communities, and there are many non-MTW agencies looking to enter into the program. Applications under McCarthy’s bill would focus on innovative “proposals” designed to reduce cost-efficiency and innovative “manners” to assist families, annual agency goals, and metrics to assess the agency’s progress toward these goals. HUD would have to accept no less than 25 new agencies per year. The bill also would require PHAs to provide annual reports and annual budget plans to HUD.
It is critical that any MtW expansion does not diminish the existing local discretion built into the MtW demonstration that allows PHAs to meet the core goals of the program.
It is critical that any MtW expansion does not diminish the existing local discretion built into the MtW demonstration that allows PHAs to meet the core goals of the program. Any expansion must also minimize additional burdensome reporting requirements that run counter to the flexibility inherent in MtW. This flexibility is what allows PHAs to reduce costs and improve operations, governance, and financial management. It is also what makes the MtW program so successful.
Text of H.R. 5137 can be found here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5137.
NAHRO’s most recent update on the MtW program can be found here (members only): http://www.nahro.org/node/403/year/2016/month/5/date/0#11557.