Rental Assistance Demonstration

As PHA approaches consideration of converting all or some of its Public Housing portfolio to a Project-based Voucher Platform under HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, to move forward on its Strategic Vision Plan, the Agency is guided by its mission and long term goals set forth on page 6 of the plan. 

The Agency is looking to expand its suite of affordable housing and services, to improve quality of life, enhance safety, build community, and promote success for the people we serve and the neighborhood where they reside. Much of the housing stock is at the end of its useful life and steps need to be taken in order to ensure the long term viability of the inventory. Furthermore, the land area where housing units are currently located is a resource that can be used to add more units to the housing stock and help alleviate the affordable housing crisis the City of Portland is facing.  

Appropriate planning allows the agency to take advantage of federal, state, and private resources available to create development and management opportunities that can enhance the diversification of programs and revenues, improve integration of public housing developments into the city neighborhoods and mitigate the stigmatization of public housing in the community.  

RAD was designed by HUD to assist in addressing the capital needs of LIPH by providing PHA with access to private sources of capital to repair and preserve its affordable housing assets. Another program PHA has been approved for is Section 18 Demo/Disposition. Section 18 removes the 1 for 1 public housing replacement requirement and provides broad authority to PHA to demolish or dispose of public housing. In 2012, it was emphasized that HUD would generally only approve demolition or disposition applications if units were physically obsolete. In 2018, it was expanded to PHAs’ ability to use Section 18 to demolish or dispose of public housing to help PHAs reposition public housing to a more sustainable financial platform and access private capital. Most of these RAD and Section 18 projects will require Maine Housing Low-Income Housing Tax Credits as a part of the financing package.

FACT SHEET #1: RAD Overview

FACT SHEET #2: Steps in a RAD Conversion

FACT SHEET #3: Rent

FACT SHEET #4: Resident Involvement in the Conversion Process

FACT SHEET #5: Resident Procedural Rights

FACT SHEET #6: Resident Participation & Funding Following Conversion

FACT SHEET #7: Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) and Resident Opportunities & Self-Sufficiency (ROSS)

FACT SHEET #8: Renewing Your Lease

FACT SHEET #9: Choice Mobility

FACT SHEET #10: The Difference between Project-Based Vouchers & Project-Based Rental Assistance