Moving to Work Local, Non-Traditional Guidance

Overview

Moving to Work (MTW) PHAs can implement Local, Non-Traditional (LNT) activities as authorized through their MTW Agreement or the MTW Operations Notice. These activities are funded using MTW funding flexibility for approved activities that fall outside of the Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. Approved LNT activities must fall within one of four categories – Rental Subsidy Programs, Homeownership Programs, Housing Development Programs, or Service Provision. Families served through these activities must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), and the implemented activities must meet one of the three MTW statutory objectives of increasing the efficiency of federal expenditures, incentivizing self-sufficiency, and increasing housing choice for low-income families.

In Practice

MTW PHAs can focus on special populations in their community such as those exiting the criminal justice system, persons experiencing chronic homelessness, victims of domestic violence, or persons with substance use disorder. As is often the case in these scenarios, individuals and families need emergency housing or additional services that traditional assistance housing programs are unable to provide. Using LNT flexibility provided under MTW, some MTW PHAs have chosen to partner with service providers to create emergency shelter programs to serve hard-to-house populations.

Examples of LNT activities include:

Returning Home Program – a time-limited program targeting re-entry of individuals released from the prison system.
Transitional Housing Program – a transitional housing program supporting formerly incarcerated mothers and fathers seeking to reunite with their children.
Stepped-down Assistance for Homeless Youth – a program offering independent housing opportunities for young adults (ages 18 to 25) who are experiencing homelessness or are currently living in service-rich transitional housing.
Housing Development – a program which uses MTW funding flexibility to acquire/renovate/develop new low-income housing opportunities in the community, which are leveraged with Low Income Housing Tax Credit funds.
Student Housing Initiative – a program offering time-limited subsidies to college students experiencing homelessness.
Shared Housing – a program targeting individuals experiencing homelessness and other hard-to-house populations under a shared-housing model. The MTW PHA enters into a master lease with a partner agency, and the partner agency administers the program by determining eligibility and providing services to participants. The partner agency then pays the MTW PHA a flat rent per participant served.

LNT Households Served Data

The Initial 39 MTW PHAs provide LNT households served data in Annual MTW Reports. HUD has aggregated this data, by MTW PHA, to show the number of LNT households that are being served through LNT Tenant-Based programs, LNT Project-Based programs, and LNT Homeownership programs.

The Expansion 100 MTW PHAs will submit LNT data into the Housing Information Portal (HIP) – if they have approved LNT activities – once the HIP system is available. HUD will make this data publicly available as well.

The LNT Households Served Data (FY 2009 – FY 2022) [MS-Excel] workbook includes historical LNT households served data and is updated annually by HUD.

Resources

The following resources provide additional information on LNT.

Last updated March 18, 2024