MTW AGENCIES

The Moving to Work (MTW) program provides public housing authorities (PHAs) exemptions from many traditional public housing and voucher rules and provides flexibility for how they use their federal funds. This allows MTW housing authorities the opportunity to design and test innovative, local strategies to improve outcomes for their residents and local communities. 

 

MTW agencies have the flexibility to find new approaches that accomplish three primary statutory goals:

• Reducing cost and achieving greater cost effectiveness in federal expenditures;

• Giving incentives to families with children where the head of household is working, is seeking work, or is preparing for work by participating in job training, educational programs, or programs that assist people to obtain employment and become economically self-sufficient; and

• Increasing housing choices for low-income families.

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There are currently 139 housing authorities with Moving to Work status. That includes the 39 original MTW agencies, which have had their MTW agreements extended through the end of 2038 and 100 new MTW agencies who have entered into the program under MTW expansion, which Congress authorized in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act.