Moving Housing Forward

Moving Housing Forward: How the MTW Program is Reshaping Self-Sufficiency

When Teresa Pope walked into the New Smyrna Housing Authority (NSHA) as a resident, she could never have imagined she'd one day be leading it. But her journey-from public housing tenant to homeowner, from self-made Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) graduate to Executive Director-embodies exactly what public housing can be: a launchpad, not a lifelong label.

Today, under her leadership, NSHA is part of the first national cohort of agencies in HUD's Move to Work (MTW) program. And the results are challenging the status quo in ways that could shape the future of affordable housing for decades to come.

What is the Move to Work Program?

Move to Work is a HUD demonstration program that gives select Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) the flexibility to design and test innovative, locally driven housing strategies. MTW agencies are exempt from certain HUD rules, allowing them to try new approaches, then measure the outcomes to see what truly helps families become self-sufficient through the lense of:

1. Reduce cost and achieve greater cost effectiveness in federal expenditures
2. Give incentives to families with children where the head of household is working, 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
3. Increase housing choices for eligible low-income families

Since MTW's inception, the program has aimed to answer a critical question: What actually works in moving families toward economic independence?

Why Being in the First Cohort Matters

For NSHA, being part of MTW's first cohort wasn't just an honor, it was a chance to be on the frontlines of innovation. Teresa and her team weren't just implementing new ideas; they were building a living data set for HUD, Congress, and other PHAs to learn from.

This means every policy change, from every hour saved, every family that graduates, to every dollar moved from subsidy to self-sufficiency contributes to a growing body of evidence on how affordable housing can be reimagined.

MTW in Action: Strategies Driving Real Change

Under MTW flexibility, NSHA has introduced bold reforms that align housing assistance with real-world expectations and timelines. Here's what they've put in place:

1. Work Requirements
a. Any able-bodied adult must work at least 15 hours per week.
b. Seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers are exempt.
2. Minimum Rent & No Utility Subsidy Checks
a. $130 minimum rent for all households.
b. No more utility subsidy checks-every household pays rent.
3. Mandatory Participation in FSS
a. Every able-bodied adult is enrolled in the Family Self-Sufficiency program, with a focus on asset building.
b. Already, the first two graduates are purchasing homes-one with $14,000 in escrow savings.
4. Simplified Rent Calculations
a. Utility allowances are based on bedroom size, not historical data.
b. All deductions eliminated (healthcare, childcare, child tax credit) to mirror real-world rental markets.
5. Tri-Annual Reexaminations
a. Families are reexamined once every three years instead of annually, freeing staff capacity for strategic projects.
6. Operational Efficiencies
a. Limiting reexamination processing to just four months per year.
b. Using freed-up time to digitize document management and bring rent reasonableness reviews in-house, saving both time and fees.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters

The MTW model doesn't just save staff time or agency dollars-it reframes the role of public housing entirely. Instead of being a permanent subsidy, it becomes a platform for upward mobility.
By introducing work requirements, aligning rent policies with real-world expectations, and focusing on asset building, NSHA is generating the kind of data policymakers need to make informed decisions about the future of affordable housing.

Teresa is quick to point out:
"Anytime we're in an election year, things shift. The key is to focus on what's been approved, not the speculation. That's where the real impact happens."

Shaping the Future of Affordable Housing

As national conversations shift toward work requirements and term limits, MTW agencies like NSHA are already showing what's possible when housing is truly a hand up, not a handout.
• Term Limits with Purpose: While Teresa doesn't support the idea of a two-year limit, she believes a seven- to nine-year timeline gives families enough time to achieve stability while keeping waitlists moving.
• Targeted Flexibility: Policies apply only to able-bodied adults, protecting seniors and people with disabilities.
• Data-Driven Advocacy: Every success story becomes evidence for what works-and what doesn't-so future policy can be shaped by results, not speculation.
MTW in Action Across the Country

While New Smyrna's MTW strategies focus on work requirements, FSS participation, and rent policy changes, other agencies are using MTW to address entirely different challenges.

The New Smyrna Housing Authority shows one way MTW can transform a community: by linking housing to work requirements, setting minimum rents, and making Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) participation mandatory, they've created a clear path from subsidy to self-sufficiency. Families are saving thousands in escrow, buying their first homes, and moving through the program as it was originally intended-a true hand up, not a handout.

On the other side of the country, Home Forward in Portland, Oregon is using MTW flexibility to tackle a very different challenge: preventing homelessness and stabilizing vulnerable households in one of the nation's most expensive rental markets. Their FY 2026 MTW plan includes:
• Shallow Rent Subsidies to help families who earn just above voucher eligibility but still face crushing rent burdens.
• Supportive Housing Initiatives that integrate housing with wraparound services for seniors, people with disabilities, and families with high barriers to stability.
• Rent Reform Demonstrations that replace complex income calculations and deductions with simplified, predictable rent structures.
• Tri-Annual Reexaminations to cut administrative burden and redirect staff time into resident services and digital transformation.
• Youth and Workforce Initiatives that connect residents to education, training, and employment opportunities
Together, these two agencies highlight the breadth and versatility of MTW. New Smyrna is proving how structured accountability and asset-building can accelerate self-sufficiency. Home Forward is showing how prevention, supportive services, and administrative reform can stabilize households and free up agency capacity.

Taken side by side, their work demonstrates MTW's real value: it's not a one-size-fits-all program-it's a national laboratory. Each agency pilots new solutions tailored to local needs, creating the real-world data HUD and Congress need to shape the future of affordable housing.

The Takeaway

The Move to Work program is proving what many housing leaders already know: flexibility fuels results. When agencies can align policies with local realities, focus on self-sufficiency, and free staff to innovate, families win-and so do communities.
For Teresa Pope and the New Smyrna Housing Authority, MTW isn't just a program. It's a proving ground for the future of affordable housing-and the proof is in the people who are walking out the door with keys to their first home.

To view the complete article on the AMA Consulting Group website, click HERE.