Latest / ChangeMakers with Katie Goar / Episode 154: Crystal Wojciechowski, Executive Director, PHADA

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Episode 154: Crystal Wojciechowski, Executive Director, PHADA · ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: This is change Makers with Katie Gore finding the right
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: solutions for the affordable housing community.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: Today's change maker is Krystal Wajakowski, the executive director of FAUDA,
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, where she leads national
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: advocacy for public housing authorities and communities nationwide.
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: With nearly twenty.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Years of experience across local housing authorities, Crystal is actually
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: helping the nation advance affordable housing through multiple forums. Chrystal,
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: Welcome to change Makers.
• 0:42
  Speaker 4: Thank you, Katie, so glad to be here. I appreciate
• 0:44
  Speaker 4: your time today.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: It's an honor to have you.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: I have seen you in the industry, I've known you
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: for quite some time, and it's a pleasure to have
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: you on this forum. I usually like to start these
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: podcasts with just letting our listeners get to know you
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: a little better, and the easiest way is to just
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: start having you talk about how you came into this industry.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: So do you mind starting this off there and sharing Sure?
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: So, because I figured that this would be the first
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: question that you would ask. I was reflecting back as
• 1:19
  Speaker 4: I've been at Fodden now for twelve years, so that
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: first step into the industry like you mentioned, is about
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: twenty maybe even at this point over twenty years ago.
• 1:30
  Speaker 4: And so my first job, you know, as reflecting on
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: that position, it actually was a temp position at King
• 1:39
  Speaker 4: County Housing Authority in Washington. So that's where I started.
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: At the time I just graduated from college, I did
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: not know that I was working, you know, one of
• 1:48
  Speaker 4: the largest MTW agencies in the country. It's funny when
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: you look back in hindsight, all of that experience and
• 1:56
  Speaker 4: expertise that I was able to gather just in that
• 1:59
  Speaker 4: first role, and that first role really reflects the reasoning
• 2:04
  Speaker 4: behind why I'm still here today, you know, twenty years later.
• 2:08
  Speaker 4: So when I first started, I started at a development
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: that had a separate waiting list, and so my job
• 2:14
  Speaker 4: was to accept and then manually input waiting list applications
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: for future residents you know, really have families in need
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: in Washington State, and it was very manual work, so
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: accepting an application, taking that information, putting it right into
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: into the system for the housing authority. But one thing,
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: you know, reflecting that I think is the reason why
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: I'm still here today is that was such a front
• 2:41
  Speaker 4: facing position and you really, twenty years ago when you
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: applied for your you know, applied to get your name
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: on the waiting list at a housing authority. You did wait,
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: but it wasn't like it is today where you could
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: be waiting for five ten years. And so at the time,
• 2:58
  Speaker 4: even as a temp for a short time in that
• 3:01
  Speaker 4: particular position, before I started working in public housing directly,
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: I would see the same faces. So they would come in,
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: they would give me their application, I would input it
• 3:10
  Speaker 4: into the system. I'm very detail oriented, so I'd remember
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: their face and their name, and then it was so
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: fulfilling to actually have them come back because I was
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: the person that represented them getting housed, even though I
• 3:24
  Speaker 4: did such a small piece of that. And so when
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: they received the call that they had a unit available
• 3:30
  Speaker 4: to them and that their families would be moving in,
• 3:32
  Speaker 4: they would come to me and celebrate with me. And that,
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: I think, I know is the reason why I continued
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: in this industry, because I saw the real word, real
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: world impacts right off the bat, and to have someone
• 3:48
  Speaker 4: who you know, share that joy with them They've been
• 3:50
  Speaker 4: waiting for years to get a safe space for their
• 3:53
  Speaker 4: family to really experience that set me on this path.
• 3:57
  Speaker 4: And I've been on this path ever since so.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: I appreciate the going from temp and hearing like those
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: frontline stories. What a leap over the last few decades
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: of experience. It reminds me of Jim Evans, who we
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: both know and have worked with several times. He said
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: he got out of the military and couldn't find a
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: job and took.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: A job as a housing specialist.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, now he's leading the nation and consulting
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: to help improve housing authority. So it's not a journey
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: that's uncommon, but yet it is a journey that is
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: quite progressive and innovative. But do you think of how
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: several of us have come through the industry. But it's
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: also like why we stay in the industry a little bit.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: So now fast forward, you are running FODA as what
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: everybody commonly calls you guys, Are you hearing let's talk
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: about that for a minute. I mean, are you hearing
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: some trends as far as let's first mention labor like
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: people coming into this industry.
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  Speaker 3: Since we're on this.
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  Speaker 2: Topic of how we all got in, are people shaying
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: anything about the trends of the labor to be able
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: to do the job. And then we'll we'll venture off
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: from there.
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  Speaker 4: Sure some trends that I've been seeing, and I think
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  Speaker 4: you can relate to this as well, going back to
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: when I first, you know, that first job that I had,
• 5:25
  Speaker 4: and then I moved into a housing specialist role in
• 5:27
  Speaker 4: public housing, and then now looking back, my move from
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: you know, from where I started to where I am
• 5:35
  Speaker 4: now seems very linear, but I think in the moment,
• 5:38
  Speaker 4: it didn't feel that way. It was just taking opportunities
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: and wanting to continue to work in this field. And
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: I think that historically that has really been the trend.
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: Where someone comes into a housing authority, likely where they
• 5:50
  Speaker 4: live right in their local community, and even some cases
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: residents who become housing specialists and then move and make
• 5:57
  Speaker 4: their way up into this industry, whether it's through possibly
• 6:01
  Speaker 4: housing specialist and then maybe they get into accounting and
• 6:04
  Speaker 4: possibly a deputy role and then executive director. That has
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: been the trend for most of my experience in this industry.
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: But I will say that over the last five ish years,
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: particularly we're seeing this in our executive director education program,
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: which I think we'll probably talk about a little bit later,
• 6:22
  Speaker 4: which is you know, fought as premier training opportunities for
• 6:26
  Speaker 4: new executive directors and those who aspired to be them.
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: Is we're really seeing now more than ever over the
• 6:33
  Speaker 4: last five years, and I think this will continue to increase.
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: Is we're seeing folks who are not from the housing
• 6:41
  Speaker 4: industry necessarily coming into roles like CFO or deputy or
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: executive director that have not come up through the ranks,
• 6:50
  Speaker 4: which is historically what we've seen, which I think is
• 6:53
  Speaker 4: a challenge but also a huge opportunity for our industry.
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: I think it's a challenge because maybe that person doesn't
• 6:59
  Speaker 4: necessary really have that on the ground experience doing inspections,
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: handling annual recertifications, but they have a new perspective that
• 7:09
  Speaker 4: I think now more than ever, in this very uncertain environment,
• 7:13
  Speaker 4: we need to think of new things, and I think
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: having that institutional knowledge and then those new faces and
• 7:20
  Speaker 4: new voices is the perfect opportunity for us to come
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: up with ideas in this environment to save our units,
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: those existing units, and then also develop new units to
• 7:31
  Speaker 4: serve those in need, because as you know, at this point,
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: we're only serving about twenty percent of those households that
• 7:37
  Speaker 4: really need affordable housing. So I think it's a challenge
• 7:40
  Speaker 4: but also an opportunity.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: You mentioned the program that you guys have, the Executive
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Director Education program. It's in partnership. It's very very innovative.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: You have several trainers that come in vibes out.
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: Since you mentioned that, let's talk about that.
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: We've been longtime supporters of this, I believe, not just
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: in the continuing education piece, but there's so many wins
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: about best practice sharing that happens in the room. There
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: of those not only are they just getting the training,
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: but there's also like all that collaboration that happens. But
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: tell us why this from your perspective, because you guys
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: are pretty much the leaders in that type of program.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: A lot of people offer training, and everybody needs to
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: offer training and take it.
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: But this is something that you guys do something differently.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: So share a little more about that depth program.
• 8:37
  Speaker 4: Sure. So I will start by saying I'm a proud
• 8:40
  Speaker 4: graduate of the ADA program circa twenty eighteen, so lots
• 8:45
  Speaker 4: of things have changed since then, and we do update
• 8:47
  Speaker 4: the curriculum each year and that program it's approximately eighteen months,
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  Speaker 4: so it is a very in depth training program. Ten courses.
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  Speaker 4: It includes financials, legal ethics, something as basic as how
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: to complete an inspection. You know and be in compliance
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  Speaker 4: while you're doing so compliance around faz CMAP and then
• 9:10
  Speaker 4: also MOORS and the Multi Family Program, and so that
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: is TIP courses. When you join the EDPP program, you
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: become part of a cohort, so we at any given
• 9:21
  Speaker 4: time have two cohorts. And you mentioned this that the
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: curriculum is excellent and it's a partnership with Rutgers University.
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: So once you graduate, you do get that certification from
• 9:31
  Speaker 4: both FADA and then also Rutgers University. So I consider
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: it a Master's Executive level certification program. And so that
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: curriculum is there, so you know that you're going to
• 9:42
  Speaker 4: get that educational foundation whether you're a new executive director
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: or if you are aspiring to be an executive director.
• 9:51
  Speaker 4: And many of our members utilize EDEP as a succession
• 9:53
  Speaker 4: planning tool for those coming up behind them. But you
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: noted the second I think in some ways even more
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  Speaker 4: important part of our program. It's because you have been
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: part of that cohort.
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  Speaker 3: You have now.
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  Speaker 4: Developed your rolodex of people experts. Because our members they
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: hate to call themselves experts, but they are capital t
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: the expert in our industry and really utilizing that expert rolodex.
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: So when you come across a problem, you have in
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: your co work forty five people to call up. You know,
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: maybe you've made connections and networked with the smaller group,
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: but you have those people that you can call when
• 10:32
  Speaker 4: there is something really detailed that you might need assistance
• 10:35
  Speaker 4: with and your staff can't help you. In some cases
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: now the department you know, of Housing and Urban Development
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: is unable to provide technical assistance. Perhaps you don't have
• 10:46
  Speaker 4: a quadelle on your team necessarily to assist you with
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: these things. And so you have that rolodex and that
• 10:52
  Speaker 4: networking has been so critical and so important and loved
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  Speaker 4: with our e dept Program that we kicked off in January,
• 11:01
  Speaker 4: so it's only about seven months old, and alumni association
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: so that even once you graduate after that eighteen month period,
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: you can still have your cohort. Maybe it's your immediate cohort,
• 11:13
  Speaker 4: perhaps it's someone who graduated from eat UP ten years ago.
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  Speaker 4: You really continue to build that rolodex of experts and
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: connection that I believe executive directors today are really really
• 11:24
  Speaker 4: searching for is that connection. But they're peers the.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: Program that you explained, I mean not only are we trainers,
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: and we sponsor the reception, and we're so proud of
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: the Retger's partnership. But I love the rolodex. First of all,
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: I love the word rolodex. So I think that's the
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: best word ever. I'm glad I found somebody else who
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: uses it. Thank you for that.
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  Speaker 4: Now, the definition of a rolodex on the bottom.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: Is a rolodex, right, That's so funny. But I also
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: like that cannot be understated how important important that is
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: because there's so many times somebody on the West Coast
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: did something, somebody did it in the Midwest did something
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: and they got a yes, and they unlocked the you know,
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: the burden of a regulation or the hoop or the
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: bureaucratic red tape, and they figured out how to unlock that.
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: And then somebody on the South or the East coast
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: needs to know how they did that, and that happens
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: in those rooms. That happens having people in the Rolodex
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: to figure that out. And so that forum is so
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: important when we think about advancing causing and you mentioned.
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: Just I think it builds creativity. We've talked a little
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: bit about you know, new voices coming into the room
• 12:48
  Speaker 4: and PHAs have so much in terms of regulation, I
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: think often fought it speaks to the lack of flexibility
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: that PHAs have. But truly, you know there are you know,
• 13:00
  Speaker 4: through state enabling legislation, every PHA has flexibilities within their
• 13:04
  Speaker 4: state and their locality that maybe they're not familiar with,
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: and really hearing from their peers about what they made
• 13:11
  Speaker 4: happen in their community could inspire them to do something
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: maybe similar or different, but that was it sparked that
• 13:18
  Speaker 4: idea to learn how to serve their residents better, which
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: is ultimately our mission, build new units, serve more residents
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: at the end of the day.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: So there's a ton of other things that you guys
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: do at FADA, and I want to talk about the
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: policy and the advocacy aspects.
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: Of the role as well that you're doing.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: Explain maybe what you're seeing on the horizon that you
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: should alert us to when it comes to policy and advocacy,
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: or maybe just share with us some of your goals
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: and those particular categories that you do, because that right
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: there alone occupy quite a lot of what you guys
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: do and a lot of the impact that you're making.
• 14:06
  Speaker 4: Yes, so we really our core focus area fought is
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: really to advocate for our members, and by virtue of
• 14:15
  Speaker 4: just doing that work, we advocate for all PHAs, not
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: just fought of members, So really having those direct relationships
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: with Congress and also with HUD as well, and so
• 14:26
  Speaker 4: we look at that as working with the Department. So
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: we see that advocacy as kind of two pieces of
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: the puzzle. So when we work with the Department, we're
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: really working with them on what is the best way
• 14:38
  Speaker 4: to implement a regulation that might have come down to
• 14:42
  Speaker 4: them from the Hill through legislation, and so we do
• 14:46
  Speaker 4: you know, recently the first time in ten years, there
• 14:49
  Speaker 4: is the twenty first Century Road to Housing Act, which
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: was a bill that fought up fully supports. We wish
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: that it provided more relief and more streamlining for directly,
• 15:01
  Speaker 4: but it will open up some opportunities in their communities.
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: We hope to be able to serve more residents, develop
• 15:08
  Speaker 4: more units over the long term. So when we're looking
• 15:11
  Speaker 4: at the Department, we are you know, once they've received
• 15:15
  Speaker 4: that information from the Hill, they then need to implement it.
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: And so we have historically had great relationships with HUD,
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: regardless of whether we agree on whether the regulation needs
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: to happen or not, we can agree to disagreement and
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: then work together to figure out how to implement it
• 15:33
  Speaker 4: on the ground. And that's where we come in. Thoughta's staff,
• 15:37
  Speaker 4: we have all worked at housing authorities in some capacity,
• 15:40
  Speaker 4: whether it's you know, as an executive director, as a
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: director of residence services, maybe even as on a board,
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: and we communicate and I think translate how something in
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: a regulation ultimately impacts what the work looks like for
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: our members, and that I think often here in DC,
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: on the Hill and at HUD, there are generally good intentions.
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: I think ninety nine percent of the time it is
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: well intended, but simply because they do not always have
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: that experience on the ground that implementation, those unintended consequences
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: often occur. And that's where we step in and we
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: will speak for our members but the Hill and HUD
• 16:21
  Speaker 4: wants to hear from our members directly, because especially on
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: the hill that is there they are their constituents versus us,
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: and so we can really we can translate and then
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: also make those connections and encourage members through education and
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: professional development, which is that second piece to you know,
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: how to advocate for themselves on the hill. One thing,
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: so our members are so they they operate so well
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: in this uncertain environment, and they have done so for
• 16:48
  Speaker 4: decades and that is amazing. But often because our heads
• 16:52
  Speaker 4: are down they're doing the work, they don't remember to
• 16:56
  Speaker 4: toot their own horn a little bit and tell their
• 16:58
  Speaker 4: story because they're soocused on the work and the residence
• 17:01
  Speaker 4: and within their immediate communities. And so we work to educate,
• 17:05
  Speaker 4: whether it's through technical assistance, professional development. We partner with
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: Quadel and other partners to operate, you know, to offer
• 17:13
  Speaker 4: that education. But it's not just education on those technical things.
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: It's also education on how to best advocate for yourself.
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: So we offer advocacy one on one webinars. We also
• 17:24
  Speaker 4: will go with our members to the hill if they want,
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: if they want the help, if they've never done it before,
• 17:29
  Speaker 4: which again they are the experts. When you get into
• 17:31
  Speaker 4: a room and a congressional visit, you know so much
• 17:35
  Speaker 4: more than the people sitting in that room, and it
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: feels very intimidating, right because you might be at the
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: Capitol or you know, one of those congressional buildings, but
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: you truly are the expert. And we try to communicate
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: that to our members, but support them if they need
• 17:49
  Speaker 4: that extra support, and that gets to the third tier,
• 17:52
  Speaker 4: which is our member support. So we do the policy
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: analysis for you all so that you don't have to.
• 17:59
  Speaker 4: There are some pha that have policy analysts on their
• 18:01
  Speaker 4: team and we work closely with them, but more often
• 18:05
  Speaker 4: than not, particularly for smaller and medium sized agencies, they
• 18:09
  Speaker 4: don't have the capacity to do that policy analysis, and
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: we really do that for them. We read, you know,
• 18:15
  Speaker 4: for example, the OMB recently came out with the Office
• 18:18
  Speaker 4: of Management and Budget came out with a three hundred
• 18:21
  Speaker 4: page rule depending on whether you look at it in
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: the PDF or in the Federal Register, and we read
• 18:26
  Speaker 4: every word of that rule, translated it, and really put
• 18:29
  Speaker 4: together some bullets like what do you need to know now?
• 18:32
  Speaker 4: And do you need to stop what you're doing to
• 18:34
  Speaker 4: make this a priority? And that's that is essentially what
• 18:36
  Speaker 4: we do on a daily basis, and we're at max capacity.
• 18:41
  Speaker 4: So I am so just in awe of our members
• 18:47
  Speaker 4: that managed to serve residents and also stay on top
• 18:51
  Speaker 4: of all of this that's happening in DC.
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: You mentioned sometimes the good intentions of what allegen or
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: a regulation or a public notice is intended to do,
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: but then there's this disconnect in how does that policy
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: or the notice play out in practice. And we often
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: refer to that as like trying to connect the dots
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: between what was intended to happen and then what's actually happening.
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: And I'm glad that you brought that it because as
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: a practitioner, you're like, there has to be an easier way.
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: You're just like, this is not how it was meant
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: to be. And there's so many examples of that. In fact,
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: I was just talking with Brooke Etta about portability and
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: I said, oh my goodness, it is the thing that
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: everybody believes in that a participant should be able to,
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: you know, move from one city to another, one state
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: to another, you know, with you know, some some rules
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: and some uh uh guardrails. But it's so complicated, and
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: it's so difficult for both the receiving and you know,
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: both ends of the housing authority. And we're like, how
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: is something that intended to be so great for the
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: participant to move, yes, so overly burdens some and complex
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: And we were just trying to Brooke and I were
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: just trying to brainstorm, like what is the fix? Why
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: is this so hard? There has to be a better way.
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: And that's one tiny, tiny little example in the whole
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: menu of housing. So I won't go down that tangent,
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: but truly, if you want to fix the intention of
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: how to serve people, be good sewards of the money.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: But yet, how does it work when you're sitting at
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: the desk and we have to have somebody like you guys,
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: to be able to say, you know, here's the problem.
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: This is how the disconnect is, the dots are not connecting,
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: and what is the easiest way for practitioners to get
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: that information to you guys, and how does that work?
• 21:05
  Speaker 4: So I would say the best way is one thing
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: is just continuously connecting with our members. And so part
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: of being a fought A member is that you have
• 21:16
  Speaker 4: access to things like our newsletter which goes into depth
• 21:20
  Speaker 4: on that policy analysis. You have access to our webinars.
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: We have a webinar coming up on July twenty eighth
• 21:28
  Speaker 4: related to advocacy, which we will record and make that
• 21:30
  Speaker 4: available attending our conferences, which so that you can build
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: those networks in addition to learn you know, technical information
• 21:38
  Speaker 4: about particular things. But the one thing that if there
• 21:43
  Speaker 4: were any foughto members or future foughten members listening, I
• 21:46
  Speaker 4: would say that use our policy staff. So something is
• 21:51
  Speaker 4: not working for you on the ground, the first thing
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: that I would recommend is to connect with one of
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: our policy team, because then we know that's how really
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: we can anticipate things once we see a legislative bill
• 22:07
  Speaker 4: or if we see a regulation, we can anticipate just
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: based on our own experience. But some of us have
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: not been directly on the round in many years, including myself,
• 22:16
  Speaker 4: and so knowing how that impacts maybe not just that
• 22:19
  Speaker 4: one regulation, but how the combination of the regulations impact
• 22:25
  Speaker 4: on the ground work. And one thing, you know, as
• 22:30
  Speaker 4: we add regulations, which I do believe that again, regulations
• 22:35
  Speaker 4: are well intended. I think often they are designed to
• 22:38
  Speaker 4: solve an issue that might have been at one housing
• 22:42
  Speaker 4: authority and does not need to be solved nationally. I
• 22:45
  Speaker 4: do believe that sometimes that they're designed to streamline HOTMA.
• 22:50
  Speaker 4: The Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act, which is about celebrating
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: its ten year birthday, was designed to streamline regulation, but
• 23:01
  Speaker 4: in reality it has created more work for phs at
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: the end of the day, and so members telling us
• 23:10
  Speaker 4: here's where very detail you know, FATA loves detail. We
• 23:14
  Speaker 4: love to get into the weeds. That's all of us.
• 23:16
  Speaker 4: It's a personality trait of every single person at FADA,
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: whether it's policy team or support staff. We want to
• 23:22
  Speaker 4: get into the weeds with you and so telling our
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: members to come to us. But again, members are very busy,
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: they're doing the work on the ground, and so we
• 23:31
  Speaker 4: have made real efforts to pull people together in various ways.
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: So working groups we've started doing that those more often
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: around things like proposed rules, so work requirements and time limits.
• 23:44
  Speaker 4: That is, you know, we want to make sure we
• 23:46
  Speaker 4: get it right in our comments, make sure we're we're
• 23:49
  Speaker 4: that all voices of members, even if they disagree with
• 23:53
  Speaker 4: the process, are heard and explained. So we always we've
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: been working more often getting focus groups and working working
• 24:00
  Speaker 4: groups together so members can connect with us on a topic,
• 24:03
  Speaker 4: and then we add them to the list for that
• 24:05
  Speaker 4: topic so we connect with them on those working groups.
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: We have been in our conferences pulling back on some
• 24:12
  Speaker 4: of the sessions and dropping more opportunity for round tables
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: so that not only can we hear from our members
• 24:21
  Speaker 4: about what's most important, but also they consider at a
• 24:24
  Speaker 4: table of six of their peers and find out how
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: they're handling that particular regulation or just administrative burden and
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: so again, and that those roundtables maybe they're not part
• 24:40
  Speaker 4: of EDPTH, but it gives them that role. Index of
• 24:43
  Speaker 4: people that they can connect with. Putting facilitators in the
• 24:49
  Speaker 4: room that really know that issue and can also be
• 24:51
  Speaker 4: a resource for folks in the room too is really
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: important to us. So we're working hard to really have it.
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: We've always listened to our members, but really providing additional
• 25:02
  Speaker 4: opportunities both virtually and in person to hear about you know,
• 25:06
  Speaker 4: hear from them and make sure that we're focusing on
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: the things that matter most to phs.
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: You mentioned advocacy, that's a major part of what you
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: do as well. What would be something like if a
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: new executive director is coming in and they need to
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: know where to start with advocacy. You mentioned that you
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: prep you prep them to be able to go in
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: and talk with their local elected officials. But can you
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: give us maybe three things that you would say, these
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: are the three things that you need to start with
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: heading in to advocate for affordable housing? What would those
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: and can I maybe it's not fair that I summarize
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: them into three but let's say you have to start somewhere,
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: can you give us somewhere?
• 25:56
  Speaker 4: So that is a really great question and something that
• 25:59
  Speaker 4: we have been working on especially and our just education
• 26:03
  Speaker 4: to our members. But I would say the first thing
• 26:06
  Speaker 4: if you are a PHA that really wants to get
• 26:09
  Speaker 4: more involved in advocacy but you're not sure where to start,
• 26:13
  Speaker 4: my recommendation is that you reach out to your local office.
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: So each representative or senator, they have their offices here
• 26:21
  Speaker 4: in DC, and the thought of staff and our sister
• 26:24
  Speaker 4: organizations often work with the staff that are in here
• 26:28
  Speaker 4: in DC, but those offices have local offices with different staff,
• 26:35
  Speaker 4: and the folks in DC often the priorities for them
• 26:39
  Speaker 4: are what they're hearing most from their local offices, so
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: they keep track of every single phone call, every single
• 26:44
  Speaker 4: visit in person. And so the first step I'd say,
• 26:47
  Speaker 4: connect with local office and just make sure that that
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: person knows that you exist and also what you're doing
• 26:55
  Speaker 4: in your community, and that you are a resource to them,
• 26:58
  Speaker 4: because at the end of the day, the folks that
• 27:00
  Speaker 4: are living in that are working in these offices, they
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: are prioritizing based on the number of phone calls they receive.
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: What they're hearing from their constituents. So if they hear
• 27:10
  Speaker 4: from you, and they hear from your residence, which I
• 27:13
  Speaker 4: would encourage PHAs to encourage their residence to talk about
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: all the great things that you're doing. That would be
• 27:19
  Speaker 4: the very first step. So make sure that they know
• 27:21
  Speaker 4: who you are. The second step would be now that
• 27:24
  Speaker 4: you started to develop that relationship with them, which happens
• 27:29
  Speaker 4: all the time. So can have those calls, maybe put
• 27:32
  Speaker 4: it on your calendar, do it once a month, connect
• 27:34
  Speaker 4: with them, share materials so on Fought as website and
• 27:37
  Speaker 4: as a member, there are legislative materials that we make available,
• 27:41
  Speaker 4: so it includes talking points and bullets. You could just
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: email that directly to them or present it to them
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: in person. But continue to follow up. And then when
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: something really great happens in your community, which happens all
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: the time. We often hear about all the bad things
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: that are happening around the nation on the news, but
• 27:58
  Speaker 4: there are so many more good things happening locally, and
• 28:00
  Speaker 4: invite the staff and or the representative or senator to
• 28:04
  Speaker 4: your development. Maybe you have a ribbon cutting, maybe there
• 28:09
  Speaker 4: is a town hall, maybe that you're celebrating something like
• 28:14
  Speaker 4: an anniversary, you're doing a block party at your public
• 28:18
  Speaker 4: housing development, invite the representative or the Senator to every
• 28:22
  Speaker 4: single one of those opportunities to see you and your
• 28:25
  Speaker 4: team working in action and to see how all of
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: the good work that you're doing in your community. And
• 28:31
  Speaker 4: then I would make the third thing to be continue
• 28:34
  Speaker 4: to build that relationship here in DC. Come to fought
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: as Legislative Forum, or come to d C anytime that
• 28:41
  Speaker 4: is convenient, if you're able to do that and connect
• 28:43
  Speaker 4: with those people here. Honestly, getting FaceTime with the representative
• 28:48
  Speaker 4: or the Senator, that's great and they'll start to get
• 28:50
  Speaker 4: to know you, but the FaceTime with their staff is
• 28:52
  Speaker 4: even more important. At the end of the day. They
• 28:56
  Speaker 4: need to know that when they have a question about housing,
• 29:00
  Speaker 4: that they can contact you as their local expert and
• 29:04
  Speaker 4: not someone else like a developer in their community or
• 29:08
  Speaker 4: the city government. That the housing authority is the expert,
• 29:11
  Speaker 4: and that they at the end of the day, that
• 29:13
  Speaker 4: you are the person that they that they think of
• 29:15
  Speaker 4: if they have a question about a bill or perhaps
• 29:19
  Speaker 4: a letter that they'd like to send the department encouraging
• 29:21
  Speaker 4: them to do something, that they know that you're the person.
• 29:24
  Speaker 4: You're the authoritative figure to talk to around affordable housing.
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: I'm glad that you mentioned inviting them to the functions,
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: inviting them to the reven cutting. I think it is
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: a beautiful way to understand what's happening on the ground,
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: to understand to see the property or to hear how
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: things trickle down, how cuts, how changes, how requirements and
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: when they see that, how that plays out. So I
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: want to ask a question about something that you guys,
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: that you do that's unique, and that is your Commissioner's conference.
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: And not a lot of people understand how the commissioners
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: are crucial to being a functional piece of this overall ecosystem.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: We talk a lot about executive directors, which have a
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: lot of participants. We talk about the funders and the regulators.
• 30:20
  Speaker 2: I want to ask questions now about the commissioners because
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: if you do not have a functioning board of commissioners,
• 30:29
  Speaker 2: you're not going to be able to set the policy
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: that governs the housing agency. So it's very crucial that
• 30:37
  Speaker 2: this commissioner's form that thank you guys have built, tell
• 30:43
  Speaker 2: us more about that, because I have very strong opinions
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: on what commissioners should be doing and should not be doing.
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: But I want to hear your version on that and
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: why this particular conference is so crucial.
• 31:00
  Speaker 4: Yes, and it is unique, as you mentioned, So we
• 31:03
  Speaker 4: have our Commissioner's Conference every January. We're actually working internally
• 31:07
  Speaker 4: to rebrand it a bit because there is a little
• 31:11
  Speaker 4: bit of misunderstanding some folks believe that it's just for commissioners.
• 31:16
  Speaker 4: What we're thinking about rebranding, obviously, I need approval for
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: my board to do. That is more of a commissioner's
• 31:23
  Speaker 4: and executive leadership conference. So at our Commissioner's Conference, it's
• 31:28
  Speaker 4: the one conference each year where there is a consistent
• 31:32
  Speaker 4: commissioner's track. So if you are a new commissioner or
• 31:36
  Speaker 4: maybe even a commissioner that's been in the know in
• 31:38
  Speaker 4: their position for many years but wants to you know,
• 31:42
  Speaker 4: as we've mentioned quite a few times that things are
• 31:45
  Speaker 4: changing so quickly, you need to stay on top of
• 31:47
  Speaker 4: all of the things that are happening. But from a
• 31:50
  Speaker 4: governance perspective, not necessarily an operations perspective, and so our
• 31:55
  Speaker 4: track in January includes courses around govern what is your
• 32:01
  Speaker 4: role at the housing authority, where should you get involved
• 32:04
  Speaker 4: and where should you allow your executive director to take
• 32:09
  Speaker 4: the lead because that is related to day to day
• 32:11
  Speaker 4: operations of the agency. We cover things around finances, so
• 32:16
  Speaker 4: most executive directors are all executive directors submit their financial
• 32:20
  Speaker 4: reports to their commissioners and understanding how to read that
• 32:25
  Speaker 4: from a governance perspective, because many commissioners they may not
• 32:29
  Speaker 4: have most of them may not have a housing background.
• 32:32
  Speaker 4: Perhaps they come from the banking industry, maybe development. They
• 32:36
  Speaker 4: could be residents as well, so they do have kind
• 32:38
  Speaker 4: of that on the ground experience, but governance and that
• 32:42
  Speaker 4: structure is new to them. So at our Commissioner's conference,
• 32:46
  Speaker 4: we have tracks, some for executive directors, but then that
• 32:48
  Speaker 4: big track which is very popular. We have about thirty
• 32:52
  Speaker 4: percent of our attendees at that conference our commissioners, and
• 32:57
  Speaker 4: they really utilize that as an executive director's you that
• 33:00
  Speaker 4: as an informal means to train their commissioners in the
• 33:05
  Speaker 4: things that they need to be aware of and how
• 33:08
  Speaker 4: they should govern as a body. And you mentioned, you know,
• 33:11
  Speaker 4: executive directors, they're doing the day to day, they're doing
• 33:14
  Speaker 4: the hard work, but commissioners play such a critical critical
• 33:18
  Speaker 4: role around governance and compliance, and I think that that
• 33:23
  Speaker 4: added education really results in a more active and engaging
• 33:31
  Speaker 4: board in the right areas, things around what are what
• 33:35
  Speaker 4: development could we do in our community and what does
• 33:37
  Speaker 4: that look like? Where do we want to see? How
• 33:40
  Speaker 4: many units do we want to build for our community
• 33:42
  Speaker 4: in five to ten years and how can we get there?
• 33:45
  Speaker 4: Really supporting the executive director because at the end of
• 33:48
  Speaker 4: the day, they're the executive director's boss and so you know,
• 33:53
  Speaker 4: managing compliance and governance, but then supporting them is so
• 33:56
  Speaker 4: important and I'm not sure that that always comes across
• 34:01
  Speaker 4: in any environment where there is a board and a
• 34:05
  Speaker 4: leader of an organization. So we really try to support
• 34:10
  Speaker 4: our executive directors because that's one thing that sets FADA
• 34:12
  Speaker 4: apart is we support PHAs, but the pha's representative for
• 34:18
  Speaker 4: FAUDA is always the executive director. So when we have
• 34:21
  Speaker 4: to decide if we are going to have a new
• 34:24
  Speaker 4: partnership or a new training program, we have to always
• 34:27
  Speaker 4: look at it through the lens of how does this
• 34:29
  Speaker 4: support not just the PHA, but they're the it's leader
• 34:32
  Speaker 4: as well.
• 34:33
  Speaker 2: We've done several trainings for Board of Commissioners even with
• 34:39
  Speaker 2: you guys, And then there's a lot of turnover that
• 34:42
  Speaker 2: happens through natural terms that the rotation of that, so
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: that continually identifying what the roles should be, how do
• 34:54
  Speaker 2: they function, what should they do, what should they not do?
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: Like that is a continual thing that has to happen.
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: But setting the vision, setting the goals, setting the strategy
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: and the development plans, and then monitoring the executive director
• 35:10
  Speaker 2: but not necessarily.
• 35:12
  Speaker 3: In all of the.
• 35:15
  Speaker 2: Staffing issues or making sure the metrics at the macro level,
• 35:19
  Speaker 2: but not you know, the micro level, and so like
• 35:21
  Speaker 2: there's all of these things, but I think starting from scratch,
• 35:25
  Speaker 2: like you guys do with those Board of Commissioners, on
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: that expectation and that basic like what should be happening
• 35:33
  Speaker 2: and how do you govern? Do you guys do that
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: very very well and it's so crucial.
• 35:39
  Speaker 3: I want to switch to now another topic.
• 35:41
  Speaker 2: We saw each other recently at the Women's Affordable Housing
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: Network and we've got a couple of things in the
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: works on how we can develop a potential platform for
• 35:56
  Speaker 2: women in leadership in conjunction with fodat. Why do you
• 36:01
  Speaker 2: think something like this is needed? What do you what
• 36:06
  Speaker 2: are your vision for that? We have several women in
• 36:10
  Speaker 2: key leadership positions. When you even though when you look
• 36:13
  Speaker 2: at the private industry, you know like I'm a very
• 36:16
  Speaker 2: rare position in this like role, you're you know, new
• 36:20
  Speaker 2: to this role. You've got Michelle Dozer now in at KLAFA,
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: You've got Denise Mouha who has been at National Leased
• 36:29
  Speaker 2: Housing for a long time. What is the niche here,
• 36:32
  Speaker 2: why is it needed?
• 36:34
  Speaker 3: What do you envision?
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: What are your thoughts related to to one fada and
• 36:39
  Speaker 2: how we can move some of these things forward.
• 36:43
  Speaker 4: Sure, so I attended my first one conference. Myself and
• 36:47
  Speaker 4: Julie Piccolo of my team on the policy staff, we
• 36:50
  Speaker 4: attended our first one conference. I believe in nay It's
• 36:55
  Speaker 4: I was as I was kind of thinking through my journey,
• 36:58
  Speaker 4: I realized I've only been in the position as executive
• 37:00
  Speaker 4: director for less than four months. It feels like the
• 37:03
  Speaker 4: last few months I've felt like years, but in a
• 37:06
  Speaker 4: good way. But really I took so much out of
• 37:10
  Speaker 4: that the Women's on a Forbalhausing network conference. I enjoyed
• 37:14
  Speaker 4: the connection. I do think that more now than ever,
• 37:18
  Speaker 4: in this environment of uncertainty and stress and just think exhaustion,
• 37:25
  Speaker 4: that really leaning on each other just as an opportunity.
• 37:30
  Speaker 4: You know, we we go home at the end of
• 37:32
  Speaker 4: the day and our families don't really understand what we do,
• 37:34
  Speaker 4: whether it's in a policy realm or a consulting realm
• 37:37
  Speaker 4: or at the PHA level, and so having an ear
• 37:40
  Speaker 4: of other women that can you know that you can
• 37:44
  Speaker 4: vent to and talk through some issues. I think this
• 37:49
  Speaker 4: industry particularly is largely driven by women, I think, and
• 37:54
  Speaker 4: that is unique to many industries, and one provides not
• 38:00
  Speaker 4: just an opportunity to network and connect, but I think
• 38:03
  Speaker 4: to pull various parts of affordable housing together that have
• 38:08
  Speaker 4: maybe never come together before. So FADA and our members
• 38:12
  Speaker 4: in historically have been typically traditionally public housing choice voucher agencies.
• 38:19
  Speaker 4: But as federal funding has decreased over the last few decades,
• 38:24
  Speaker 4: you know, consistently it's decreased, executive directors at phs are
• 38:30
  Speaker 4: having to pivot and be more innovative than they ever have.
• 38:34
  Speaker 4: And so now that we cannot count on that federal funding,
• 38:38
  Speaker 4: our members are really looking toward redevelopment, the rental assistance demonstration,
• 38:43
  Speaker 4: low income housing tax credits, bond financing, those are things
• 38:47
  Speaker 4: that Juan Trains. The programming at the conference was so
• 38:51
  Speaker 4: great and I learned so much at that conference, and
• 38:54
  Speaker 4: not just made networking and learned and meeting new people,
• 38:57
  Speaker 4: but also meeting new people that can be tools and
• 39:01
  Speaker 4: resources for our members directly as they're determining how they're
• 39:05
  Speaker 4: going to preserve their existing units without capital funds and
• 39:09
  Speaker 4: how they're going to build new units in their communities
• 39:12
  Speaker 4: without operating funds. And sometimes I think the preference is
• 39:16
  Speaker 4: to build new units without federal funding because then it's
• 39:19
  Speaker 4: you're relieved of all of that compliance and FAUDA has
• 39:24
  Speaker 4: We have advocated for decades around MTW flexibilities, the Moving
• 39:29
  Speaker 4: to Work program and how you can provide PHAs with
• 39:33
  Speaker 4: flexibility and they are still accountable. Compliance is to required,
• 39:39
  Speaker 4: but the right compliance and with those flexibilities, you know,
• 39:42
  Speaker 4: NTW for all is what we'd like to see. We
• 39:45
  Speaker 4: call it our local flexibility option. Is we know that
• 39:48
  Speaker 4: PHAs know what's best for their communities. They're often one
• 39:51
  Speaker 4: of the largest economic drivers in their communities. This is
• 39:55
  Speaker 4: not really talked about, and so I think that we
• 39:58
  Speaker 4: can tell our story better and we're you know, providing
• 40:02
  Speaker 4: tools to do that and really reminding our members and
• 40:05
  Speaker 4: even doing it on their behalf making sure we're sharing
• 40:07
  Speaker 4: those stories and our social media platforms. But the best
• 40:13
  Speaker 4: thing we can do is work together with people and
• 40:16
  Speaker 4: build coalitions with groups we've never worked with before. I
• 40:18
  Speaker 4: think that's the future of affordable housing. And so any
• 40:22
  Speaker 4: way that we can connect and partner and develop stronger
• 40:25
  Speaker 4: coalitions with groups, you know around Juan Quadell, all of
• 40:30
  Speaker 4: our partners, I believe that that is the only way
• 40:33
  Speaker 4: that our programs will survive in ten twenty years.
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: So I think that this vision for WAN because there
• 40:41
  Speaker 2: it is amazing because they've got they've created this platform.
• 40:45
  Speaker 2: They've been Ashley and Angie and Esmeralda and so many
• 40:49
  Speaker 2: of them, but they've created this platform and this room
• 40:54
  Speaker 2: that has not just a housing authority. They've brought in developers,
• 40:57
  Speaker 2: They've brought in you know, inventive maintenance and property management
• 41:02
  Speaker 2: and compliance and you know, like they've they're bringing in
• 41:05
  Speaker 2: this whole entire ecosystem as opposed to just like the
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: very one part of the industry. And so I really
• 41:14
  Speaker 2: appreciate what they're building here, and I think it's great
• 41:16
  Speaker 2: to have you and I at that event, and so
• 41:19
  Speaker 2: I think it's gonna have some more doors for us
• 41:22
  Speaker 2: to be able to what I like to say, we
• 41:25
  Speaker 2: go further faster in this industry and move some items forward.
• 41:31
  Speaker 2: You mentioned on MTW for all. I want to circle
• 41:35
  Speaker 2: back on that at what are your hearing where do
• 41:38
  Speaker 2: you want to go with MTW Do you think it's
• 41:41
  Speaker 2: going to happen?
• 41:42
  Speaker 3: Like, how can you give us some.
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: Future I don't know if you have like a policy
• 41:50
  Speaker 2: crystal ball that you could bring out or something right now,
• 41:53
  Speaker 2: but talk about this MTW for all aspect.
• 41:58
  Speaker 4: Yes, So that is if you could essentially put you
• 42:03
  Speaker 4: know what thought, the work that fought it does you
• 42:05
  Speaker 4: know into a few words. It's maximum funding, maximum flexibility
• 42:09
  Speaker 4: as that is what we advocate for, and so we
• 42:12
  Speaker 4: have MTW. The Moving to Work Program has been a
• 42:15
  Speaker 4: demonstration since nineteen ninety six. I don't think at this point.
• 42:21
  Speaker 2: Time past official demonstration.
• 42:24
  Speaker 4: I don't think we could call it a demonstration anymore,
• 42:27
  Speaker 4: even if it is. And many of the most innovative
• 42:31
  Speaker 4: you know, some or many of the most innovative things
• 42:34
  Speaker 4: are happening at Moving to Work agencies because they have
• 42:37
  Speaker 4: the ability to be more efficient. They're encouraging resident self sufficiency,
• 42:42
  Speaker 4: they're expanding housing choice. Many all PHAs are working on
• 42:46
  Speaker 4: that right. But the flexibilities around fungibility of your funds
• 42:50
  Speaker 4: through MTW agencies, the ability to waive certain compliance requirements,
• 42:55
  Speaker 4: all with oversight of both their board and also the department.
• 43:01
  Speaker 4: Is it's proven since nineteen ninety six, any MPTW flexibilities
• 43:07
  Speaker 4: that have really worked across the board have ultimately influenced
• 43:10
  Speaker 4: HUD policy. So things like biennial or triennial inspections that
• 43:14
  Speaker 4: came out of MTW, you know, bi annial recertifications for
• 43:19
  Speaker 4: seniors that came out of MPTW because they were given
• 43:24
  Speaker 4: the room to think through, what can I do for
• 43:27
  Speaker 4: my agency that would increase efficiency and decreased duplicative effort,
• 43:32
  Speaker 4: decrease paperwork, but continue to be in compliance and continue
• 43:37
  Speaker 4: to serve the same number of families. And I would
• 43:39
  Speaker 4: I don't have the numbers, but I would say they
• 43:41
  Speaker 4: are likely serving more families than they were prior to MTW,
• 43:45
  Speaker 4: or perhaps serving the same number of families better than
• 43:48
  Speaker 4: they were through other kind of support services improvements you know,
• 43:51
  Speaker 4: to their units, et cetera. And we have thought it,
• 43:55
  Speaker 4: as you know, since nineteen ninety six, has been really
• 43:58
  Speaker 4: advocating for MTW for all, if the government does not
• 44:02
  Speaker 4: fully fund PHS, then we should have flexibilities that reflect
• 44:07
  Speaker 4: the reduced funding. And we have been you know, speaking
• 44:10
  Speaker 4: about that on the hill. For years, we did think
• 44:12
  Speaker 4: that there could be a light at the end of
• 44:14
  Speaker 4: the tunnel in this administration speaking to deregulation, so we
• 44:19
  Speaker 4: were very excited. It hasn't come to pass yet, but
• 44:23
  Speaker 4: we will continue to fight and I think what thought
• 44:27
  Speaker 4: is known for is never being silent. Right, we speak
• 44:30
  Speaker 4: truth to power, and we will continue to fight for
• 44:33
  Speaker 4: if not MTW for all, but more local flexibility options
• 44:37
  Speaker 4: for all PHAs that are really focused on the mission
• 44:42
  Speaker 4: of serving a residence. So we'll continue to advocate for that.
• 44:46
  Speaker 2: The deregulation movement is here, and there are several ways
• 44:50
  Speaker 2: to do that while maintaining accountability and maintaining compliance. So
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: exactly like you just said, it's the window. Opportunity is here.
• 45:01
  Speaker 2: Now can we as an industry, I'll push to make
• 45:05
  Speaker 2: several of those initiatives happen. So well are we are
• 45:10
  Speaker 2: engaged with FADA, and I know your membership is as well,
• 45:15
  Speaker 2: So tell us where anybody can find you if they're
• 45:18
  Speaker 2: not familiar, or tell us maybe where your next event
• 45:21
  Speaker 2: is so people can attend, because I'd like I'd like
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: for you to be able to use this micro found
• 45:26
  Speaker 2: to explain how people can gain access to your services
• 45:32
  Speaker 2: sure well.
• 45:33
  Speaker 4: So if anyone is interested in learning more about the
• 45:36
  Speaker 4: work that FADA does. We are currently in the midst
• 45:38
  Speaker 4: of an it transformation, so soon by November first, our
• 45:42
  Speaker 4: website will be fully new and much easier to work.
• 45:46
  Speaker 4: But please go to our website at FADA so phada
• 45:49
  Speaker 4: dot org. We're also very active on LinkedIn, so at
• 45:54
  Speaker 4: FDA Underscore USA often so I'm on LinkedIn as well.
• 46:00
  Speaker 4: My deputy executive Director, Michael Webb is on LinkedIn. Many
• 46:03
  Speaker 4: of our policy staff. You can connect directly with us there.
• 46:07
  Speaker 4: I really encourage anyone on this call, whether you are
• 46:10
  Speaker 4: a member or not, or maybe not even a PHA,
• 46:13
  Speaker 4: maybe just part of the industry, to go to our
• 46:15
  Speaker 4: website connect with me by email. It's you know, we
• 46:19
  Speaker 4: thought it is very welcoming. We want to talk to everyone.
• 46:22
  Speaker 4: We want to we want to share knowledge, we want
• 46:26
  Speaker 4: to share intelligence, and really just connect and build those partnerships,
• 46:30
  Speaker 4: you know, especially now with so many regulations around Build
• 46:34
  Speaker 4: America by America HOTMA implementation, so much is happening, and
• 46:39
  Speaker 4: where we can build coalitions and partnerships, even if it's
• 46:41
  Speaker 4: just picking up the phone and having these conversations, that
• 46:44
  Speaker 4: is really important to us so that we can share
• 46:46
  Speaker 4: that knowledge with our members directly. We have our next event,
• 46:50
  Speaker 4: so our legislative forum is in September the thirteenth through
• 46:54
  Speaker 4: the fifteenth here in Washington, d C. We are getting
• 46:57
  Speaker 4: close to selling out of our room blocks. So if
• 47:00
  Speaker 4: you're interested in coming to our legislative four month September,
• 47:03
  Speaker 4: sign up now. If for some reason you're not able
• 47:06
  Speaker 4: to make it with short notice, come to our Commissioner's
• 47:10
  Speaker 4: conference in January. It is in sunny San Diego, very
• 47:15
  Speaker 4: quickly after the new year. But it will be worth it,
• 47:18
  Speaker 4: I promise if you're able to make it, and we
• 47:20
  Speaker 4: have many roundtables, great sessions planned, and we also have
• 47:25
  Speaker 4: some ad on trainings around succession planning that we are
• 47:27
  Speaker 4: working on. So I would love to see all of
• 47:30
  Speaker 4: you there, and I will answer any email. So if
• 47:34
  Speaker 4: someone reaches out to me, I promise I will follow
• 47:36
  Speaker 4: up and we'll figure out how we can work together
• 47:39
  Speaker 4: to support affordable housing across the country.
• 47:42
  Speaker 2: Well, Crystal, you guys have your hands full, but I
• 47:45
  Speaker 2: know that you guys have the grit to move this forward.
• 47:51
  Speaker 2: So again, I thank you so much for your time.
• 47:54
  Speaker 2: I've been talking with Crystal Washakowski, the executive director of
• 47:58
  Speaker 2: the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association. Thank you so much, Crystal,
• 48:03
  Speaker 2: and God speak to your team as we keep pushing forward.
• 48:08
  Speaker 3: Thank you, Katie.
• 48:09
  Speaker 4: I appreciate the time today and I look forward to
• 48:11
  Speaker 4: more partnerships with you and Quotel in the future. So
• 48:14
  Speaker 4: thank you.
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to change makers with Katie Gore. To
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: find out more about Katie, go to quadel dot com.
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: That's qu A d e l dot com. This has
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: been a production of Forbes Books Radio