SEATTLE—June 5, 2003—Seattle Housing Authority residents and the general public are invited to attend a public meeting on June 10 at Center Park to learn about and comment on SHA’s annual plan for fiscal year 2004, which begins on October 1, 2003. The public hearing begins at 5 p.m. in the community room at Center Park, 2121 26th Avenue South.

The new plan describes policy areas that SHA will work on next year as well as community revitalization and replacement housing activities. The annual plan also includes the annual budget, so the meeting on June 10 will be a chance for people to comment on both the budget and plan.

SHA is one of about 30 housing authorities across the country participating in HUD's Moving to new Ways (MTW) Demonstration Program. MTW allows SHA to put in place alternatives to some HUD regulations to provide housing and services in ways that better meet local needs. For example, being in MTW allowed SHA to create special rent policies in public housing for working residents, residents on fixed incomes and residents whose only source of income is TANF.

SHA has also been able to reduce the amount of paperwork and reporting to HUD, and use its HUD funding more flexibly – things that may not directly affect residents, but that mean that SHA can use its resources to do the most important things, such as increasing affordable housing in Seattle.

The themes in this year’s annual plan include ways to meet SHA's budget challenges, continued improvement in property management and maintenance systems, and making administrative systems more efficient to save money or do more with less.

Activities of particular interest to current residents include the designation of another public housing high rise for the elderly (like Westwood Heights) in the north end; construction of a new community center at Yesler Terrace; increasing accessibility to the Family Self-Sufficiency program; and evaluating the public housing scattered site program.