Harrisonburg Housing Authority opens 45‑day public comment on annual and five‑year plans; proposes MTW payment‑standard changes

The Harrisonburg Housing Authority on Aug. 20 officially opened the 45‑day public comment period on its 2025 annual plan and five‑year plan, and staff walked commissioners through substantive proposed changes in the MTW supplement and the administrative plans.

Staff said the public comment period opened when the documents were posted on the authority website and will remain open for about 45 days, closing in early October. Staff also said they posted an ad in the Daily News‑Record and will include notice in the agency’s quarterly newsletter and outreach to the community advisory board.

The most notable programmatic change staff previewed was a planned adjustment to Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. The MTW supplement proposes lowering payment‑standards from 120 percent of Fair Market Rent (FMR) to 110 percent for typical units, while maintaining a higher standard (proposed 120 percent) for accessible units. Previously, the agency had used a 120 percent standard and up to 140 percent for accessible units.

Executive Director Michael said the change is intended to help reduce Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) expenditure growth; he emphasized that reasonable accommodations would be honored and that staff expect no immediate lease‑up problems under current market conditions. Commissioners asked whether other housing authorities use “length of stay on the waiting list” as a preference; staff and commissioners said they had not seen that commonly used and noted it does not reliably indicate need.

Staff also described a standardization of waiting‑list preference point systems across the authority’s properties rather than customized rules by property, and an increase in preference points for households with children after analysis showed single‑parent families make up a large share of applicants. The authority said it retained local residency and walk‑in preferences as priorities.

Staff outlined public comment logistics: the authority will compile any comments received and report back in September; if extensive comments prompt modifications, staff will adjust before final submission to HUD. The authority also invited community advisory board members to circulate the materials and asked commissioners whether they wished to amplify public notice; none volunteered additional actions at this time.

Commissioners closed the in‑room public hearing after staff confirmed there were no callers on the phone and noted staff will report any substantive comments in September.