Comment on Susan J. Popkin, Mary K. Cunningham, and martha burt's “public housing transformation and the hard‐to‐house”

Abstract

I agree with Popkin, Cunningham, and Burt that public housing agencies (PHAs) must assume at least some responsibility for providing housing to those whom the article defines as hard‐to‐house. I provide some historical context for private and public sector efforts to support these vulnerable populations, as well as an overview of different operational definitions of the hard‐to‐house. However, I suggest that positive outcomes for the households in question also depend on the federal government and PHAs providing development and operational resources for supportive housing and helping private sector organizations provide housing and services. However defined, this is a diverse group with diverse needs for both housing and supportive services. I consider the appropriate roles for public, private, and nonprofit sector actors in addressing those needs. Drawing on our experience at the Corporation for Supportive Housing, I outline what the optimal provision of these housing and services might be, as well as challenges impeding progress toward this goal.