MTW Supplement-proposed for 2026

MTW Supplement Narrative

The vision of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Hibbing (HRA) is to seize every opportunity to develop and revitalize our community. Moving to Work (MTW) provides the HRA with an incredible opportunity to become more flexible, innovative and effective agency towards this goal.

After extensive listening to the residents, agency staff, elected leaders, regional service providers, local businesses, legal counsel and other stakeholders, the HRA has determined the top long-term need of the community, and therefore the top goal of the agency's MTW programming, is to more effectively help resident reach self-sufficiency.

The HRA defines self-sufficiency as the ability of households to successfully graduate from public housing to fair market rental housing or homeownership for those who are able to realize this goal. As we recognize that not all residents will be able to achieve homeownership, we aspire to assist them in improving their overall quality of life by connecting them with service providers or other community resources.

In the long term, the agency will consider a host of MTW waivers to incentivize, assist and reward graduation. This could include alternative recertification schedules, new rent schedules, term limits and escrow saving accounts.

However, after conversations with peer agencies, HUD officials and other housing policy experts, the HRA has decided to continue MTW programming in a deliberate and gradual manner. This approach will minimize confusion for residents and allow the agency to learn from a smaller number of new policies before taking on other challenges.

For the first five years of the program, the HRA will continue to keep the Empower Program as its only policy. The Empower program has provided residents who are enrolled in the program with the educational, social, financial and career tools needed to successfully graduate from public housing. Empower will continue to be mandatory for nonelderly and nondisabled residents but will also be available to all residents who would like to voluntarily enter the program.

The HRA' s Empower Program Administrator will manage the Empower Program. The Empower Service Coordinator will assist the Empower Program Administrator with ensuring residents understand their opportunities in the program and help resident realize their true potential.

The Empower Program will continue to allow the HRA to further two of the statutory MTW objectives. First, families will better achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency with the skills and opportunities provided by community partners in the program. Secondly, helping more families graduate from public housing will open new units for families currently struggling with housing insecurity and self-sufficiency. The program grows more effective at graduating families, other low-income families on the HRA's waitlist will have housing options.

The Empower Program will be the HRA's best effort to improve resident well-being as an MTW agency. The HRA will modify, improve and/or discontinue its MTW programming as the agency learns from experience and resident feedback year after year.

The HRA has always been and will continue to be a vital part of the community's safety net. With MTW abilities, the agency will become more than a net: it will become a trampoline for households dreaming of moving on.

Read the supplement in it’s entirety here.