NLIHC will host the next session of “Tenant Talk Live” – a meeting geared towards tenant and resident leaders – today, December 4, at 6 pm ET. The meeting will focus on Section 3, a statute that obligates HUD housing and community development funding to benefit low-income residents and community members. NLIHC staff will be joined by Michele Perez, assistant deputy secretary of HUD’s Office of Field Policy and Management. Register for today’s Tenant Talk Live meeting here.
Assistant Deputy Secretary Perez oversees HUD’s regional and field offices. She launched her public service career at HUD’s Midwest Regional office in Chicago, where she served as a community builder and later ensured the payment of prevailing wages in HUD-funded construction throughout the six-state region. Prior to joining HUD, Michele served as the chief operating officer of the Tahirih Justice Center, where she led strategy execution that supported immigrant survivors of gender-based violence seeking asylum in the U.S. She previously served as vice president of management and administration, as well as a senior advisor to the president and CEO for diversity, inclusion and engagement, at the International Development Finance Corporation (formerly OPIC). Assistant Deputy Secretary Perez also served as a key advisor and consultant to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) chief of staff on human resources, strategic planning, and financial management. During her tenure at VA, she was charged with the execution and coordination of workforce enterprise strategies for the Veterans Health Administration, the nation’s largest integrated healthcare system. Michele holds a BS in human services from Cornell University and an MS in management from the Catholic University of America. She speaks Spanish, French, and Kreyol and grew up in a Haitian and El Salvadoran household of immigrants in Miami, Florida.
Section 3 is a federal obligation tied to a significant portion of HUD funding, including public housing and Indian housing, and to some extent the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. Section 3 also applies to other housing and community development funding that entails construction-related activities, including for HOME Investment Partnerships, the national Housing Trust Fund, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), as well as certain activities assisted with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
The Section 3 statute states that recipients of HUD housing and community development funding must provide, “to the greatest extent feasible,” job training, employment, and contracting opportunities for low-income and very low-income residents, “particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing.” Another Section 3 obligation is to support businesses owned or controlled by low-income people or businesses that hire them.
The Section 3 obligation is too often ignored by the recipients of HUD funds and not enforced by HUD; therefore, Section 3’s potential benefits for low-income and very low-income people and for qualified businesses are not fully realized. Many advocates and resident leaders are committed to oversight, monitoring, and enforcement of Section 3 obligations and working to ensure that the statute is carried out to its fullest potential. For more detailed information on Section 3 and its associated regulations, refer to NLIHC’s 2023 Advocates’ Guide article on Section 3.
For more information on future “Tenant Talk Live” topics, view our website: https://nlihc.org/tenant-talk-live-webinar. To stay up to date on “Tenant Talk Live” events and connect with other attendees, join the Tenant Talk Facebook group.
“Tenant Talk Live” would not be possible without tenants like you! We strive to connect and engage with residents and tenant leaders through our meetings. If you are a low-income tenant and have a topic you would like to propose for an upcoming “Tenant Talk Live,” or if you would like to participate as a speaker on an upcoming call or meeting, please email: [email protected]. Meetings like “Tenant Talk Live” also depend on the support of our members. Become an NLIHC member here!