The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2013 | Page 11

The Role of the Social Worker
in Navigating the System

My wife and I were fortunate to be
able to move in without a wait. Unfortunately, there is a waiting list for most
people, often for weeks or even months.
Once available, the home does not
automatically become occupied by those
who have waited the longest. The Public
Housing Authority can operate much as
a triage nurse does in determining who
is in the greatest need. According to Title
24, “the PHA may adopt a system of
local preferences for selection of families
admitted to the public housing program.
The PHA system of selection preferences
must be based on local housing needs
and priorities” (Title 24: Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 2012).
For example, homeless families with
young children or victims of domestic
violence may be given priority. There
is also the possibility that no particular
population in your community is given
priority, and the apartments truly are
occupied on a “first come, first served”
basis.

As a social worker, your role is to
be knowledgeable about how the system
works in your area and to advocate for
your clients if public housing is their
choice. If you represent an especially
vulnerable population, such as those who
are in a shelter because of domestic violence, speaking to the PHA in your town
and obtaining priority status for your
clients may be vital. You likely will be in
a position to make a referral of a client
that will open doors.

In most towns, this method of “triage” is standard practice, but it is not universal. If granting housing to especially
needy populations is not standard practice in your town, you may need to speak
to the PHA or city government to have
changes made. If your efforts do not
achieve results, I advise speaking to the
office of housing and urban development
in your region, to receive support and
advice. Notice that the policy states, “The
PHA may adopt a system of local preferences for selection of families admitted to
the public housing program.” The policy
does not state that PHA is required to
make an assessment of who is in greatest
need and act accordingly. You may need
to convince the PHA that those who are
especially vulnerable should be given
priority in housing placement.

The Role of the Social Worker
in Macro Level Change

One complaint often made against
the public housing option is that public
housing “projects” are full of crime. As
mentioned before, such a view may be a
generalization, but it could be true.

What do you do if there is an abundance of crime, and it really isn’t safe to
live there? My suggestion is to partner
with the PHA and the city to create
macro level change. The housing “projects” need to become a housing community. Such a change involves changes
in operation and perception. In my city,
the police have an apartment that is
staffed 24 hours a day within the public
housing community. The police conduct
regular patrols from that office, as well
as respond to concerns from the community. This practice has helped curb crime
within the community.

Another practice involves providing public transportation. A city bus has
multiple stops and drives through the
community every 30 minutes. If criminal
activity is observed, the bus driver radios
the dispatcher, who alerts the police
department. Crime is not the result of
poverty; crime is the result of security
resources being allocated elsewhere.
If security resources such as police are
allocated within the public housing community, crime will diminish.

Another security resource is neighborhood pride. If a public housing community is modern, clean, and beautifully
landscaped, the residents will work to
keep it that way. Pe ??R&W7??BF?F?V? ?V?f?&???V?B?&VWG???V&?2??W6??p?6???V??G??2?gFV??fW&????VB??v?V?@?&wVRF?B&VWG??27&?F?6?V?V?V?B?`?gV?7F????&VWF?gV?V?f?&???V?BF?@?&???FW2vV???W72v???7&VFR6V?6P??b&?FRv?F???&W6?FV?G2?F?Rw&VFW7@?6V7W&?G?&W6?W&6RV&?2??W6??r6???V??G??2?2?G2&W6?FV?G2??6???V??G?6V?FW'2v?F???V&?0???W6??r6???V??F?W26?&?f?FR?? ?&?&G2???f?&?F????b'F?7V?"W6Rf? ?6V???'2??"??f?&?F????bW6RF?f??W0?v?F???V?r6???G&V????F??2f6?????F?P?&W6?FV?G2?bF?R6???V??G???B?????fR??W6??r?VVG2?WB?'WB?6?&P?V??vW&VBF?6VV??F?W"f?6F??????VGV6F??????B&V?&??FF?fR6W'f?6W2??F?W&R&R?F?W"v?2??v??6?F?P?&W6?W&6W2?b'F?7V?"???&R?`?W6R???6??6?&B??6??v??F?R??vW'0??bF?R?v?W&R??fVB???vVB?RF????r6V7F????b??BF?7&VFR6?????V??G?v&FV??F??2&??V7Bv?&?VBvV?????F?B6WGF??r??B???f??W2'F?6?FVB??W&&?6WGF??r???fR?F?W ???'GV??F?W2?WfW'??v????fP?&W6?W&6W2?B?'7F6?W2F??fW&6??R?0?6?6??v?&?W'2?vR&R???6?F???F??W6RF?RF???&???bV??R6????2vR6''??F??V?'V??B&WGFW"gWGW&R????RFF?2?W'6??6??Rv?V?@?6??2F?Rf?V?FW"?b?W"&?fW76?????7&VFVB?7&??WfV?6??vRv?F???F?P?6???V??G??b??r??6??Rf??W2????FW"GV?G2??BV??Rv?F?F?6&??F?W2??vR?fRfWvW"?'7F6?W2?B66W72F??w&VFW"&W6?W&6W2F???2?FF?2F?B??V&?2??W6??r6?&Rw&VB&W6?W&6P?f?"??W"6?V?G2?b??R7V??B??W'6V?`?v?F?F?R?????W"6?G??Bf??Bv?0?F?'F?W"v?F?F?R?F?&?f?FRf? ?F??6R??w&VFW7B?VVB?bF?V?"6W'f?6W2?&VfW&V?6W0?FW'F?V?B?b??W6??r?BW&&?FWfV???V?B??#"?&????6?FR?bfVFW&?&VwV?F???2??&WG&?WfVB?V?R#"?#"?g&??R?2FW'F?V?@??b??W6??r?BW&&?FWfV???V?C??GG????'F???VB?v?b??VG?'F???TC?7&3??&?w&???ff?6W2?V&?5???F?????W6??r?&?w&?2???&?????f?v?&B??F?F?R#C???W6??r?BW&&?FWfV???V?B?#"???V'???#B4e"?c?#b?v?F??p??7C???6?&VfW&V?6W2??F?76???F?V&?2??W6??p?&?w&??&WG&?WfVB?V?R#R?#"?g&??b??W????GG???6g"?f?W??6???f?B??c?#b?v?F??r?&VfW&V?6W2?F?76??????#??c???R?2FW'F?V?B?b??W6??r?BW&&??FWfV???V?B??#r????????7F?'??b?TB??&WG&?WfVB6WFV?&W"#2?#"?g&?????W2?@?6???V??F?W3??GG???wwr??VB?v?b??ff?6W2?F???&?WB?F?wV?FR???7F?'??6f??vW&?B&???R???G2%5rg&??V7@?FV??W76VR7FFRV??fW'6?G??#"??B?2?7GVFV?B@?V???VV??6?&?7F???6V??'????W'7V?B?bF?P???F?b?FVw&VR?vW&?@??2?V?&W ??b?????6?6??v?&??????"6?6?WG???BF?R6?6???bF?R7B????( ?2W?66???7B&W6'?FW&??( ?&W6'??V?>( ?6?gF&??FV??????2f??V?FVW"v?&??v?F???7?6R?B?&v?F???2F?B&???FP??V?F??V?F???R?27&VFVB&V7&VF????'@?&?w&?2?F?R?Wr6?6??v?&?W ??f??#0?????