Building Financial Resilience for Public Housing Authorities in an Era of Uncertainty
Public Housing Authorities across the United States are entering a period of heightened uncertainty. Since 2025, shifting federal priorities, budget volatility, and program restructuring have disrupted long-standing funding assumptions. The cost of existing and new housing continues to rise, requiring more resources to assist the same number of people while the needs increase. At the same time, agencies are expected to expand resident services and deliver stronger self-sufficiency outcomes with fewer reliable resources.
The question facing housing authorities is no longer whether funding will fluctuate, but whether their organizations are prepared to adapt when it does. How can they become financially resilient?
A Changing Funding Landscape
For decades, most public housing authorities relied almost entirely on federal operating and capital funds. While this model provided a stable stream of support in the past, it now exposes agencies to significant risk and instability. Federal funds are increasingly unpredictable, and long-standing housing and community development programs face reduction, restructuring, or elimination.
As a result, housing authorities must reassess their financial exposure and reconsider their dependency on a singular source of funding. The challenge is not simply about replacing lost dollars, but ensuring long-term fiscal stability while continuing to meet critical obligations to residents and their communities.
The Case for Revenue Diversification
Financial resilience begins with diversification. Agencies that rely on one primary funding source are far more vulnerable than those supported by multiple, complementary revenue sources. Diversification means strategically supplementing traditional sources with options that align with public purpose and operational capacity.
Non-federal revenue opportunities may include foundation and philanthropic funding, social impact or pay-for-performance models, tax credits, and public-private development structures. Strategic partnerships with state, local, or regional entities can expand access to funding and reduce financial exposure.
Not every opportunity is worth pursuing. One-time grants, for example, may support short-term initiatives but ultimately fail to deliver a sustainable long-term solution. Effective diversification strategies balance risk, complexity, and sustained return.
A Strategic Approach to Resiliency Planning
Resiliency planning requires more than identifying potential funding sources. It demands a structured approach that aligns financial strategy with organizational priorities. A practical framework includes four stages of action, also known as the four A’s: assessing current funding, program requirements, and financial risk; activating a plan by facilitating a vision and aligning program needs to goals, achieving funding by evaluating and pursuing various opportunities; and accelerating the plan through performance tracking and the implementation of alternative revenue strategies.
This approach ultimately enables housing authorities to move from reactive decision-making to proactive, thorough strategies that support long-term stability.
Many housing authorities can strengthen their position through formal partnerships with nonprofits, affiliates, or 501(c)(3) entities that can access funding unavailable to government agencies. Others invest in internal systems that track funding opportunities, evaluate return on investment, and assess alignment with mission objectives.
Learn how Bronner can help transform funding challenges into sustainable solutions.