Resident Advisory Board

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The purpose of the Resident Advisory Board (RAB) is to assist the Housing Opportunities Commission in carrying out its responsibilities by bringing residents’ voices to deliberations and decisions that affect the wellbeing of HOC’s residents. The RAB functions under a set of by-laws that govern its internal operations.

Resident Advisory Board Bylaws

RAB Roles and Responsibilities

The Resident Advisory Board (RAB) fulfills a number of important functions related to HOC operations, including:

Review properties under consideration for purchase
Review and make recommendations on the HOC operating budget with particular focus on the Public Housing Operating budget
Review and make recommendations related to HOC practices and procedures such as rent collection, resident grievances, evictions, etc.
Monitor grant progress and activities such as the Drug Elimination Grant Program, Comprehensive Grant Program, the Service Coordinators Grant Program for elderly and disabled residents, the Resident Opportunities and Supportive Services (ROSS) grant programs, the Welfare to Work Program (WTW), the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program and the Community Service Requirement Program implementation
Review HUD policies and assist HOC in implementing policies or changing existing practices in order to meet HUD regulations
Meet annually with Property Management staff to offer suggestions on improvements to maintenance efforts

The RAB continuously works to bring residents’ concerns, ideas and recommendations for change and improvement to HOC for action. Among its accomplishments:

Expansion of the annual Resident Satisfaction Survey to include Public Housing properties
Provided input on HUD required documents including the Five-Year and Annual Plans
Based on RAB recommendations for HOC Rent Collection procedure improvements, the first on-site rent collection effort was initiated at Holly Hall (it is expected to be implemented at other properties) and hours were extended for rent collection at the two Customer Service Centers
Advocated on behalf of Sandy Spring residents in their battle against exorbitantly high utility bills
RAB members served on the HOC Hearing Board to provide objectivity and sensitivity to resident cases
Conducted a joint work session with the Commissioners to discuss a variety of pressing issues of importance to residents

Resident Advisory Board Members

Founded in February 1985, the RAB is a jurisdiction-wide resident organization that consists of nine members and nine seats. The RAB seats are allocated as follows:

Three seats known as the Tenant Based Voucher (TBV) Program Seats, which are designated for residents who participate in the federal tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher Program
One seat known as the Supportive Housing Program Seat, which is designated for residents who participate in a federally funded permanent supportive housing program
One seat known as the Project Based Voucher (PBV) Program Seat, which is designated for residents who participate in the federal project-based Housing Choice Voucher Program
One seat known as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program Seat, which is designated for residents who participate in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Three seats known as the Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) Program Seats, which are designated for residents who participate in the federal Project Based Rental Assistance Program