Developing Housing Solutions Where People Can Flourish with Tyler Arbogast– Ep. 032

About the Guest

I am really excited to share this next conversation with all of you. Tyler Arbogast is the Vice President of Development at Fort Worth Housing Solutions. Tyler and his team work to create more affordable housing options in the City of Fort Worth through the acquisition or new construction of mixed-income residential communities with roles in project management, land planning, underwriting, due diligence, infrastructure planning, entitlements, financial analysis & budgeting, construction, and compliance. Tyler brings with him more than 15 years’ experience tackling complex real estate issues as a development consultant and owner’s manager / director on projects big & small; from master-planned communities to infill boutique multi-family. Needless to say, he has tons of experience in the field of real estate development.

Fort Worth Housing Solutions is changing the face of affordable housing by providing mixed-income rental and home ownership opportunities that provide the foundation to improve lives in the Fort Worth area. They work closely with numerous community partners to promote economic independence and positive change in the lives of the thousands of individuals they touch on a daily basis. Their mission is “To develop housing solutions where people flourish.”

In this episode, we are going to discuss the types of programs that FWHS supports, how they partner with developers and landlords, and then we discussed common myths about public housing authorities. As you will hear on the show, he brings tons of experience on the subject of real estate development and the role of public housing authorities in shaping the landscape of development.

Main Take-Away’s From This Show

This was an extremely interesting show for me to host. I knew a decent amount about affordable housing programs, but admittedly not as much as I would like to know. Tyler has held several different roles in the commercial real estate world, which I think gives him an interesting vantage point from which to view public housing. He has been thrust into a role that has required him to learn about the ins-and-outs of the various federal programs that regulate low-income housing. The following main topics of the show come from a deep understanding in the role of public housing authorities and the inherent value there is in understanding the role they play in development that Tyler possesses.

Understanding “Housing Choice Vouchers” vs. the “Rental Assistance Demonstration” program.
Housing Authorities do much more than just distribute vouchers to those in need.
Section 8 housing vouchers are often difficult to come by and can provide a reliable source of tenants for “for-rent” properties.

As always, I will dig into each of these “take-away’s” every week on the blog. So, without further a due, here we go!

Understanding “Housing Choice Vouchers” vs. the “Rental Assistance Demonstration” program.

The terms “Housing Choice Vouchers” and “Rental Assistance Demonstration” were not unfamiliar with me. However, to be honest, I did not know as much about these programs as I believe I should. These programs provide relief for many who are in need of a helping hand in order to provide for their most basic of needs, shelter. My discussion with Tyler helped to open my eyes to this even more.

According to Hud.gov, “The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects.” This is an extremely beneficial program for families and individuals that need housing assistance. These vouchers allow the voucher-holder to choose a suitable housing unit where the owner of the unit agrees to the terms of rent under this government program.

The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program is slightly different. According to HUD.gov, in the RAD program, “residents benefit from a right of return, a prohibition against re-screening, and robust notification and relocation rights. Residents continue to pay 30% of their adjusted income towards the rent, maintain the same basic rights as they possess in the public housing program, and gain a new option to request tenant-based assistance if they wish to subsequently move from the property.”

These programs help to shape the landscape of affordable housing while effectively working towards eliminating housing projects that were popularized in the 1930’s and 40’s here in the U.S.

Housing Authorities do much more than just distribute vouchers to those in need.

This was also a fact that I gained much more understanding of after my discussion with Tyler. A very important role of housing authorities in a given City is to distribute the various vouchers to those in need. However, they do so much more than that for the surrounding communities.

Part of the Fort Worth Housing Solutions Mission is to change “the face of affordable housing by providing mixed-income rental and home ownership opportunities that provide the foundation to improve lives. We work closely with numerous community partners to promote economic independence and positive change in the lives of the thousands of individuals we touch on a daily basis.” As the mission statement states, there is much more to what they do than provide the various vouchers. They are actively partnering with others to promote economic independence in the community. This is no small task.

As we discussed in the show, they are partnering with local real estate developers and landlords to provide the much-needed affordable housing to help promote economic independence. FWHS is able to leverage their assets to provide greater leverage for the developers looking to help provide affordable housing for the community. This is a win-win for everyone. If you have a project that you think would make a good fit for a partnership with FWHS, please reach out to him. I’ve provided his contact information below.

Section 8 housing vouchers are often difficult to come by and can provide a reliable source of tenants for “for-rent” properties.

This last take-away is one that I didn’t necessarily have an awareness of either but makes perfect sense. There are only so many units available for Section 8 tenants in the City. Supply and demand dictates that these vouchers would be in high demand as the supply is currently low in most cities.

According to HUD.gov, “Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local housing agencies, long waiting periods are common. In fact, a PHA may close its waiting list when it has more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future.” This makes it much harder to get these much-needed vouchers. I believe when Tyler mentioned that they will do anything to keep these vouchers and that means that they will be the best kind of tenant.

I agree that this is often a large misconception when discussing affordable housing and believe that this needs to be addressed. Often the stigma of “Section 8 housing” can tarnish the name of a certain development when in reality, it should be no different than ordinary housing. Often by stating that a new development is slated to provide X-percent of Section 8 housing, neighboring property owners cringe. This is unfortunate. More education on this subject is needed for the general public in order for this stigma to be wiped clean from this often-misunderstood program.

As you can see from the take-aways above, this podcast episode was full of great information on the topic of the public housing authorities and how the various programs they employ can affect (and possibly enhance) your next real estate development project. As always, if you have enjoyed the content and the show, please subscribe to the show below and share with your friends! We’ll have many more great discussions on the shows to come.

To Learn More About Tyler Arbogast and Fort Worth Housing Solutions, Check out the Following Websites:

Resources Mentioned

For more on funding your next Real Estate Development Deal, check out Episode 21 with Tony Holzbach to give you a perspective on funding your deal through a financial institution.

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