RIHA currently owns and manages 487 units of conventional public housing and operates a Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) with 230 units of subsidized Section 8 housing. In total, the Agency provides homes for 717 families - nearly 1,500 citizens living within the City of Rock Island.

RIHA owns 39 acres of land within the City of Rock Island. The land owned by RIHA is valued at $1.6 million. The total value of RIHA properties is $17.4 million.

RIHA properties include:

	Spencer Towers
	Sunset Heights
	Lincoln Homes
	Manor Homes
	Now Vacant Valley Homes site
	Douglas Park Place
	Hickman Center
	Special Needs Complex site
	10 (plus) vacant lots within the City of Rock Island

Housing "Authority"
As an independent public housing authority operating under the guidelines set by the State of Illinois and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), RIHA is obligated to perform both public and governmental functions for the City of Rock Island. As an Authority, RIHA has the responsibility to acquire, clear, plan and construct quality affordable homes ensuring that an adequate number of decent, safe and sanitary dwellings exist for the residents of Rock Island. As integral part of its authority, RIHA studies the affordable housing market needs of the people it serves, determines the best means - both public and private - by which to meet those needs, and makes recommendations based on those determinations. Affordable Housing Affordable housing is a term used to describe a home or a dwelling unit whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to a group of people within a specified income range. A commonly accepted guideline for housing affordability is a housing cost that does not exceed 30% of a household's gross income. Housing costs generally include taxes and insurance for owners, and in most cases, utility costs.

When the monthly carrying cost of a home exceeds 30 - 35% of household income, the housing is considered unaffordable for that household. A home or rental unit that is considered "affordable" to a moderate-income family or household hinges on the three "affordability" variables.

1.	Family/household size,
2.	Total family/household income, and
3.	The selling or rental price of the home or other dwelling.

Consistent with federal assistance programs, RIHA uses a definition of affordable housing as housing that costs no more than 30% of the monthly income of moderate income persons and families, adjusted for household size.

Self-Sufficiency Programming
As part of the changing face of public housing, RIHA is assisting public housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher participants in their efforts to become financially self-sufficient, economically independent and less reliant upon government assistance. Acting as an intermediary, RIHA pools the resources from a variety of service providers and collaborators to provide a diverse selection of support services. By partnering with financial providers and counselors, health and educational institutions, job training organizations and social service agencies, RIHA plays an important role in changing and improving the community by improving the lives of the people living there. Together, RIHA and its partners are restoring hope and equal opportunities for all residents.

The RIHA Self-Sufficiency Program has:

	Been awarded $1.4 million in grant funding
	Built partnerships with approximately 85 local businesses, agencies and organizations including the City of Rock Island
	Enrolled 148 public housing residents in Self-Sufficiency programming
	Enrolled 98 Housing Choice Voucher Program participants in Self-Sufficiency programming
	30 participants received their GED
	75 participants enrolled in post-secondary college and/or training programs
	64 participants secured employment positions
	Established a Family-Homeownership Program to assist residents with employment training, job placement and achieving homeownership
	7 Section 8 participants became homeowners
	3 public housing residents became homeowners
	Established four Neighborhood Networks Technology Centers for computer skills training and employment assistance
	Created the "Living Independently Through Expanded Services" (LITES) program for elderly and disabled residents

RIHA & the Stimulus Package
By signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, President Obama, has infused the capital required to fund many of the current and pending affordable housing projects nationwide. RIHA is positioned to proactively respond to those development funds through its Asset Management Plan. The Plan defines the future use and value of each of the organization's properties and provides the framework for the implementation of those plans.

RIHA Asset Management Plan
Between the introduction of the RIHA Asset Management Plan in 2003 and the end of 2008, the Agency completed well over 50% of the initiatives detailed in the plan. It also invested considerable time and energy in preparing financially, organizationally and structurally to complete the remaining Asset Management Plan recommendations. RIHA's Asset Management Plan is included as part of the City of Rock Island Consolidated Plan, the New Old Chicago Redevelopment Plan, and the RiverVision Plan.

The 2003 Asset Management Plan resulted in the following decisions:

	Keep and upgrade Spencer Towers
	Keep and maintain Sunset Heights
	Maintain and monitor both Lincoln Homes and Manor Homes
	Demolish and replace Valley Homes
	Create a not-for-profit corporation to become an integral partner in the provision of quality housing to a board-based market
	Dispose of the six single-family scattered site homes
	Acquire vacant lots or existing properties and develop new in-fill housing opportunities
	Implement a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership program allowing participants to use their vouchers to help meet first-time homeownership expenses
	Develop a Relocation Plan in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Act (URA)
	Develop supportive housing for special populations such as elderly, non-elderly persons with disabilities and other special needs populations. Projects could include independent living developments, condominium units and small group homes with supportive services
	Redevelopment of the Voss Brothers Warehouse in two phases
	-  Phase I: RIHA administrative offices and retail spaces -  Phase II: 35 mixed-income loft apartments
	Develop 50 to 100 new housing opportunities per year. Based on this schedule, it would take RIHA 5 to 10 years to replace its original 550 conventional public housing units.