Lewiston and Auburn housing authority officials say a recently publicized report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development doesn’t tell the whole story.

Yes, they say, some public housing residents make more money than the qualifying threshold to get into public housing. Yes, they’re taking up an apartment while there’s a list of people waiting for one to open up. And, yes, it doesn’t look good.

But, they say, those higher-income residents pay market-value rent or close to it. They qualified when they moved in, there’s no federal or local rule that says they need to move out when their incomes grow and it can take time for families to improve their credit, save for a down payment or otherwise become financially solid. And those higher-income households represent few — 3 percent or less — of Lewiston and Auburn’s public housing residents while bigger affordable housing needs should draw attention.

He added, “I see noise being made about these supposedly over-income families, but I don’t see a lot of noise being made on behalf of over 800 families on our waiting list.”

The July audit and report by HUD’s Office of the Inspector General looked at the incomes and assets of 1.1 million families in public housing across the country. It found 25,226 had incomes above the threshold to qualify for housing. Although those residents had been low-income when they moved in, their incomes had risen in the months or years since. 

Earlier this month, HUD announced it is looking at the issue and considering rules regarding residents’ income. HUD is accepting public input on the issue.

The audited public housing program differs from Section 8. Section 8 is a voucher program that helps poor families pay for apartments in the community. In public housing, poor families and low-income elderly or disabled residents stay in a publicly-owned apartment building or complex — such as Broadview Acres in Auburn and Hillview in Lewiston — and pay an amount of rent based on their income. 

Sixty of the report’s over-income families lived in Maine. Some were over the threshold — 80 percent of the area’s median income for family size — by less than a few thousand dollars. Others were over by tens of thousands of dollars. One Lewiston household earned more than $100,000, about $58,000 over the threshold.   

In Auburn, three families were above the threshold, with household incomes ranging from $56,942 to $69,954. Auburn Housing Authority has 177 families in public housing.

Auburn Director Richard Whiting said he understands why the audit has drawn attention.

“It’s a real worthwhile public policy question,” he said. “People can be outraged, but they should temper that a little bit because you have to look at the circumstances.”

He pointed out that at least a few of the Maine households on the list were over by just a few hundred dollars, an amount that could easily mark a temporary bump in income. 

He also pointed out that public housing residents in Auburn don’t tend to stay long, whether or not they’re above income. In 2014, the average family stayed in public housing for five years. Elderly residents stayed six or seven years, depending on the housing development.

“There’s a sort of view of public housing that it’s a cradle-to-grave place for people to just take up space and not be productive members of society,” Whiting said. “That’s not our experience.”

In Lewiston, Dowling sees people with higher incomes as a mark of success for the 437-unit housing program, not an indication that something is wrong. And he believes letting them stay in secure, stable housing for a while longer helps ensure they stay successful by giving them a chance to repair their credit, save for a down payment or get past the probationary period of a new job.

“It’s discouraging to see publicity that effectively paints these families in a bad light, as if they are somehow sponging off the system,” he said. “These are the success stories. These are not the failures of public housing.”

Both Whiting and Dowling said over-income residents can help a public housing development, serving as role models and setting a tone of hard work and responsibility.

Both directors also said over-income residents pay higher rents. In Lewiston, they pay 80 percent of market rate, or about $759 a month for a three-bedroom apartment. Lewiston is in the process of transitioning to 90 percent of market rate.

In Auburn, over-income residents pay full market rate, or about $1,000 a month for a large apartment.

“It’s not a giveaway. It’s a pretty hefty rent payment,” Whiting said.

At that rate, he said, over-income residents are subsidizing the program, not the other way around.

Both Whiting and Dowling are interested to see — and a little worried about — what HUD will create for rules, if new rules come.

“I just hope that they choose something that is adequate and reasonable, because I think it would be a terrible thing to do, having protected someone and given them stable, affordable housing over a period of years, to prematurely yank it away when they’re on the brink of true success,” Dowling said. “We would hate to see someone fall back and become dependent again because we couldn’t carry their success through to the end.”

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