The Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) is a designated “High Performer” and does not require financial assistance from the city of Burlington.

BHA supports an affiliate nonprofit organization, Burlington Supportive Housing Initiatives, Inc. (BSHI), which has 501(c)(3) status. The purpose of this nonprofit is to develop affordable supportive housing initiatives and to expand the resident service programs of the BHA. CEDO's Assistant Director for Housing has been appointed as the city's representative on the founding BSHI Board and presently serves as the board president. The city will work with BSHI to increase funding for resident service programs for BHA program participants, including the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, youth mentoring, homeownership, independent living and service-enriched housing. The city also encourages BHA to fully utilize its ability to project-base Section 8 vouchers in support of new affordable housing development.

BHA operates a very successful Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Option Program. Public Housing residents are eligible and are encouraged to participate in this program. Three scattered site public housing units have been converted to homeownership. BHA’s Section 8 Homeownership Option Program has been in operation since 1999 with over 80 households successfully transitioning from renting to homeownership. BHA intends to increase homeownership by at least 12 additional households during this fiscal year. The city supports the implementation and expansion of BHA's Section 8 Homeownership Option Program.

BHA has not formed a resident management corporation for any of its projects, nor does BHA plan to do so in the near future. This form of direct resident management of public housing units is far less practical in small projects like those owned by BHA than in large projects like those that are found in major metropolitan areas. Practicality aside, no interest has been expressed by the residents of BHA housing in playing such a direct role in the management of their housing.

BHA has attempted to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in managing their housing indirectly, however, and these activities will continue, including:

• The BHA board will continue to rotate its monthly meetings among BHA projects so that every resident can conveniently attend a BHA board meeting (if they so choose).
• BHA has formed a Resident Advisory Board (RAB) with representatives from all its public housing developments and from the Section 8 program. The RAB meets periodically to provide input on BHA's Plans and Policies.
• BHA will provide continuing financial and staff support for all active resident associations in its public housing developments.
• BHA will provide matching funds for projects carried out by these resident associations.
• One BHA program participant serves on the BHA Board of Commissioners.

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