Relocating Non-Residential Tenants in Public Housing Redevelopment

Public housing sites often host more than apartments. A management office may share space with a Head Start classroom, a health clinic, a resident-run store or a community nonprofit. When the redevelopment displaces them, the URA can apply to those occupants as well, and their moves tend to be harder to plan than residential moves.

Who may be eligible

Businesses, nonprofit organizations and farms that are displaced by a federally assisted project may be eligible for URA assistance. That can include nonprofits operating under a lease or license on the property. Determine early who occupies non-residential space, under what agreement, and since when.

What the URA provides

Subpart D of the URA regulations covers non-residential moves. Depending on the situation, eligible occupants may receive:

• payment for actual reasonable moving and related expenses, including moving equipment and inventory;
• reasonable search expenses for a replacement site;
• reestablishment expenses, subject to the regulatory limits;
• in some cases, a fixed payment instead of actual costs.

Payment limits are adjusted from time to time. Use the amounts in the current regulations.

Why these moves need more time

• Licensed programs such as child care and clinics may need state approval for a new location.
• Specialized equipment and buildouts take time to plan and install.
• Programs serving residents may want to stay close to the families who use them.
• Funding agreements may tie a program to a specific address.

Practical steps

• Inventory every non-residential occupant at the start of planning.
• Meet each one early to understand space, licensing and timing needs.
• Decide whether the program will return to the new development and plan the space for it.
• Budget non-residential moves separately from residential relocation.