Section 3 is
Social Justice!
More than $18.9 Billion Triggered Annually
We know and understand you want to do your part in creating a just and equitable society. In order to do this, we need people like you to advance the call for social and economic justice by improving Section 3 outcomes for low-income individuals.
The problem is laws like Section 3 (24 CFR 135) are overly complicated which makes the businesses that must meet the requirement, frustrated and unwilling to engage.
Because Creating Opportunities
Should be Easy
We believe that time is money. And yours shouldn't be wasted combing through complicated regulations that bring little to no outcomes or impact. You work hard and your efforts should be equally matched with results that make a difference.
As a Section 3 Business Concern that has provided more than $600K in contracts to Section 3 residents and more than half a million dollars in training, we know and understand how frustrating compliance can be.
This is why we created a Section 3 Business Connection platform we call The Section 3 Marketplace.
Here's How it Works:
1.
Claim your virtual storefront or become a member of Can I Live for access
2.
Ensure your storefront showcases your most recent projects or past performance jobs
3.
Achieve Section 3 Benchmarks and watch our communities thrive
Frequently Asked Questions About Section 3
Section 3 is the starting point for all things self-sufficiency for residents of Public and Indian Housing Communities. If poverty has remained stagnant in this industry, it is directly associated with the industry's lack of enforcement, oversight, and compliance efforts.
Click to access HUD's Section 3 FAQ under the New Rule Guidelines.
Section 3 is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Act of 1968 that helps foster local economic development, neighborhood economic improvement, and individual self-sufficiency. The Section 3 program requires that recipients of certain HUD financial assistance, to the greatest extent feasible, provide job training, employment, and contracting opportunities for low- or very-low income residents in connection with projects and activities in their neighborhoods.
Section 3 requirements apply to approximately 5,000 recipients of HUD funding (such as Public Housing Authorities, State and local government agencies, low-income housing providers, etc.) and their sub-recipients and contractors. Up to 40% of HUD's annual budget is subject to Section 3 requirements.
Section 3 is a starting point to obtain job training, employment, and contracting opportunities. From this integral foundation, coupled with other resources, comes the opportunity for economic advancement and self-sufficiency.
Agencies who receive certain HUD Financial assistance are obligated to ensure that those funds are used to assist low-income families with training, employment, and contracting opportunities first. With all the major redevelopment efforts being taken on by Public Housing Authorities across the nation, pipelines for employment, contracting and training opportunities should be bursting at the seams. Residents should be prepared to seize opportunities when they arise.
Poverty is big business for some and pure misery for those trapped within its tentacles. There's a famous quote by Charles Darwin which states "If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin." If we can send a man to the moon, certainly we can move people from poverty to prosperity. This is NOT Rocket Science, Ladies and Gentlemen! It's called LOVE!
Since 1994, the Section 3 program has been governed by an interim regulation. For the first time in 20 years, HUD has proposed a new rule that would expand opportunities for public housing residents and low-income workers and increase contracting opportunities for local businesses. BUT it has been sitting dormant for the last 2+ years with no final approval.
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