About PRHA
Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority
“To enhance the quality of life for the citizenry of Portsmouth through resource acquisition, asset management, and pursuing innovative opportunities.”PRHA mission statement
Since 1938, the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority has worked to create jobs, expand the City's tax base, improve the quality of life for Portsmouth residents, and breathe new life into the city's historic neighborhoods.
PRHA is a public body governed by a Board of Commissioners and led by Executive Director Alisa Winston. A staff of about 100 works from the agency's Mid-Town headquarters on South Street.
What PRHA does
- Public housing communities across Portsmouth
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
- Redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization
- YouthBuild workforce development
- Senior Home Repair Grant Program
- New Markets Tax Credits
PRHA and the Swanson site
Swanson Homes was a PRHA community from 1941 until its residents were rehoused in communities of their choice by 2024. PRHA is leading Next Chapter: Swanson so that what the community says comes first, before any developer is asked to propose. What is heard at the sessions and in the survey will shape what PRHA asks for and how it evaluates what comes back.