Princess Martin

I grew up in Headland, Alabama where the population was nearly 2,000 people. I lived with my grandparents and we were so blessed to have a 3-bedroom apartment that was always so nice and clean.  As I grew older and more impressionable, I realized that we lived in public housing, better known as "The Projects."  Though I always had what I needed and wanted, I started to notice the differences between how and where we lived compared to my friends. All the homes were the same color and look, the families received food from the government once a month, and they used food stamps to purchase food. I am grateful for how those services supported me and my grandparents.

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I received my Bachelor’s degree in Computer & Information Sciences from Alabama A&M University (AAMU), a Historically Black College & University (HBCU). I was then hired by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). Imagine my excitement when I was given the opportunity to provide housing assistance for low-income and those in need, including the elderly like my grandparents. I have worked at HUD for 28 years. Today, I am a Sr. Project Manager and a Sr. Advisor in the HUD Office of Housing, Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Multifamily Housing Programs.  Over the years, I have led some of the largest initiatives that provided payroll solutions for 9,000+ employees, developed a modernized employee performance evaluation framework for over 3,000 housing employees, and managed the department’s central accounting program system which handles billions of dollars. I currently serve as co-lead on the Multifamily Housing (MF) Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS), a computer system that improves financial controls (through automated procedures) for housing programs. My work impacts the subsidy programs such as the Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) for HUD Section 811, supportive housing for persons with disabilities, and Section 202, supportive housing for the elderly.

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