FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                CONTACT:     Scott Ellinwood

Monday, January 24, 2004                                                                      301-929-6736

HUD DESIGNATES HOC AS ‘HIGH PERFORMER’ FOR MANAGEMENT OF

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM

Perfect Score Follows Similar Designation For Public Housing Program

The Housing Opportunities Commission was recently designated by its federal regulator as a “High Performer” for the way it manages 5,400 housing choice vouchers.  The announcement comes on the heels of a similar award given in December for the agency’s management of Public Housing units. 

“Obviously, we are very pleased with our rating.  A perfect score is something that every agency strives for, but few achieve,” said Executive Director Scott Minton. “I’ve always felt that the level of commitment from our staff has been our best asset.  We’ve set a high standard that we expect to meet during each assessment,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded HOC an overall score of 140 (out of 140) in HUD’s SEMAP (Section 8 Management Assessment Program) system of grading voucher administration authorities.

SEMAP is the system used by HUD to assess America’s public housing agencies. Under the SEMAP, HUD evaluates housing agencies based on 14 key indicators:  proper selection of applicants from the housing choice voucher waiting list,  sound determination of reasonable rent for each unit leased, establishment of payment standards within the required range of the HUD fair market rent, accurate verification of family income, timely annual reexaminations of family income,

correct calculation of the tenant share of the rent and the housing assistance payment, maintenance of a current schedule of allowances for tenant utility costs, ensure units comply with the housing quality standards before families enter into leases and PHAs enter into housing assistance contracts, timely annual housing quality inspections, performing of quality control inspections to ensure housing quality, ensure that landlords and tenants promptly correct housing quality deficiencies, ensure that all available housing choice vouchers are used, expand housing choice outside areas of poverty or minority concentration, enroll families in the family self-sufficiency (FSS) program as required and help FSS families achieve increases in employment income.

Interview Opportunities Available

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