DuPage Housing Authority scores top rating in 2015 report

The DuPage Housing Authority (DHA) has earned the highest possible rating in its latest annual operations report to the federal government.

On August 20, DHA Board of Commissioners Chairman Thomas W. Good approved the submission of the report, whose score qualified the Housing Authority as a "High Performer" agency, the highest of three possible ratings.

The agency's Section Eight Management Assessment Program report, or SEMAP, measures in 14 key areas the performance of U.S. public housing agencies that administer the Housing Choice Voucher program. SEMAP reports are submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which funds the Housing Choice Voucher program in DuPage County through a contract with the DHA.

"It's gratifying that the "High Performer" rating reflects the hard work by DHA employees to achieve the highest standards of accuracy and efficiency in administering the Housing Choice Voucher program," said Kenneth Coles, DHA Executive Director.

The DHA's 2015 SEMAP score was 95 percent, or 138 points out of a possible 145 points. The agency's SEMAP score was 76 percent in 2013 and 68 percent in 2014, which earned a "Standard Performer" rating both years.

"The DuPage Housing Authority lost the trust of the community we serve because of the well-publicized actions that occurred in the past," Coles said. "We understand the only way to regain their trust and remove that stain is by demonstrating it's not business as usual…and our rating is a testament to our transformation.

"We have a new Board fully engaged in their oversight responsibilities; a new, streamlined Executive staff and Management team, collectively with over 83 years of combined housing authority experience administering subsidized housing programs," Coles said. "We've completely retrained all staff; we've recertified all required positions and hired new staff where necessary; we have an updated Administrative Plan compliant with HUD program requirements; we installed a new computer system of record that centralized all program functions into one system which optimized the need to manage the program by the numbers; we now have a professional Finance Department that consists 100 percent of accountants. The list of changes is truly endless."

Coles said that "on paper and compared to last year," the improved 2015 score was due in part to better quality-control of housing inspections and to a greater utilization of available funds for vouchers issued to tenants.

The DHA's Housing Choice Voucher program provides financial support for rental housing to about 3,100 households in DuPage County.

Contact:

Greg Lippert 630-690-3555 Ext. 208

glippert@dupagehousing.org