HAA Blog

The Houston Housing Authority (HAA) has been deemed a High Performer by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The rating is based on HUD’s assessment of how well the housing authority is administering its Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), also known as the Section 8 program. High Performer is the highest rating HUD awards.

‘‘It is great to be recognized by HUD for all the hard work that our staff put into running this program, which is both overly complicated and severely underfunded,’’ said Houston Housing Authority CEO & President Tory Gunsolley. ‘‘This year we are receiving 80 cents for every dollar it takes to actually run our voucher program, one of the largest in the nation.’’

Of the roughly 17,000 households participating in the voucher program, 35 percent are elderly or disabled and almost half of the Houstonians receiving assistance are children. Despite adding over 2,400 new households to the voucher program in 2011, HHA’s waiting list for affordable housing is well over 15,000 families.

The Houston Housing Authority provides affordable homes and services to more than 60,000 low-income Houstonians, including over 17,000 families housed through the Housing Choice Voucher Program and another 5,500 living in 25 public housing and tax credit developments around the city. HHA also administers the nation’s third largest voucher program exclusively serving homeless veterans. More information about HHA can be found at www.housingforhouston.com.