DHA Awarded “High Performer” Status by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

This marks the seventh consecutive year that the agency has achieved a “High Performer” ranking for its Housing Choice Voucher program

DALLAS – NOVEMBER 16, 2022 — DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas announces that it has achieved “High Performer” status for FY2021 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) following an annual performance assessment of its Housing Choice Voucher program. This marks the seventh year DHA has been awarded a high performer status. 

The “High Performer” status is the highest rating from HUD to a public housing agency (PHA) for financial management, operations and regulatory compliance. This designation ranks DHA among the top public housing authorities across the country. The performance score is determined from 14 indicators that measure a PHA’s effectiveness and ability to assist eligible families to afford decent rental units at a reasonable cost as intended by federal housing legislation.

HUD has three performance grades in the Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP): 

• “High Performers” (overall score of 90%+)
• “Standard” (60-89%)
• “Troubled” (0-59%)

DHA achieved a score of 99% by securing 143 points out of a maximum of 145 across the 14 key measures.

The key indicators of performance are:

• Achieve proper selection of applicants from the housing choice voucher waiting list
• Execute sound determination of reasonable rent for each unit leased
• Institute payment standards within the required range of the HUD fair market rent
• Ensure accurate verification of family income
• Execute timely annual reexaminations of family income
• Generate correct calculation of the tenant share of the rent and the housing assistance payment
• Perform 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
• Perform timely annual housing quality inspections
• Perform 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

 DHA is the tenth-largest public housing authority (PHA) in the nation. The agency provides affordable housing opportunities for over 55,700 people through public housing developments and the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which includes $22M contributed to the local economy each month.

“We are honored to receive a “High Performer” status from HUD for the seventh consecutive year,” says David Zappasodi, senior vice president and chief operating officer of DHA. “We commend the diligent work of our dedicated staff as our agency continues to provide affordable, quality housing and access to supportive resources across North Texas,” he continues. “Maintaining the highest level of compliance and delivery of quality customer service on behalf of our clients makes our community stronger, as we continue to innovate and incorporate process improvements into our daily operations to develop more inclusive, sustainable housing solutions.”

For more information about SEMAP guidelines, please visit here.