Federal housing officials give Honolulu ‘High Performer’ rating for Section Eight program

News Release from City and County of Honolulu, Nov 8, 2018

Honolulu – The City and County of Honolulu, the largest housing authority in Hawai‘i that administers a Housing Choice Voucher Program, has once again been designated as a “High Performer” by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP). The city’s program has been rated a ‘High Performer’ for the tenth time in as many years.

The city’s program provides low-income households with a federal rent subsidy to rent units in the private market, with participants paying approximately 30 percent of their adjusted income. The city’s program currently serves 3,565 families in partnership with over 1,700 landlords, disbursing $4.2 million each month into Honolulu’s economy.

“This designation signifies a full decade of hard work by our dedicated team at the Department of community services,” said Department of Community Services Director Pam Witty-Oakland. “We continue to remain focused on getting every homeless veteran a home. We owe it to those who put their lives on the line for us. I would like to give special recognition to the landlords all over O‘ahu who provide their units for rent. The latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development show what we’re doing in the community is having a positive effect, and we’re only going to continue working to improve our efforts. I congratulate our Rental Assistance Branch staff who work tirelessly to assist our families and extend my warmest mahalo for a job well done.”

“Director Witty-Oakland, Community Assistance Division Administrator Gail Kaito and the rest of the staff and supporting agencies set a high bar and continue to surpass expectations when it comes to helping our community,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “The number of people housed includes 129 formerly homeless veterans who have Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing special vouchers and 48 former foster youth who now have a home. This designation by HUD demonstrates ongoing compliance with federal requirements, as well as special efforts to serve new families that would otherwise remain on the city’s waitlist.”

The Section Eight Management Assessment Program rating is awarded each year based on 15 indicators, including selection from the waitlist, reasonable rent, determination of adjusted income, utility allowance schedule, housing quality standards and enforcement, quality control, expanding housing opportunities, payment standards, timely annual reexaminations, tenant rent calculations, timely inspections, annual inspections, lease-up, family self-sufficiency, and de-concentration.

For more information on the city’s Section Eight program, please visit the Department of Community Services website at: www.honolulu.gov/dcs/housing.

—PAU—