TAG Associates has extensive experience in providing reviews of and technical assistance in the area of Section 8 operations. As Court-Appointed Receiver of the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri, TAG conducted an initial management audit and operational review of the Authority's Section 8 Program and worked with the staff to successfully implement the recommendations. TAG was involved in revising the Administrative Plan, in developing new forms, in updating the rent reasonableness database and in ensuring compliance with all HUD regulations. Since the start of Receivership, the Authority has substantially increased its voucher utilization, has absorbed hundreds of additional units previously administered by the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) and has worked closely with its landlords to improve program delivery, including the establishment of a Landlord Advisory Board and an Evaluation and Monitoring Committee. The Authority has consistently earned Standard Performer status under SEMAP and is approaching High Performer status as it continues to demonstrate improved service delivery.
District
of Columbia Housing Authority
TAG has provided technical assistance to the District of Columbia Housing
Authority's (DCHA) Section 8 Department, including the revision of policies
and procedures to comply with actual practices and the agency's current Administrative
Plan, conducting independent SEMAP audits focusing on calculation inaccuracies
and the conduct of established procedures and technical assistance to improve
the operations of the moderate rehabiliation program.
TAG has reviewed and revised the DCHA's quality control procedures. Using the revised quality control procedures, TAG conducted quality control reviews, tracked patterns of error, and made recommendations for skills retraining. TAG Associates has previously monitored the DCHA's expected SEMAP score and prepared the annual SEMAP self-certification. In order to assist the DCHA in achieving the highest possible SEMAP score, TAG reviewed the DCHA's MTCS SEMAP Indicator Report, compared the report to the corresponding internal data, and worked with the information technology department and the HUD field office to resolve all MTCS discrepancies. In order to earn points for those SEMAP indicators that required a HUD compliant Administrative Plan, TAG reviewed the current plan for SEMAP and PHRA compliance and made edits to the plan as needed.
Housing
Authority of Kansas City
As Receiver of the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO, (HAKC), TAG initially
conducted a management audit and operational review of the Section 8 Department
and worked with the staff in the successful implementation of the recommendations.TAG
Associates was involved in revising the administrative plan, the housing operations
manual, writing a new admissions and occupancy policy manual, developing new
forms, and ensuring compliance with all HUD admission rules and regulations,
including the Public Housing Reform Act of 1998.
The HAKC currently has a utilzation rate in excess of 100%, is expanding upon its existing project-based program, has absorbed hundreds of additional units previously administered by the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) and is working with the state's Department of Mental Health (DMH) to provide vouchers to its group home clients, allowing DMH to allocate some resources to others in need. The Authority and its staff work closely with its landlords to continually improve program delivery, such as through the creation of a Landlord Advisory Board, as well as an Evaluation and Monitoring Committee.
Other
Public Housing Authorities
TAG has worked with PHAs in Baltimore, the District of Columbia and Philadelphia
on the redesign of their Housing Choice Voucher Programs under the authority
of Moving to Work (MTW). TAG has conducted operational reviews of Section
8 Departments as a part of a broader organizational assessment for PHAs in
Detroit, New Haven, San Francisco, Houston, Quincy (MA) and Philadelphia.
Finally, the President of TAG has been retained as an expert witness by PHAs
regarding Section 8 litigation that has involved the lawful termination of
a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract by the Authority in its Moderate
Rehabilitation program and the denial of payment of a performance bonus by
a PHA to its private contractor charged with Section 8 program operations,
shaped in part by the failure of the contractor to meet agreed upon SEMAP
indicator performance. Finally, TAG has worked for PHA clients to construct
Section 8 budgets, determine and submit year-end settlements and provide guidance
on implementation of appropriations rules changes as it relates to the funding
of the Section 8 program.
