HUD: Jersey City Housing Authority Handles Section 8 Well
By Jon Whiten • Jun 26th, 2009 • Category: Blog, News
The federal Housing and Urban Development has certified that the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) scored 99 percent in its annual SEMAP (Section 8 Management Assessment Program) performance rating. This marks the highest score in JCHA history and the highest score this year among the state’s large city housing authorities.
The SEMAP uses 14 indicators to show whether housing authorities are helping eligible families to afford decent rental units at a reasonable subsidy cost as intended by federal legislation. The JCHA is responsible for the administration of over 6,000 housing units, including 3,466 Section 8 units and 2,467 public housing units.
JCHA Commissioner and Chairman Raj Mukherji says the high ranking stems from an active approach.
“Our oversight procedures ensure the prompt correction by landlords and tenants of housing quality deficiencies,” Mukherji says. “Considering that the supply just can’t keep up with the ever-increasing demand for affordable housing, we make sure that our housing choice vouchers are put to use quickly — which in turn makes us competitive for more vouchers. And we have been aggressive with project-based
vouchers.”
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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