DCHA ISSUES THREE-YEAR RECOVERY PLAN, BLUEPRINT FOR AGENCY TURNAROUND

 

For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Alison Burdo media@dchousing.org

DC HOUSING AUTHORITY ISSUES THREE-YEAR RECOVERY PLAN, BLUEPRINT FOR AGENCY TURNAROUND
Plan recenters the organization to ensure access to affordable housing throughout District

WASHINGTON, D.C. [June 27, 2024] – The District of Columbia Housing Authority has issued its Three-Year Recovery Plan: The Roadmap to Restore, Rebuild & Revitalize the District of Columbia Housing Authority, a comprehensive framework for the transformation of DCHA.

The Recovery Plan outlines key strategic goals to strengthen DCHA’s ability to provide quality public housing and increase voucher utilization in the District, and it is the product of months of extensive conversations with public housing residents, voucher participants and landlords, advocates, elected officials and other stakeholders; engagements with staff across all levels and departments; a months-long assessment of operations led by DCHA’s Executive Director; and past agency evaluations, including the recent reports from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and the DC Office of Inspector General.

An expansive blueprint of DCHA’s priorities over the next three years, the Recovery Plan provides a roadmap to enhance the quality and efficacy of our customer service; refocus development activities on repositioning and preserving the public housing portfolio while increasing affordable housing units in the city; expand use of technology to streamline cumbersome and complex processes; and improve access to programs and services that support DCHA residents and voucher participants on their path to independent and self-sufficient living.

“The Three-Year Recovery Plan is the starting point in a measured and proactive strategy to restore the community’s trust in the DC Housing Authority, rebuild our relationship with our residents, voucher participants and landlords, and revitalize the affordable housing available to low-income District families,” said Keith Pettigrew, DCHA Executive Director. “It also represents a collaborative effort, and I am grateful to our public housing residents, voucher participants and landlords, and community leaders and elected officials for graciously welcoming me into your homes and offices to discuss and support DCHA’s turnaround.”

The Recovery Plan will be maintained as a living document with any additions informed by the continual dialogue among the DCHA Executive Director and staff, and public housing residents, voucher participants and landlords, elected officials, advocates and other community members. The Recovery Plan will be revised as conditions change and DCHA is transformed into a competent, efficient, well-functioning provider of low-income and affordable housing in the District.

“DCHA is open to innovative and creative solutions that empower our residents and voucher participants to advance their personal goals and help catalyze the maintenance and development of affordable housing in the city,” Pettigrew said.

Over the next three years, the Recovery Plan establishes clearly defined strategic goals that set the path for DCHA’s transformation:

• To provide quality housing units for our residents and support the building of a safe living environment.
• To manage the orderly distribution of housing subsidies for voucher holders and landlords that receive these vouchers.
• To have a fully trained staff that provides quality customer service.
• To have a central administration that supports our ability to provide quality housing units and manage the placement of vouchers in the private rental market.

“Through its engagement process, DCHA has demonstrated its interest in prioritizing the needs and interests of its residents, voucher participants and landlords, and its commitment to serving the larger community,” said DCHA Board of Commissioners Chairman Raymond Skinner. “The Recovery Plan sets up guardrails to ensure DCHA staff are homed in on the fundamentals and provides guidance for the agency to advance.”

The Recovery Plan sets strategic goals for 14 departments. Common among the strategic goals for all departments is a focus on elevating the quality of our customer service, increasing and improving interagency coordination and communication, updating existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or designing new SOPs for undefined processes, developing and administering staff training programs, adopting and implementing technology to streamline operations, and filling staff vacancies.

DCHA will periodically release progress reports that will indicate the steps taken towards accomplishing the strategic goals. Those reports may also include community-informed amendments to the Recovery Plan.

“The Recovery Plan is our roadmap and a vehicle to provide feedback. DCHA welcomes recommendations and is open to your ideas. We will listen and embrace your feedback as an opportunity to grow,” Pettigrew said. “And the progress reports will allow the public to track departments’ advancement towards achieving their goals and objectives as we continue to transparently and collaboratively rebuild the DC Housing Authority.”

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About DC Housing Authority

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is committed to providing safe, affordable, and quality housing to the residents of the District of Columbia. The agency emphasizes fostering a collaborative work environment to meet the highest expectations of the affordable housing industry. With a focus on innovation and community development, DCHA strives to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating sustainable and thriving communities. Learn more at our website about DCHA and the work that the agency is doing to impact the residents of Washington, D.C.