NYCHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Receives HUD’s Higher Performance Award for 2020

For the sixth time in six years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recognized NYCHA as a “high performer” for its administration of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.  

According to Lakesha Miller, NYCHA’s Executive Vice President for Leased Housing, “administering a high-performing program is critical to making sure that we have adequately served the needs of low–income residents in New York.”  

“The Leased Housing Department (LHD) administers the nation’s largest Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8,” Ms. Miller noted.  “Through this program, LHD provides rental assistance to more than 86,000 low–income households located throughout NYC, as well as other locales under the program’s portability option. Our team of staff commit themselves to ensuring that households are generally paying 30 percent of their income towards rent in apartments that meet HUD’s Housing Quality Standards.  It is through hard work and commitment that LHD has earned HUD’s top designation, High Performer, through the Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) every year since 2015.” 

Ms. Miller thanked her team and all LHD partners – NYCHA leadership, Information Technology, the Office of Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES), and the Customer Contact Center (CCC) – for contributing to this achievement. 

“I am proud to represent this team as Executive Vice President and even prouder to be a part of NYC’s solution for housing low–income New Yorkers,” Ms. Miller added. 

The high performer award is based on 14 comprehensive SEMAP criteria used to assess every aspect of performance in administering the Housing Choice Voucher program, including waiting list policies, apartment inspections, and recertifications.  

Photo Caption: Lakesha Miller, NYCHA Executive Vice President for Leased Housing