Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura - Section 8

SECTION 8 MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (SEMAP)

The Section 8 management assessment program (SEMAP) measures the performance of the public housing agencies (PHAs) that administer the housing choice voucher program in 14 key areas.

How does SEMAP improve program performances?

SEMAP will help HUD target monitoring and assistance to PHA programs that need the most improvement.

How does SEMAP work?

SEMAP is used to remotely measure PHA performance and administration of the housing choice voucher program. SEMAP uses HUD's national database of tenant information and information from audits conducted annually by independent auditors. HUD will annually assign each PHA a rating on each of the 14 indicators and an overall performance rating of high, standard, or troubled. Metropolitan PHAs will also be able to earn bonus points for their achievements in encouraging assisted families to choose housing in low poverty areas.

What are the 14 key indicators of performance?

The 14 indicators of performance show whether PHAs help eligible families to afford decent rental units at a reasonable subsidy cost as intended by Federal housing legislation.

What happens if a PHA does not perform adequately on any of the 14 indicators or is assigned an overall performance rating of troubled?

Either of these cases requires corrective action. HUD will conduct on-site reviews of PHAs rated troubled to assess the magnitude and seriousness of the problems. The PHA must implement a thorough corrective action plan that HUD will monitor, to ensure improvement in program management.

The 14 key indicators of PHA performance are:

Proper selection of applicants from the housing choice voucher waiting list
Sound determination of reasonable rent for each unit leased
Establishment of payment standards within the required range of the HUD fair market rent
Accurate verification of family income
Timely annual reexaminations of family income
Correct calculation of the tenant share of the rent and the housing assistance payment
Maintenance of a current schedule of allowances for tenant utility costs
Ensure units comply with the housing quality standards before families enter into leases and PHAs enter into housing assistance contracts
Timely annual housing quality inspections
Performing of quality control inspections to ensure housing quality
Ensure that landlords and tenants promptly correct housing quality deficiencies
Ensure that all available housing choice vouchers are used
Expand housing choice outside areas of poverty or minority concentration
Enroll families in the family self-sufficiency (FSS) program as required and help FSS families achieve increases in employment income.