COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia Housing Authority revealed in an Executive and Finance Committee meeting, that the organization's Section 8 program scored a 70% after not being evaluated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 Management Assessment Plan, or SEMAP test, for the last three years.
The Section 8 Management Assessment Program is an evaluation from the Department of Housing and urban development.
Columbia Housing Authority CEO, Yvonda Bean explained the assessment evaluates 14 different areas.
"It includes things like looking at the selection of our waiting lists, how we are managing the waiting list, looking at things like inspections, and the physical conditions of the properties," Bean said.
The Housing Authority says the SEMAP tests were not being performed for those three years because of COVID and also pointed to another issue that caused their lower score for 2022.
"The reduction in the store had to do with a number of different things that we experienced organizationally including some staff turnover. There are things that we have identified in the 2022 certification that have since been remedied, and we anticipate that our score will be higher for fiscal year 2023," Bean stated.
The housing authority hopes to improve these scores by approving and implementing its five-year strategic plan.
"This is helping us identify those different players and get the input and feedback from those different players in terms of how we can work together to better meet the needs of the families we serve," Bean explained.
Columbia Housing Authority staff says they have been working with local and state leaders on solutions for affordable housing. They will present their strategic plan on August 17.
