KENTUCKY FIELD OFFICE OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT HONORS HOUSING AGENCIES

LOUISVILLE, KY - The Kentucky Field Office of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), presented awards for excellence in management to several housing agencies at the Kentucky Housing Association/
HUD Mid-Year Conference held February 16-18 in Louisville.

The Kentucky Field Office annually recognizes superior program administration by presenting awards for Small Public Housing Authority (PHA) of the Year for housing authorities with less than 100 units; Mid Size Public Housing Authority of the Year for housing authorities with 100-250 units, and Large Public Housing Authority of the
Year for housing authorities with more than 250 units; and, for Section 8 Agency of the Year for Section 8 rental assistance program administrators. One hundred and five public housing authorities are in competition for the public housing awards and forty- four Section 8 agencies compete for the Section 8 award.

To be considered for the authority and agency of the year awards, the competing organizations must excel at property, financial and occupancy rate management. The Housing Authority of McCreary County received the Small PHA of the Year award, the Housing Authority of Floyd County received the Mid Size PHA of the Year award, and the Housing Authority of Winchester received the Large PHA of the Year award. The Section 8 Agency of the
Year award was presented to the Appalachian Foothills Housing Agency, administrator of the Section 8 Program in Greenup, Carter, and Elliott Counties.

Additionally, a Best Practices in Resident Initiatives and a Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program of the Year award is given to the PHAs deemed to have operated the best programs for residents during the preceding year. The Housing Authority of Glasgow received the award for Best Practices in Resident Initiatives for its "No Place Like Home" program which provides services designed to assist elderly and disabled residents to live independently for as long as possible.

The City of Richmond Section 8 Agency received the Family Self-Sufficiency Program of the Year for its homeownership and education programs. In the past year, eight families on the Section 8 Program became homeowners, six individuals earned GEDs and four participants graduated from Eastern Kentucky University.
Currently, the agency has five participants working toward a GED and seven participants enrolled in Eastern
Kentucky University.

More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet.

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