Utah Family Achieves Homeownership
with HUD's Housing Choice Voucher

From left to right: Heidi Miller, Executive Director of the Cedar City Housing Authority and Lisa Lowden, Section 8 Homeownership program participant and new homeowner

From left to right: Brian Stewart, Representative form Senator Orrin Hatch's Office, Dwight Peterson, SLC Field Office Director, Gerald Sherratt, Mayor of Cedar City; Anita Short, HUD Office of Public Housing, Kelly Jorgensen, HUD Office of Field Policy and Management; Lisa Lowden, new homeowner, Keisha Greenwell, Cedar City Housing Authority, Heidi Miller, Executive Director of the Cedar City Housing Authority.

A celebration honoring the first family in Utah to use The Housing Choice Voucher program for homeownership was held in Enoch, Utah on June 10, 2005. Speakers at the event included Lisa Lowden, new homeowner; Gerald Sherratt, Mayor of Cedar City, Dwight Peterson, Field Office Director, and Heidi Miller, Executive Director of the Cedar City Housing Authority. Representatives from Senator Orin Hatch's Office were also present at the event.

The housing choice voucher program is the HUD's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled find afford housing. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.

Lisa Lowden and her eight-year-old son have participated in the Cedar City Housing Authority's Family Self-Sufficiency program for the past five years and are now reaping the reward of homeownership.