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September 7, 2007
HUD Approves FCRHA FY 2008 Annual Plan for Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher
Plan Update Includes New Public Housing Income Limit

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (FCRHA) Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2008.

The Plan governs the FCRHA’s Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs, and is a requirement of the federal Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act (QHWRA) of 1998. Through this plan the FCRHA advises HUD, residents of FCRHA-owned housing, and the public of the FCRHA’s mission to serve the needs of low-income and very low-income families, and the FCRHA’s strategy to address those needs.

The QHWRA of 1998 mandates that Public Housing Authorities implement changes in operations to improve housing programs and to increase resident self-sufficiency and involvement in policy and management decisions. One of the most significant provisions of the Act is that each Public Housing Authority that operates Public Housing and/or Housing Choice Voucher programs is required to submit Five-Year and detailed Annual Plans to explain how the agency will conduct its operations.

The Five-Year Plan describes the mission of the FCRHA and the FCRHA’s long-range goals and objectives for achieving its mission over the subsequent five years. The Annual Plan provides details about the FCRHA’s immediate operations, program participants, programs and services for the upcoming fiscal year. The plans require the FCRHA to examine its existing operations and needs and to design long-range and short-range strategies to address those needs.

The HUD-approved FCRHA Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Plan established 100 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI; currently $94,500 for a family of four) as the new ceiling income for the Public Housing program. Previously, there had been no ceiling income for Public Housing. This significant policy enhancement is designed to ensure that Fairfax County’s Public Housing program will be available to households with greater need. The Plan also included changes to the selection criteria for Project-Based Vouchers.