DC Housing Authority Executive Director Unveils Affordable Housing Vision to DC Council

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The District of Columbia Housing Authority's (DCHA) Executive Director, Adrianne Todman, provided the DC Council's Committee on Housing and Workforce Development with an overview of her plans for transforming her organization.  The Committee, headed by Councilmember Michael Brown, heard Todman share her vision for fulfilling DCHA's mission of providing quality affordable housing to District residents.

Upon assuming the helm of DCHA last month, Todman moved quickly to introduce management systems to ensure that DCHA remains a national model for affordable housing programs.  Some of her plans, which she reviewed with the Council, include increasing accountability, transparency, and customer service standards, and working collaboratively with government and private sector providers to help end poverty.

Todman said, "I am focused on improving the quality of the living conditions in our public housing communities by instilling a culture of compassionate and efficient service delivery and a no nonsense approach to administration.  I am pleased that the financial health of the DC Housing Authority remains sound and that we have had 10 years straight of unqualified audits.  Certainly, our mission is a challenging one given the increased demand for affordable housing, current fiscal constraints, and Congressional debates on a potential government shut down.  However, I remain optimistic in our ability to make a significant difference in the lives of families seeking a way out of poverty; and, I am pleased to bring nearly 20 years of local and national housing experience to my service for District families.  I believe we can end generational poverty. . . one family at a time."

The District of Columbia Housing Authority administers HUD's $315 million subsidized housing funding for more than 50,000 District residents in need.  The largest landlord in the nation's capital, DCHA administers 8,000 public housing units and 11,000 units of Housing Choice Voucher Program housing.  A nationally recognized agency, DCHA competed for and received 7 HOPE VI grants, the second highest number awarded in the nation.  The agency leveraged those funds to provide more than $1.5 billion in community redevelopment in the District.  An independent housing authority, DCHA is governed by an eleven person Board of Commissioners.

SOURCE District of Columbia Housing Authority