by Staff Reports
Oregon state housing programs got a major shake-up this month when Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) failed to secure a key federal Section 8 housing assistance contract.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, announced July 1 that the OHCS was not selected to continue serving as the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Performance-Based Contract Administrator for Oregon.
OHCS is scheduled to be replaced Oct. 1 by CMS Contract Management Services from Bremerton, Wash.
“This unfortunate decision will have impacts to our entire department and how we administer our agency programs,” said Rick Crager, acting director of OHCS in a statement on the decision.
“Additionally, this creates challenges for OHCS and our partners in continuing our ongoing preservation efforts throughout Oregon. The administration of these contracts has positioned OHCS and its partners very well in working through the complexities of preserving these projects for contract renewals and long-term affordability.”
The contract is a $4.5 million loss to the state agency, and moves the oversight of project-based Section 8 housing further away from Oregonian residents and landlords relying on the housing subsidy.
Crager said the agency will be appealing the decision.
OHCS’s Contraction Administration Section provides contract administration services for approximately 280 contracts encompassing 272 low-income properties in Oregon. This includes technical support to owners, managing agents, site staff and residents, as well as providing information to people seeking Section 8 housing or experiencing housing problems.
Contract Management Services already administers Section 8 contract management for about 75,000 units in multiple states. The move by HUD is among several that consolidated or relocated management of Section 8 contracts.