WORCESTER—It never gets old. The Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) has once again been recognized as a “high performer” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), marking the 11th consecutive year the agency has earned the distinction.
The WHA scored 92 out of a possible 100 in HUD’s annual Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) evaluation, which measures performance in four key areas: physical condition, financial health, management, and capital fund administration. The results were publicly released by HUD later in August.
The WHA oversees more than 3,000 units across 24 sites and administers more than 4,000 rental vouchers, making it the second-largest housing authority in New England, behind only Boston.
“The WHA’s consistent high performance through PHAS is a source of immense pride and a reflection of the dedication of our entire staff for their hard work and belief in our mission,” WHA CEO Alex Corrales said in a press release. “We also owe a deep debt of gratitude to our Board of Commissioners, who empower us in our mission through their support and vision, and to our residents, who take pride on their community.”
The agency earned top marks in Capital Fund (10 out of 10), nearly perfect in management (24 of 25) and financial (23 of 25), and strong in Physical (35 of 40).
“We hold ourselves to a high standard,” Corrales said. “Assessments like this let us know we are doing it right. We will not rest on our laurels. We are already looking at how we can improve our scores for the next PHAS report.”
