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Clarksburg-Harrison Regional Housing Authority - History
The History of Clarksburg-Harrison Regional Housing
Authority
The
United States Housing Act of 1937 laid the foundation for today's public
housing program. The Act promised federal financial and technical
assistance to States and localities which would embark on clearing slums
and providing decent housing for low-income residents.
States, in turn, were required to pass
housing legislation. West Virginia State law establishes a housing
authority in each city and county; however, such housing authority is
not authorized to act or conduct any business until the governing body
of the city or county declares by resolution that a need exists for such
housing authority to function in such city or county. Upon the adoption
of such resolution, said housing authority shall be established and shall
have perpetual existence, unless dissolved in accordance with law.
The Housing Authority of the City of Clarksburg
was established by resolution of City Council of the City of Clarksburg
on September 19, 1966, under the authority of Chapter 93, Acts of the
Legislature of West Virginia, Second Extraordinary Session, 1933.
On September 23, 1966, the Commissioners
of the Clarksburg Housing Authority held their first regular meeting.
Regular Board meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month, at
5:00 p.m. at the new Central Office Complex of the Authority.
To receive federal assistance, local housing
authorities were required under the 1937 Act to enter into a contract
with the federal government. The Annual Contributions Contract,
as it was and still is called, spelled out specific obligations and responsibilities
that must be met by the local authority in developing, operating and overseeing
the financial aspects of assisted housing programs.
Good rapport with local officials ensures
that the housing authority is receiving the level of services promised
by the local government and paves the way for future expansion of the
Housing Authority's programs.
A) Cooperation Agreement
Before an Authority can initiate a federally funded development,
it must have signed a Cooperation Agreement with the local governing body
where the housing project is to be located. The Cooperation Agreement
is a binding contract that:
1) Obligates the local housing authority to make payment in lieu
of taxes (PILOT) to the local government; and ,
2) The local governing body to provide cooperation in the
development and management of low income housing, including municipal
services, such as police and fire protection, commensurate with services
provided in other areas of the city.
B) Accountability
Since funding the public housing comes from federal sources, commissioners
are held accountable by the United States Department of Housing And Urban
Development (HUD) for ensuring that the local agency is living up to its
obligations to provide decent, safe, sanitary low to moderate-income housing
and to protect against fraud, waste and abuse, as well as discrimination.
The performance of each Authority is regularly evaluated in accordance
with federal regulations which require:
1)An annual financial audit performed by an Independent Public Auditor
who is a CPA;
2)Period review of the Capital Fund and;
3)Annual review of overal administration and managment practices through
HUD's Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS).
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