NECAC has received a top rating for administering a federally-funded rent-assistance program. The agency earned a 100 percent score from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its performance in administering the Housing Choice Voucher Program in Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Shelby and Warren counties. NECAC also administers the program in St. Charles County, where a score will be determined later this year.

NECAC was one of 24 housing agencies in Missouri tested on the HUD annual Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) monitoring and evaluation system. The agency has contracted with HUD for more than 40 years to administer the program.

“This is HUD’s way of testing and monitoring which housing agencies and authorities are doing a good job of administering the programs in an efficient, effective manner for more than 17 years,” said NECAC Housing Voucher Director Dianna Clair. “We’re very pleased. This reflects highly on the work quality of the work we do. Our staff is making sure that tenants are receiving decent, affordable and safe housing, and that landlords are receiving top-quality customer service.” NECAC was the motivating force that brought the Section 8 program to Northeast Missouri in the mid-1970s. The agency administers more than 2,400 HUD Rental Assistance vouchers in its service area. The SEMAP assessment tested NECAC in 15 areas of its administration of Section 8, including timely annual inspections of the private houses, apartments and mobile homes used in the program; lease-up rates; payment standards; and determination of the tenants’ adjusted income.

For more information on the program, please call the local NECAC County Service Center or NECAC Central Housing at 573-324-2055.

CUTLINE FOR PHOTO: NECAC Housing Quality Standards Supervisor Tony Wagner inspects a home.