CMHA Announces Appointment of Acting Executive Director.

Business Editors

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2003

The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) announced today the appointment of George Phillips as Acting Executive Director for the Housing Authority effective immediately. Mr. Phillips has served as Deputy Executive Director of Housing Operations and Services for CMHA during the last three years. He will succeed Terri Hamilton Brown, who is leaving CMHA to become President of University Circle Incorporated.

Mr. Phillips is expected to continue leading the Housing Authority while the search is underway for a permanent Executive Director. He joined CMHA in 2000 after eleven years with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), where he was promoted through the ranks to serve as Director of Housing Management, overseeing day-to-day operations of the 40,000-unit public housing program, and subsequently as Chief of Section 8. Prior to joining CHA, he was employed as a manager for four years with IRMCO, a privately owned rental property management company, following a fourteen-year term with Chicago Youth Centers directing a camp for inner-city youth.

Speaking on behalf of the CMHA Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert C. Townsend, II stated, "We are confident Mr. Phillips' strong leadership skills and extensive experience with housing and social services will help sustain our strong position during this period of transition. We want to thank Terri Hamilton Brown for the dedicated service and leadership needed to restore public trust and critical operations to a very important institution in our community. CMHA is now stronger than it has been at any other time in the last 15 years."

Under the current management team, CMHA achieved significant success in establishing financial, operational and administrative stability at the Authority. CMHA has earned unqualified opinions on its financial statements with no material findings for the last two external audits. The Low Income Public Housing Program has achieved the highest occupancy rate since 1995, and since 1998, it has also steadily increased its performance according to HUD management operations scores. In addition, new social service initiatives, such as Healthy CMHA and the Resident Choice Training/Skill Development Program have been launched during this period to directly enrich the lives of those residing at CMHA.

The Section 8 Program has also improved dramatically: from operating under the management of an outside consultant at the end of 1998 to being confirmed by HUD as a high performer under CMHA management in 2000 and 2001. Section 8 self-scored as a high performer again in 2002 and reached 100% utilization of all funding and vouchers.

"I am very proud of the work accomplished by the CMHA Board, senior management, staff and residents," stated Terri Hamilton Brown. "We all came together as a team during these last four and one-half years and made a real difference in the housing opportunities and quality of life of low income families in Cuyahoga County. George Phillips has been central to the improvements in the public housing program, and the entire CMHA team of employees and residents can rely on his expertise and commitment to build on the current momentum and the progress already achieved."

CMHA owns and manages 10,500 public housing units throughout Cuyahoga County. The Housing Authority also administers over 13,000 contracts in the local Section 8 privately owned subsidized housing voucher program.