CMHA Board Appoints New Executive Director.

Business Editors

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2004

The members of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to appoint George A. Phillips to serve as Executive Director for the Authority at the Board's regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, January 7, 2004. His appointment is effective immediately.

Mr. Phillips has served as Acting Executive Director of the Authority since April 2003. During that time, he worked closely with the Board to strengthen the Authority's management team, while streamlining and improving operations and information systems.

"George Phillips stepped in and continued to move CMHA forward during the last nine months," noted newly elected Board Chairperson Doris V. Jones. "His accomplishments, experience and the enthusiasm he has inspired in both the staff and residents made his appointment the clear choice."

As Executive Director, Mr. Phillips oversees a staff of 1,100 employees in providing housing services, primarily through the Low Income Public Housing Program and Housing Choice Voucher Program, to over 52,000 persons in Cuyahoga County. He is responsible for a total budget of $200 million.

"This is an exciting and challenging time at CMHA," stated Mr. Phillips. "I'm pleased with the Board's vote of confidence, and I'm proud to be leading such a dedicated staff. Together with the involvement of public housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher Program participants and landlords, we will continue to increase the supply of quality affordable housing in Cuyahoga County."

Prior to last April, Mr. Phillips served for nearly three years as Deputy Executive Director, leading the CMHA core operating departments to achieve the highest occupancy levels since 1995 and to reduce workorder backlogs to the lowest levels on record. These improvements helped raise the Authority's performance scores as measured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) to 87%.

CMHA is a leader in providing affordable housing for low-income families living in Cuyahoga County. It owns and manages 10,500 public housing units and administers over 13,000 contracts in the local Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides subsidies for low-income households renting privately owned housing. In addition, CMHA participates in development partnerships to increase the supply of affordable for-sale and lease-purchase housing throughout the County. The Housing Authority operates its own nationally accredited police department, as well as several social service initiatives to enhance the quality of life of public housing residents.