At MPHA, Dwan Hurt ensures all the electrical systems across the agency’s 42 high-rises are working properly, day-in and day-out. Dwan ensures the lights stay on, quite literally.

In early 2024, Dwan heard from a previous MPHA employee that the agency was hiring for an electrician role. Dwan applied, and from the interview he could see the MPHA team’s collaborative nature. He received the role as journeymen electrician—the only electrician servicing the more than 5,000 public housing units.

“[MPHA] is a really great place to work—a great learning opportunity,” said Dwan Hurt, Master Electrician at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “It really feels like a family here. Everyone is willing to collaborate and easy work to with.”

Last year, after logging extensive time in the field and passing an exam, Dwan earned a promotion to master electrician. As MPHA’s electrician, he works on all electrical work orders from residents (lights and electrical receptors) and regularly tests switch gears, elevators, and other building systems. For Dwan, every resident interaction is an opportunity to make life a little brighter for them.

“My goal here is to make things better for the residents,” said Dwan. “I grew up in low-income housing. I understand not being able to live extravagantly, but everyone still deserves quality housing.”

In recent months, Dwan and all of the agency’s property management and maintenance team members have been preparing for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) new public housing inspection system, National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). Alongside a team of contracted electricians Dwan managed and supported to complete the work, MPHA’s teams have put in extended hours to ensure work orders are closed out, participated in mock inspections to identify any areas needing improvement, and continually reviewed all the building systems to prepare for the inspections.

It is because of MPHA team members like Dwan that MPHA as earned and maintained “high performer” status with HUD since the late 1990s. And it is the dedication and shared commitment across all MPHA teams of focusing on the agency’s core competency of providing quality, well-managed homes that MPHA continues to build a legacy of excellence.