Late last month, MPHA received a near-perfect 98.5 percent in the physical inspection segment of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) annual Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS). This marks the highest PHAS physical inspection scores in MPHA’s history and builds on the agency’s record of achieving “high performer” status with HUD, dating back to the late 1990s.

“Our team takes a great duty of care to ensure MPHA residents have the highest quality homes,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “This new high score on the PHAS physical inspections is a testament to the kind of high performing team we have at MPHA. The agency has been a HUD ‘high performer’ for more than two decades, and I cannot give our operations team enough credit for continuing this incredible streak while still finding ways to improve.”

The Public Housing Assessment System evaluates public housing authorities’ performance in four categories: physical, financial, management, and capital fund programming. Measures of performance across these categories include physical inspections of randomly selected buildings and units across the agency’s portfolio, review of agency financial practices and reporting, occupancy rates, percentage of tenants paying rent, and the timely deployment of annual HUD capital funding, among other items.

Since the late 1990s, MPHA has been a “high performer” status with HUD, a designation earned by scoring 90 or above (out of 100) in HUD’s annual PHAS inspections. This designation earns the agency additional capital funding and priority status for a variety of application-based federal supports. In 2023, MPHA was awarded an additional $955,000 in capital funding for its “high performer” status.

“Preparing for PHAS inspections is an all-hands-on-deck time for the agency,” said Mary Boler, Director of Low-Income Public Housing Operations at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “The work brings everyone together in the weeks prior to inspections. Staff often even give up their weekends in preparation. Work orders are closed out. Public housing units, common areas, and maintenance rooms are inspected and re-inspected. This year was also different because one of our regional teams, North, received no prior notice of PHAS inspection and still scored 98 percent. This score is just another proof point that MPHA promotes and delivers quality, well-managed homes each and every day.”

One of the agency’s six goals in its new, five-year strategic plan is to continuously improve to retain the high HUD performance rating. With MPHA earning its highest-ever PHAS physical inspections, the agency continues to bring its strategic plan to life. The agency will continue to deliver on its strategic plan to build a stronger agency for MPHA residents, voucher-holders, and staff.