Housing Authorities Establish Partnership, Savings

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) and the Dunedin Housing Authority (DHA) have embarked on a partnership to share resources as part of an interlocal agreement under SPHA’s Economies of Scale (EOS) program.

“I think it is a very, very great opportunity for the two housing authorities to work together and to grow stronger, while saving money through economies of scale and serving both communities to a greater degree,” says Dr. Arnett Smith, SPHA board chairman.

At their regular meeting on August 27, the SPHA Board of Commission accepted DHA’s request for SPHA to provide executive management services and operations oversight. DHA will pay SPHA an annual compensation of $50,000 for the services.

David Kelly, DHA board chairman, says, “I am excited about the opportunity to have both housing authorities work together to achieve our goals.”

DHA previously had a similar, long-standing agreement with the Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA), but terminated that agreement in August 2009.

The Economies of Scale (EOS) program, introduced by SPHA in 2004, is a collaborative effort between several local housing authorities to efficiently provide housing services to residents while simultaneously saving money for taxpayers and the participating agencies. This model realizes savings by cost sharing in human resources, purchasing, information technology, training, and management and maintenance operations. The savings are used to offset loss of federal funding, to improve assets and programs and as capital in the acquisition or development of affordable housing. Independent board action by resolution is required by the respective boards of commissioners in order to enact interlocal agreements.

In September 2008, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded SPHA with a Best Practices award for the EOS program, among other achievements.

About St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA):

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) is a public body corporate that has a 70‐year history of developing and administering affordable housing programs in the city of St. Petersburg. Consistently scored as a “High Performer” on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assessments, SPHA provides housing assistance to more than 3,400 families residing in St. Petersburg. The authority has received national awards and recognition for its innovative programs, including the Economies of Scale program, the Jordan Park HOPE VI redevelopment program, the
Section 3 program and the Fraud Recovery program. More information about the authority’s programs and services can be found at www.stpeteha.org.