FAYETTEVILLE — The city’s Housing Authority is ready to issue housing vouchers for the first time in more than five years.
Commonly known as Section 8, the authority’s housing choice voucher program shut down in early 2021 amid noncompliance issues with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The authority accrued more than $200,000 in debt when it used a development nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate properties for low-income housing. Through its nonprofit, the authority used public dollars to pay its employees to maintain and rehabilitate what were legally private properties, which was a violation of federal regulations.
The city donated $200,000 to the authority last year to help get it out of debt and continue its mission of providing housing to low-income residents and families. Since then, the authority has taken steps to get back into compliance with federal regulations and get its finances in order, said Chonda Tapley, executive director. Money is now available to put into the housing voucher program and reopen the waitlist, she said…