The Jacksonville Housing Authority’s (JHA) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the largest rental assistance program in the City of Jacksonville. Through the Annual Contributions Contract (ACC), the program receives over $90M from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and assist over 7,700 families each year. The ACC requires JHA to comply with federal regulations and HUD guidelines, as amended from time to time.
Audit Findings
Berman Hopkins Wright & LaHam, CPAs and Associates, LLP conducted the recent FY2024 JHA Audit (Period: October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024) and identified continued material weakness findings within the JHA Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program including but not limited to: Material Weaknesses in Internal Controls, Material Weaknesses in Non-Compliance and Material Weaknesses in the Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection process. Berman Hopkins Wright & LaHam, CPAs and Associates, LLP previously conducted JHA’s FY2023 audit (Period: October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023) and FY2022 audit (Period: October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022) which disclosed consecutive historical material weaknesses in JHAs internal controls and noncompliance of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.
Under new CEO leadership at JHA, a request to the JHA Board of Commissioners is in place for a vote on Friday, June 27, 2025, to authorize the following action of Nan McKay & Associates to Administer, Manage and Operate the JHA Housing Choice Voucher Program for an effective date of Monday July 7, 2025. This will also include HCV HQS inspections.
Pending Resolution: AUTHORIZE THE AWARD OF THE MIAMI-DADE HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PIGGYBACK CONTRACT IN THE NOT-TO-EXCEED AMOUNT OF 72% OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES CONCURRENT WITH THE EXISTING CONTRACT TERMS TO NAM MCKAY AND ASSOCIATES, FOR HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS.
As evidenced by the increase in overall HCV audit findings, loss of federal revenues, inability to correctly serve existing and future HCV program participants, noncompliance on both a local and federal level for section 8 program funding for the administration and operations of the HCV program, immediate action is requested to authorize Nan McKay & Associates to administer and operate JHA’s HCV program.
Combined with a plethora of likely compliance issues and deteriorated financial condition, these concerns pose a significant threat to both the immediate and long-term success of Jacksonville’s HCV program.
Responsible: Nan McKay & Associates
POINT OF CONTACT: Steven Rosario, Sr. Director EMAIL: srosario@nanmckay.com
JHA POC: Roslyn Phillips, Interim COO EMAIL: RPHILLIPS@JAXHA.ORG