Housing Voucher Management and Operations Division (MOD)

MOD Mission Statement

The mission of the Management and Operations Division (MOD) is to develop and supply training and technical assistance, and produce regulations and guidance for monitoring and improving the delivery of public housing voucher programs.

Objectives

In support of its mission, MOD has the following objectives:

• Develop national policy direction that will create suitable housing opportunities for low-income families, including veterans, the elderly, and the disabled.
  
• Establish procedures and regulatory guidance for public housing agencies (PHAs) and HUD field offices to follow in implementing and administering the voucher program and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation program.

Functions and Key Responsibilities

The MOD mission will be accomplished by providing the appropriate tools, services, and support, including:

• Developing legislative proposals and analyzing the impact of these changes on the operation of Housing Choice voucher (HCV) programs
  
• Developing training programs and providing technical assistance to field office and PHA staff
  
• Evaluating the performance of PHAs via the Section 8 Management and Assessment Program (SEMAP)
  
• Coordinating the development of fair market rent, annual adjustment factors, and special program studies with HUD's Office of Policy, Development, and Research
  
• Responding to correspondence received from PHAs, industry groups, members of Congress, HUD field offices, and tenants.

MOD History

In 1974, Congress authorized the Section 8 program, also known as the rental certificate program, to provide rental subsidies for eligible tenants residing in newly constructed, rehabilitated, and existing rental and cooperative apartment projects. A decade later, in 1984, Congress authorized a rental voucher program as a demonstration program and in 1987 the rental voucher program was formally authorized as a program in the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987. The program was similar to the rental certificate program, but it allowed families more options in housing selection.

In October 1998, Congress passed housing reform legislation known as The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (QHWRA). This legislation eliminated the differences between the voucher and certificate programs and required that the subsidy types merge into one housing choice voucher (HCV) program.

HUD then created the Office of Public Housing and Voucher Programs (OPHVP) within the Office of Public and Indian Housing to administer the HCV program. As a part of the new office structure, the Management and Operations Division (MOD) was established as a functional division within OPHVP to produce program regulations and guidance, improve program delivery, and supply training and technical assistance to program providers.