“I am the Executive Director of the Iron County Housing Commission. This agency operates both low-income public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Housing Authority Accounting Specialists, (HAAS), has been engaged in a professional relationship with this PHA since March 1983. Due to many management issues at that time, HUD saw to it that this firm be utilized as a means to improve overall management of the Iron County Housing Commission. I was hired as the Executive Director one month later in April 1983.

Within a few weeks of my hire HAAS began to initiate discussions with the Iron County Housing Commission expressing concerns over prior management deficiencies. HAAS worked very closely with HUD and this office to objectively determine the proper course of action and an implementation schedule. Given the political climate at the time, (within the PHA Board of Commissioners), this was not easy but HAAS provided the “backbone” if you will, to quickly bring the Iron County Housing Commission into compliance with HUD accounting practices. In fact representatives of HAAS worked many nights accomplishing this task.

Since that time HAAS has always been ready to assist and make sure that our independent audit reports and HUD reviews contain minimal findings. Since 1983 the public housing industry has changed and HAAS has always proved to be prepared for change and maintaining our standing with HUD. So much of my duties involve knowledge and expertise of HAAS that one can not imagine life without them. HAAS only engages in professional service regarding HUD accounting and it clearly advances our PHA into the forefront of good, sound management.

If you are the Executive Director of a public housing agency or serve on the PHA Governing Board of Commissioners and do not utilize HAAS I highly recommend HAAS. I know our PHA has been well served as have so many other PHAs that I am communicating with over my many decades of service.”

Steve Gagne, PHM
Executive Director
Iron County Housing Commission
(HAAS client since 1983)