The hard work from staff with the Elizabethton Housing and Development Agency was recently recognized at national level.

EHDA Executive Director Kelly Geagley announced Wednesday the agency received their Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) score for the 2017 fiscal year and was able to receive an overall score of 100 — also being designated as a top performer.

“The is the result of our staff and their continued hard work,” Geagley said. “Each day, they go above and beyond to do what they can to help the residents, staff and each other. I appreciate all their work and they deserve all the credit.”

PHAS is a management tool used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to measure all public housing agencies’ performance on an annual basis. The score is broken up into four indicators — physical condition, 40 possible points; financial condition, 25 possible points; management operations, 25 possible points; and capital fund, 10 possible points. EHDA was able to earn the maximum amount of points for each indicator. This year’s announcement also marks at least the second year in a row the agency has been able to earn a score of 100 hitting the benchmarks for each category.

Continuing a strand of successful scores by staff is a testament to the work ethic they display, according to Geagley. With changes typically coming through each year, the director added the staff is able to respond quickly to adjustments.

One of the more recent adjustments to housing agencies across the country was the mandate put in place by HUD to stop the use of tobacco products in housing. EHDA followed the mandate by putting in a resolution that allows residents to smoke, but away from housing areas and buildings. To accommodate with the changes, staff held various meetings with residents to give prior notice about the HUD resolution. EHDA is also working alongside different community agencies to offer residents a chance to stop tobacco products if they deserve.

“It really is a credit to the staff,” Geagley said. “With the unfunded mandates and other rules that come in, they keep at it and are able to adjust quickly to all the changes.”