By JOHN BONITATI
WHA Board President

WARSAW — The Warsaw Housing Authority is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The WHA was established by the City of Warsaw in 1975 and was headquartered in the Cardinal Center with a staff of one. Today, seven full-time employees staff the authority with an office in Milford to serve constituents.

The mission of WHA is to provide quality housing opportunities to improve the lives of the citizens who are in need and to provide safe and affordable housing for eligible residents of the City of Warsaw.

WHA administers Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to families and individuals of low income to supplement their rent and utilities on a monthly basis. Participants pay 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities and the voucher pays for the remainder. The vouchers are funded by the Federal Government’s Department of Housing Development.

WHA has expanded and is now the lead agency of a housing consortium known as North Central Indiana Housing which includes the Goshen Housing Authority and Marshall County Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Housing Opportunities of Warsaw was formed by WHA as a not-for-profit in 1997 to assist with the housing needs for low and moderate income families in Kosciusko County and obtaining grants and administering federal funds related to housing needs. This organization also assists homeowners with repairs and energy savings as examples of programs offered. HOW is a United Way of Kosciusko County agency.

The WHA board recognized Pam Kennedy, Housing Authority Executive Director, for her service, compassion and hard work making WHA among the high-performing housing agencies in the country.   Kennedy began as a housing inspector in 1989, was HOW housing programs mManager in 2001 and has been the executive director of WHA since June 2003.