Lowell
Housing Authority Administration:
The
Executive Department establishes and oversees policy and provides direction
for activities throughout the Authority. Responsibilities include ensuring
overall compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as
adherence to established goals necessary to fulfill the agency's mission.
The Executive Department
oversees the property management function. Property managers are responsible
for day-to-day management and maintenance of all the Authority's housing
developments. The site based management and maintenance staff perform
numerous functions including rent determinations, rent collection, unit
inspections, resident relations and orientation, lease enforcement,
direct maintenance services to residents, and scheduled preventive and
routine maintenance of buildings and grounds.
Additionally, the
Executive Department includes and oversees the important functions of
Management Information Systems, Finance, Employee Development and Training,
Reasonable Accommodation and Affirmative Action. The Employee Development
& Training Manager oversees the training needs of agency staff.
The Reasonable Accommodation and Affirmative Action Officer ensures
that the Authority complies with applicable state and federal laws and
assists with issues that may arise with residents.
The Management Information
Systems Department has primary responsibility for both software and
hardware installation and maintenance. Through the MIS function, the
Executive Department supports the LHA's mission by guiding and supporting
the use of Information Technology. The MIS staff ensure that LHA staff
have up-to-date technology, know how to skillfully use this technology,
can reliably and quickly find relevant business information, can manipulate
and analyze this information as needed, and use technology to continually
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations.
The Finance function,
under the Executive Department, coordinates the activities of budgeting,
finance, accounts payable and receivable, and procurement to ensure
compliance with overall Authority financial objectives. Staff are responsible
for the development of financial policies for the Authority, improving
efficiency of operations, providing analysis and discussion of the financial
implications of policy formulation, financial reporting to our funding
agencies, and maintaining external relationships relating to financial
matters of the Authority. It is the responsibility of the staff to promote
and ensure the financial health and well-being of the Authority.
The staff are responsible for the following finance functions:
Payroll Processing and Distribution
Disbursements to Vendors
Requisition
and Allocation of Funding
Investment of Funds
Tenant Accounting Information
Program Accounting Functions
Central Files Record keeping
Procurement
Account Reconciliation
Finance Staff are
also primarily responsible for all of the Lowell Housing Authority's
purchasing activities. Finance staff process and monitor the activities
of the Authority's purchasing system. Finance staff also conduct public
bids for all LHA goods, services, and construction related purchases.
Vendors interested in picking up bid packages may call the number below.
The primary budget
work in Finance revolves around coordinating the preparation and implementation
of all housing development and department operating budgets and preparing
the program operating budgets, which are submitted to our funding agencies
and are the mechanism by which the Authority receives operating subsidy.
Finance also assists LHA Departments/Divisions such as Facilities Management
and Leased Housing, in the preparation of budgets funded through federal,
state and local grants. At any one time the Authority administers several
different housing programs, each with its own funding source.
Finance must also
analyze and project future costs and future-funding availability to
determine the Authority's financial position at any given period of
time. This information is used as a tool for senior management to plan
and prioritize service options, service levels, and maintain the financial
health of the Authority's housing programs.
Planning and analysis in Finance includes costing of proposals related
to collective bargaining, purchase options, staffing levels, cost standards,
and other resource allocations. Finance monitors Federal and State regulatory
and policy changes to assess financial impacts.
Finance, in concert
with other departments/divisions, plays an important role in ensuring
the continued viability of the Lowell Housing Authority's ability to
provide housing services to residents of the City of Lowell.
Contact