The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development completed their recurring property management inspections of the Fulton Housing Authority on Wednesday, which resulted in the organization's all-time highest score.
The inspections, done every two to three years on a random sampling of properties from each of the housing authority's 11 sites throughout town, examine every maintenance and safety element from erosion and vegetation on the grounds to interior upkeep to make sure they are in compliance with federal standards. The Fulton Housing Authority earned a 90 out of 100 possible points.
Housing Authority Deputy Director Bruce Carpenter said that in his 14 years with the authority, it was its highest score.
"It's telling of how we're taking care of the property," Carpenter said. "They have a pretty rigid standard they apply to every federal property that falls under HUD."
Carpenter noted the score came in spite of maintenance staff cutbacks brought on by federal sequestration. The Fulton Housing Authority currently has a full-time maintenance staff of two - last year, it had a staff of seven.
"We got about 20 percent less (in federal funding) than what we'd normally get for the year, so we try to make due with less and do things as smart as you can and still take care of business," he said.