National Affordable Housing Accreditation Awarded to Housing Authority of Snohomish County

Philadelphia, PA, November 26, 2019 – The Affordable Housing Accreditation Board (AHAB) has awarded national affordable housing accreditation to the Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO) in Washington state. HASCO is the fifth affordable housing provider to receive AHAB accreditation. The designation of “Accredited Affordable Housing Organization” reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting high performance standards established by the affordable housing industry and to providing quality, well-managed housing.

HASCO underwent a rigorous review of documentation that culminated in a site visit and a final report in September 2019. During the review and site visit, AHAB reviewers evaluated the organization on its conformance with 8 standards, 47 guidelines and 110 indicators; each one measuring how effectively the organization’s board, leadership and staff are meeting their mission of providing high quality affordable housing and related services. Executive Director, Duane Leonard stated, “Accreditation helped us take a deep dive into looking intensively at our operations. It helped us look at all areas, increased staff morale and really let us see how we are doing based on industry best practices.”

Established in 2013, the Affordable Housing Accreditation Board began rolling out the formal accreditation system in early 2018. Accreditation is awarded for a five-year period, encouraging accredited organizations to continuously improve and excel in providing safe, well managed, high quality affordable housing in their communities. Accreditation can result in improved management of housing, shared best practices around the country, and higher quality of life for residents.

“Organizations that pursue accreditation from the Affordable Housing Accreditation Board are demonstrating the highest commitment to their communities by delivering quality affordable housing” said Diana McWilliams, President and CEO of the Affordable Housing Accreditation Board. “We were so inspired by the staff and board of HASCO. Their application and site visit demonstrated a commitment to their communities, and an internal commitment to continuous quality improvement.”

The Housing Authority of Snohomish County is accredited through December 2023. The Affordable Housing Accreditation Board accepts accreditation registrations online at
www.housingaccreditation.org.