NAHRO Testifies on Behalf of PHAs in Congressional Hearing on PHA Oversight

On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, NAHRO’s Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Eric Oberdorfer, testified in a hearing entitled “Building a Solid Foundation: Restoring Trust and Transparency in Public Housing Agencies.” This hearing from the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations sought to address fraud, waste, and abuse at public housing agencies and gather bipartisan solutions to address concern from lawmakers.

Mr. Oberdorfer provided critical insight into the work of PHAs and illustrated for lawmakers that the overwhelming majority of PHA operators are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars in creating and managing HUD funded housing.

Despite rising costs, chronic underfunding, and administrative pressures, PHAs consistently demonstrate strong financial stewardship, high program utilization, and compliance with HUD oversight systems. Independent audits, PHAS and SEMAP performance metrics, and rigorous eligibility verification confirm that PHAs manage resources responsibly and transparently.

Eric Oberdorfer

The Subcommittee’s Republican majority staff invited witnesses to offer their perspectives informed by their experience with past “troubled” housing agencies:

• Mr. Bart Schwartz, Chairman and co-founder of Guidepost Solutions, shared his experience as the first term monitor for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from 2019-2024.
• Mr. Chase Haller, Deputy Attorney General & Section Chief, Homeowner Protection Unit provided information on his past investigations of Indianapolis (I.N.) Housing Authority and his cooperation with current leadership of the rebounding agency.
• Mr. Milan Ozdinec, President, Vargas Premier Corporation Consultants, shared his experiences as a retired senior executive at HUD, overseeing the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing, and HOPE VI Program.

Mr. Oberdorfer expressed to subcommittee members that despite PHAs “doing more with less” connected to decades of underfunding, PHAs could do much more with fully funded programs. On PHA oversight, Oberdorfer informed lawmakers that in addition to HUD, PHAs are accountable to the communities they serve. HUD data shows that most PHAs are Standard to High Performers based on Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) and Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) scores. Oberdorfer assured the panel that recently reported improper payments of $1.5 billion out of $33.9 billion in tenant based rental assistance (nearly 1%) further reflects PHAs high level of accuracy and accountability, proving that despite numerous challenges, oversight of PHAs is working.

NAHRO maintains its commitment to working with Congress to help PHAs fulfil their mission as responsible stewards of public housing and other critical housing assistance programs that provide safe and affordable homes for all.