MORRIS COUNTY — Long-time Morris County Housing Authority employee Kelly A. Stephens was recently selected as Executive Director of the agency, which creates and maintains affordable living environments and provides other assistance for more than 1,000 residents in the county.
Stephens is a 23-year veteran of the Morris County Housing Authority. She began at the agency in 1996 as a social services coordinator and moved through positions as an administrator, director of operations and deputy director.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitative services, a certificate in gerontology and is a certified public housing manager.
Stephens succeeds Roberta Strater, who retired in December as Executive Director after 42 years of service with the Housing Authority.
“I am honored to follow in the footsteps of a highly respected director, Roberta Strater,’’ said Stephens. “Throughout the years, working with Roberta, I have been fortunate to affect the lives of many of our residents as well as the community.
“Our staff at the Housing Authority works collaboratively as a team to provide safe, decent, affordable housing to low income senior citizens, families and people with disabilities in Morris County. We intend to continue with that important mission.’’
The Housing Authority was created by the Morris County Board of Freeholders in 1972 to develop and manage housing for low-and moderate-income residents of the county.
Its current mission is to “enhance the lives of the citizens of the county by creating and sustaining decent, safe and affordable living environments that foster stability and self-sufficiency for seniors, families and people with disabilities with low to moderate incomes.”
In carrying out this mission, the Housing Authority provides leadership, maximizes resources, and promotes partnerships to develop and implement sound housing policy.
The Housing Authority is overseen by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It utilizes its $10 million dollar annual budget to provide safe and decent housing and other assistance for approximately 1,050 county residents.
The Housing Authority owns and manages seven housing complexes, including 423 units of public housing and Section 8/515 housing and congregate housing. It also manages the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program.
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