The Lakewood Township Residential Assistance Program (LTRAP), once again attained a perfect 100% score on the Section Eight Management Assessment Program, (SEMAP). SEMAP is the tool HUD uses to measure, rate, and rank the performance of housing providers administering the Section 8 housing choice voucher program. Today, LTRAP received notice from HUD that it again scored 100% for 2011. LTRAP has consistently been ranked by HUD in the “high” performance category, always scoring above 90% in the annual SEMAP rating.
Founded and led by Rabbi Meir Hertz since its inception in 1977, LTRAP is administered by the Lakewood Tenants Organization (LTO), a New Jersey not-for-profit organization. In April 2012, LTRAP marked 35 years of serving the affordable housing needs of Lakewood’s residents.
LTRAP is sponsored locally by the Township of Lakewood. However, one hundred (100%) percent of its $13 Million annual budget is derived from HUD. There are a total of 109 Section 8 programs in New Jersey: 80 are administered by governmental housing authorities, and 29 by housing agencies. LTRAP is by far the largest private (non-governmental) agency providing affordable housing in the state. As this SEMAP score shows, it is also one of the very best in the nation—public or private.
- LTRAP currently administers 1,058 Section 8 Rental Assistance Program vouchers, providing over $1 Million in Section 8 rent subsidies monthly. All LTRAP subsidized-units are leased to income-eligible senior or disabled households and families. All are occupying safe, decent and sanitary dwelling units in the private rental market, owned by more than 800 participating landlords.
- LTRAP currently has approximately 1,000 names on its Waiting List, 750 of which are Lakewood residents. Lakewoodresidents receive a preference over non-residents. LTRAP stopped taking applications in December, 2004, and will reopen applications’ intake when the current list is nearly depleted and the prospect for assisting additional applicants improves. Unfortunately, due to severe federal budgetary cutbacks there has been no new funding awarded to the Section 8 program in the past 18 years. Consequently, the waiting list moves very slowly, and the program has not grown.
- LTRAP’s fiscal operations are audited annually by an Independent Public Accountant (IPAAudit), selected in a Request For Proposals (RFP) bid process. The fiscal audits for at least the past 28 years were consistently clean. The only finding ever made in all this time was in 2007 when LTRAP assisted more families than HUD authorized, despite the fact that financially, LTRAP was able to do so, and did not exceed its budgetary authority. Copies of all the LTRAP annual Audit Reports are forwarded to the Lakewood Treasurer for inclusion in Lakewood’s Single Audit Report, as required.
Now in its fourth decade of meeting the affordable housing needs of Lakewood’s neediest residents, LTRAP hopes to build on its accomplishments, to seek more funding if and when available, and to continue expanding the program. This will enable LTRAP to reach and assist more of the needy families on its waiting list. But the key remains in Washington, with the President, and with Congressional appropriations. TLS.
this lifetime HUD is crazy & totaly unfair if theres limited funding there should be limited amount of years one can recieve assistance no different than disability or the like
totally agree with #1
Meir Hertz is a Bastion of Hope and Equanimity! A Beacon of Honesty and Integrity! Brave And Strong Through All Rough Dillemas! Thank You For All That You Do!
The Kehilah needs to be thankful of the Kidush Hashem our HUD program is making. The best rating in the State of NJ is in Lakewood. WOW!
HUD is an insane program. What purpose does it serve so “middle class” people can live in rental homes better than “upper class? Wht can’t people just rent what they can afford?
Food Stamps so you can buy bagel nosh for breakfast pizza for lunch and pastrami for supper while the hard working class pays full fee?
These entitlement programs are really messed up. All Obama and the democrats want is the Bush tax cuts to expire so middle class people pay more and loss many deductibles…..
Hud has nothing to do with providing for the neediest, they are not needy they just refuse to get a job because then they will loose hud, there should be a 1 year limit to be on hud. If someone falls on hard times they should get hud for a year until they find another job. Its wrong that people get hud when they get married and stay on it for 30 years!
It is great that lakewood is recognized for runnning a program so efficiently. As some have pointed out, there are some flaws in the system. Some feel that because the funds are limited (unlike say food stamps), it should not be a lifetime program, but perhaps have a 5 year lifespan, after which the next person on the list gets the benefit.
I know someone who was put on the waiting list 9 years ago and was at position number 1,230.. today, he is at position number 1,190. At the current rate, it would take over 200 years before he would be entitled to get HUD!
Others are frustrated by the fact that the system allows children to be added to the waiting list, so that when they marry, they are in a better spot for getting the benefit.
all these programs out there are very nice but should have a time limit.
people take advantage and never get off these programs and are living better then families with 2 hard working adults. i understand if your down on your luck and need help use these programs until things improve and then move on.
There is something inherintly wrong with a system that allows someone to buy a 5 br, 3 bath, granit countertop house, use HUD to pay the mortgage, rent out the basement apartment and actually make a profit on the house each month. This is how some people use the system and HUD confirmed that is okay and they actualy encourage people to use the voucher for mortgages.
maskim i know alot of people on hud for like 50 years!!!!! maby if they give less money per person then they could put more people on hud somthing gotta change people are fed up
What bothers me is that us “Working” guys work hard to cover our mortgage while the others out there get all the Gov assistance and ultimately have more money than us. Who do you think is paying for HUD, people who pay taxes. And after the mortgage is paid up HUD is paying them rent to live in their own house.
i only see one type of people moving into the low income housing- what about the rest of us?
Rage against HUD abuse! Its great that people in Kollel who are being moser nefesh can get assistance from the govt to get by. But those who take advantage are just being unfair, not just to their govt. but to their brothers and sisters as well!
Stop working so hard!
they need to crack down on people who abuse these programs
how is it that people are getting hud and other programs and drive fancy cars and dress in expensive clothes yet they cant seem to afford to pay rent so they get hud. stop trying to keep up with the jones and live within your means. no one is not going to be your friend if you dont have the lastest clothes and other things too. reality will come and then the truth will come out and then you wont be able to hide the truth anymore. come clean now
Sorry but #15 me no one except you has said anything about abusing HUD. Everyone does it by the rules. We are complaining about the rules that the government allows people to buy houses paid for by HUD/ rent and live better than hard working class people. Foodstamps to buy bagel nosh, pizza and pastrami. All legit and by the rules.
the government is the problem. the people are not doing anything wrong.
Jealousy is such an ugly emotion.
my statement is not against anyone ,but everyone else would like to know how it’s done to help others that’s out in the heat and cold sleeping on the ground and in tents, bless everyone!!!