Harrison Metropolitan Housing Authority increases accessibility

BY REBECCA BRATTEN WEISS Harrison News-Herald Staff Writer

CADIZ—The Harrison Metropolitan Housing Authority was established in 1979 to help county residents and families of lower incomes access safe and affordable housing. Thanks to their Housing Choice Voucher Program, those who are having difficulty keeping up with rent, or experiencing housing insecurity, are able to get a large proportion of their rental costs covered.

“People need to realize that anyone can need our service,” said Debra Yater, executive director of the Metro Housing Authority. “Maybe a spouse loses an income or a family emergency happens.”

Housing security can be an important step for those who are working to better their quality of life and achieve greater social and financial mobility. Families who benefit from the services that the HMHA provides are often able to move from subsidized to unsubsidized housing.

As Yater explained, their organization is “geared toward helping people get back up on their feet without having to endure too much damage in the process. This is a legitimate service for legitimate people.” access, thanks to some updates to the program. The organization is hiring more people to answer phone calls, taking walk-ins, and, as Yater said, “making any accommodations necessary to make our people feel comfortable in our office.” appointments before seeing HMHA personnel, but now they take walk-ins. “We see how important it is for our tenants to be able