LHA

What LHA does

LHA (Lexington-Fayette Urban County Housing Authority) is a government public housing authority established in 1934 and headquartered at 300 West New Circle Road in Lexington, Kentucky. It manages 880 units of conventional and tax-credit public housing across three regional property management teams (South, Northwest, and Northeast Lexington), 600 mixed-finance units, and over 3,600 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers distributed through more than 800 participating private-market landlords. The authority also operates senior housing at Ballard-Griffith Towers and Connie Griffith Apartments, a homeownership program (including nine newly constructed homes on Shropshire Avenue with up to $100,000 in financial assistance per buyer), and a self-sufficiency program covering approximately 850 units with work requirements.

LHA operates under a Moving to Work (MTW) agreement with HUD, executed November 10, 2011, which grants regulatory flexibility to design and test innovative housing approaches beyond standard federal rules. Funding derives primarily from HUD operating subsidies, capital grants (including historical HOPE VI grants of $19.3 million in 1998 and $20 million in 2005, the latter leveraged to approximately $80 million in total project costs), and tenant rent payments calculated as the greater of $150 or 30% of adjusted income. The agency maintains a service-enriched housing ecosystem through partnerships with AIDS Volunteers, Greenhouse17, Bluegrass Regional Mental Health, the Hope Center, the Lexington VA Medical Center, and other social service providers for special needs populations including persons with HIV/AIDS, domestic violence survivors, veterans, and individuals with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.

The underlying technology stack consists of online tenant and landlord portals, an online rent payment system (credit cards and ACH/eCheck via GovTeller with tiered service fees), and partnerships with AffordableHousing.com for property listings and Partners in Housing for Housing Assistance Payments tracking. LHA is governed by an appointed Board of Commissioners, led by Executive Director Austin Simms (in role since 1977), with a senior team including COO Andrea Wilson and CFO Sean Cooper. The organization is a government entity with no private equity, venture capital, or external investor ownership.

Name

LHA

Legal name

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Housing Authority

Website

https://lexha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LHA is a Lexington, Kentucky government public housing authority established in 1934 that manages 880 public housing units, 600 mixed-finance units, and over 3,600 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for low-income families, seniors, and special needs populations under a HUD Moving to Work agreement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Authority

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Real Estate Operators (No Developers) & Lessors (6510), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), State & Local Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) (FSALAKAA), Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based) (FSALAKAI)

Keywords

• Public housing management
• Affordable housing programs
• Section 8 vouchers
• Housing assistance services
• Low-income housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. HUD Federal Funding: Primary funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for public housing operations, Housing Choice Vouchers, and grant programs including HOPE VI revitalization grants totaling over $39 million.
2. Tenant Rent Payments: Rent collection from public housing residents based on income (greater of $150 or 30% of adjusted income or 10% of gross income for conventional public housing).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LHA (Lexington-Fayette Urban County Housing Authority) is a public housing authority managing 880 units of public housing, 600 mixed-finance units, and over 3,600 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Lexington, Kentucky. It provides affordable rental housing, rental assistance via vouchers, homeownership opportunities, and senior housing, primarily serving low and moderate-income individuals and families. The agency operates under HUD's Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration program, giving it flexibility to design and test innovative housing approaches.

Product overview

LHA operates as a public housing authority offering multiple interconnected housing assistance programs. The core portfolio includes Public Housing (880 units across three regional teams), the Housing Choice Voucher Program (3,600+ Section 8 vouchers), Homeownership opportunities (including Shropshire Avenue new construction), and Affordable Housing for Seniors (Ballard-Griffith Towers and Connie Griffith Apartments). Approximately 850 units are designated as Self-Sufficiency housing requiring employment. As a Moving to Work (MTW) agency, LHA has flexibility to test innovative housing approaches. Special Programs provide service-enriched housing through partnerships with organizations supporting vulnerable populations including persons with HIV/AIDS, domestic violence survivors, those with mental illness, and veterans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Housing Program Conventional and tax credit public housing program managing 880 units of public housing and 600 mixed-finance units across Lexington, organized into three regional management teams (South, Northwest, and Northeast Lexington Properties) serving low-income families and individuals.
• Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program Section 8 rental assistance program providing over 3,600 Housing Choice Vouchers to help low-income families afford private market housing, with payments based on 30% of adjusted income or 10% of gross income.
• Homeownership Program HCV Homeownership program enabling current public housing or HCV participants to purchase homes, including newly constructed homes on Shropshire Avenue with up to $100,000 in financial assistance.
• Affordable Housing for Seniors Independent senior living at Ballard-Griffith Towers and Connie Griffith Apartments offering one-bedroom units for adults 62+, with all utilities included, controlled access, and security cameras.
• Self-Sufficiency Housing Approximately 850 units designated as self-sufficiency housing requiring household members to work minimum hours (37.5/week for Self-Sufficiency I or 20/week for Self-Sufficiency II), featuring newer or newly renovated units.
• Moving to Work (MTW) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $39 million in HOPE VI grants secured for revitalization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• AIDS Volunteers, Inc.coreOthersShelter Plus Care HCV Partner assisting families dealing with HIV/AIDS. Provides service-enriched housing options for this special needs population.
• Greenhouse17coreOthersHCV Special Partner helping women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Provides safe housing options for survivors.
• Bluegrass Regional Mental Health Mental Retardation BoardcoreOthersShelter Plus Care HCV Partner for persons with severe mental illness or substance abuse diagnoses. Supports housing stability for vulnerable populations.
• Canaan HousesupportingOthersHCV Special Partner supporting men and women who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
• Chrysalis HousesupportingOthersHCV Special Partner aiding substance abuse treatment program graduates. Participants are women with children who have recently been released from jail or are homeless.
• Hope CentercoreOthersHCV Special partner serving men and women with substance abuse problems. Provides recovery-oriented housing support.
• Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government – Office of Homelessness Prevention and InterventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides planning, coordination, advocacy and awareness for people experiencing homelessness in Lexington. Key governmental partner for housing initiatives.
• Lexington VA Medical CentercoreOthersVeterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) HCV Partner providing housing assistance to veterans experiencing homelessness or at-risk.
• New Beginnings BluegrasssupportingOthersHCV Special Partner helping individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
• Virginia PlacesupportingOthersHCV Special Partner supporting single parents who are full-time students at a post-secondary educational institution.
• REACH (859-455-8057)supportingOthersCommunity organization contacted for homeownership assistance at newly constructed Shropshire Avenue homes.
• Black Soil KYminorOthersFarmacy Mobile Market providing farm fresh, locally grown produce and goods at LHA sites starting in July. Mission to provide affordable produce at lower cost than major retailers.
• AffordableHousing.com (formerly GoSection8)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline platform partner for listing rental properties. Provides enhanced program to list rental properties for Section 8 voucher holders seeking housing in the private market.
• Partners in Housing (Landlord Portal)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline landlord portal for Section 8 program management, Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) tracking, and property management.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreOthersFederal funding agency providing grants, regulatory oversight, and policy guidance for public housing authorities. Provides HOPE VI grants and ongoing operating funds.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Louisville Metro Housing Authority: Louisville's public housing authority and LHA's most geographically proximate peer in Kentucky. Operates a comparable mix of public housing units and Housing Choice Vouchers for low-income residents, providing a direct benchmark for program scale, rent reform, and MTW participation in the same state.
• Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority: Cincinnati's PHA serves a similarly-sized Ohio Valley metro and administers public housing plus a large HCV program. Comparable in operational scope (thousands of vouchers, scattered-site family housing) and faces similar HUD regulatory and funding dynamics as LHA.
• Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA): HACA manages public housing and HCV programs for the City of Austin and has been an MTW agency since 2010. Comparable to LHA in MTW-driven program flexibility and in operating a mixed portfolio of family, senior, and special-needs housing.
• Charlotte Housing Authority (INLIVIAN): Charlotte's PHA shares a name (and HOPE VI grant history) with LHA's Charlotte Court revitalization. Operates a similar mid-sized PHA portfolio of public housing and vouchers in a growing Southeastern metro.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Housing Authority: One of the largest U.S. housing authorities, CHA operates tens of thousands of public housing units and HCV vouchers and has a long history with HOPE VI redevelopment. Comparable as a large PHA executing mixed-finance development and managing family/senior housing portfolios similar to LHA's program mix.
• Atlanta Housing Authority: Atlanta Housing is a major southeastern PHA known for aggressive HOPE VI/mixed-income redevelopment and a Rental Assistance Demonstration program. Comparable to LHA in leveraging federal grants into larger capital projects and in administering a large HCV portfolio.
• San Antonio Housing Authority: SAHA operates public housing, HCV, and a substantial mixed-finance/affordable portfolio in a mid-sized Sun Belt city. Like LHA, it has invested in self-sufficiency programming and partnerships, making it a useful comparable for program design and portfolio scale.
• Boston Housing Authority: BHA operates thousands of public housing units and HCV vouchers and runs a large mixed-finance program. Comparable to LHA in administering senior housing, scattered-site family units, and homeownership pathways for HCV participants.
• Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO): HANO has one of the largest post-Katrina HOPE VI/mixed-finance redevelopment portfolios in the country and operates a comparable mix of family housing, senior housing, and HCV programming. Useful benchmark for capital project execution at a PHA scale similar to LHA.

Others

• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO): Not a peer operator but the trade body through which LHA engages with HUD, earns industry recognition (Simms's NAHRO Fellowship), and shares best practices with peer PHAs. Relevant ecosystem participant for benchmarking LHA's program design and capital strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LexingtonHousingAuthorityKY
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lexington-housing-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LHA