Cauthen & Associates is very familiar with the requirements of HUD Handbook 7401.7 The New Public Housing Agency (PHA) Personnel Policies Handbook, dated 10/87. This HUD handbook required that all Public Housing Authority (PHA) administrative staff salaries be comparable to local public practice. The comparability process described in the Handbook required the identification and use of pertinent local public entities which are suitable for comparison to the PHA. HUD no longer requires that PHA’s follow this handbook in preparing salary comparability studies. However, it is still recommended by HUD that the Handbook be used as a general guide. We utilize the basic steps outlined in the Handbook with the exception that rather than comparing job descriptions to that of “local public agencies” we will compare them to positions in similar sized housing authorizes in the region.
It must be understood that salary comparability is not an exact science or absolute in nature, but only provides a means of comparing similarities and differences in the duties performed. In addition, other factors, such as the size of the staff managed, number of clients (customers), and quantity and size of physical plant developed and maintained local area cost of living, must be considered in the overall evaluation.
