2018 ANNUAL REPORT 9 The Housing Choice Voucher program is the quintessential public/private partnership. Low- income households use publicly funded vouchers to help pay for private-market housing that would otherwise be unaffordable. To operate this program successfully in a tightening rental market with low vacancy rates and rapidly escalating rents, KCHA must continually innovate to ensure that the 11,400 low-income households housed annually through this program are well served. Our Moving to Work designation provides the flexibility necessary to test new ways of delivering efficient and effective housing assistance and customer service. Recent innovations include: •  ZIP code-based payment standards that more closely align subsidy levels with housing costs in differing sub-markets across the county. This approach provides voucher holders with broader geographic choice, and enables KCHA to avoid leading the market in lower-cost areas. •  A landlord liaison team that proactively develops relationships with landlords, strengthening customer responsiveness and assisting families with finding new units. •  Deposit assistance that ensures upfront costs are not insurmountable barriers for low-income households attempting to lease a unit. •  Business process improvements that streamline communications, apartment inspections, and paperwork in order to speed up the leasing process and provide better customer service to landlords and residents. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM: A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP