Housing Auth Of The County Of Dauphin

Housing Auth Of The County Of Dauphin, doing business as Definition Of Real Communications, is a U.S. local government entity and county housing authority headquartered in Steelton, Pennsylvania, that receives federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a prime recipient to operate and maintain public housing and support economic mobility programs serving lower-income residents in Dauphin County. The organization operates entirely as a grant recipient (100% of recent awards are prime grants); it does not hold federal contracts, sit on contract vehicles, or serve as a subcontractor.

The Housing Authority's federal footprint centers on three core HUD grant programs administered by the Public and Indian Housing Office and the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. The Public Housing Operating Fund (CFDA 14.850) dominates the portfolio, providing formula grants for day-to-day operational and maintenance expenses of public housing dwellings, including property management, routine and preventative maintenance, anti-crime and security initiatives, energy cost management, resident supportive services, insurance, debt service, and administrative program implementation. Recent operating fund awards obligated in 2026 include $352,511, $198,264, $178,140, $152,109, $136,593, $126,483, $124,392, and $115,391 across multiple obligations through 2032, with earlier awards running through 2028 and 2031. The Public Housing Capital Fund (CFDA 14.872) provides formula grants for public housing modernization, development, infrastructure improvements, and emergency repairs; a $2,076,864 award obligated on April 1, 2026, extends through March 31, 2030. The Family Self-Sufficiency Program (CFDA 14.896) funds FSS Program Coordinator positions supporting employment and economic mobility services to public housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher program participants; a $110,115 project grant covers 2026, with earlier awards completed in 2024 and 2025. The Continuum of Care Program, administered by HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, provides project grants for permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and supportive services for homeless individuals and families; awards dated July 1, 2025, June 1, 2024, June 1, 2023, and earlier years reflect ongoing participation.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development accounts for 100% of awards in the source data: the Public and Indian Housing Office funds 229 awards (operating and capital funds, plus family self-sufficiency grants), and the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development funds 38 awards (Continuum of Care program grants). Combined dollars obligated across all 267 awards total $84.7 million. Activity has remained stable year over year at 13 to 16 awards annually over the past five years, with 12 awards facing ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing renewal or recompete points in the formula-grant cycle. As a government entity rather than a vendor, the Housing Authority does not maintain SBA certifications, does not subcontract, and operates without competitive procurement exposure in the traditional federal contracting sense; its federal relationship is direct recipient status under mandatory HUD housing program formulas serving Dauphin County's public housing residents.