So You’re a Commissioner
So you have been appointed as a commissioner. If you have never held this position before I am sure there are a myriad of feelings, you might be experiencing. Everything from “large and in charge” to “what have I done” and everything in between. A member of a Board of Commissioners is an important position and comes with a large responsibility to the community and the citizens of your area.
There is a lot of information necessary to be effective in this position. This is a position of trust.
Municipal Housing Law, I.E. Iowa Code Chapter 403a, covers the establishment and operations of all Iowa public housing agencies. You can download a copy at CHAPTER 403a.
The Housing Authorities operate within their Bylaws and a Commissioner should be aware of the Bylaws for the organization, sample Bylaws can be viewed at Board Bylaws Sample.
NAHRO has published a handbook for commissioners and is a great guide as an overview of responsibilities. It can be found at www.nahro.org or download a sample handbook.
Nan McKay also publishes a guide, Essentials for Commissioners. It can be found at Nan McKay or download a sample guide.