The Gainesville Housing Authority was recently honored for its performance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The authority was called a “high performer” for fiscal year 2012, a rating based on categories including physical, financial, management and capital fund, according to a news release. The authority received the maximum score in all but the physical category and scored 93 of 100 possible points overall.

“Obviously we’re pleased to be named a high performer, especially considering that most of our properties are 60-plus years old, and that our federal funding was cut by 71 percent the same year,” said Judith Escamilla, the authority’s executive director. “I think it shows true professionalism on the part of our staff.”

The authority manages almost 500 housing units in Gainesville and served 627 families identified as “very low income” during fiscal 2012.

The authority is home to almost 1,600 residents and works to foster community partnerships to offer education for personal improvement, especially related to financial independence.