Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) has elevated Debbie Taylor-Allen to the position of vice president of rental assistance.
Debbie Taylor-Allen
Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation
“Debbie has done an excellent job managing Section 8 programs for KCDC,” said Ben Bentley, executive director and CEO of KCDC. “This new position within our organization now reflects her full responsibility and oversight, and she has definitely earned this new title.”
Taylor-Allen, who previously served as director of Section 8, administers multiple Section 8 programs for KCDC, including Housing Choice Vouchers; Homeownership; Project-Based Vouchers; and Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab); as well as Special Purpose Vouchers, including Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) and Veterans’ Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) and the Family Unification Program (FUP), which assists families for which living conditions are the only obstacle preventing them from being reunited with children in foster care and also helps young adults who age out of foster care.
Under Taylor-Allen’s direction, KCDC has consistently achieved a perfect 100% score under HUD’s Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP). Section 8 programs include about half of affordable housing units available through KCDC.
Taylor-Allen joined KCDC in 1991 as an occupancy assistant and has been promoted through the ranks over the last 29 years to her current position. She holds Section 8 Management Certification and a Public Housing Management certification through the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment (NAHRO).
She serves as treasurer of the Knoxville-Knox County Homeless Coalition, board member for the Family Crisis Center Advisory Board and chair of the Section 8 Committee for the Tennessee Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (TAHRA). She also is a member of the 2011 Knoxville-Knox County CAC Community Leadership Class.
She resides in Knoxville with her husband, Marshall. Taylor-Allen enjoys reading and outdoor activities and especially spending time with her children and grandchildren.