Our Staff
Debra Leggins, MS Accounting and Finance, PHM, HQS Certified - Partner
Qualifications: Debbie is the founder of Leggins Casterline & Company LLC. She has over 30 years of experience working for various housing authorities throughout the United States. She has worked with small, medium and large Public Housing Agencies (“PHAs”). Debbie’s strengths include all facets of PHA budgeting, accounting, internal reporting, and external HUD reporting, for most HUD programs. Reporting strengths include FDS, VMS, and EPIC among others. She is familiar with Public Housing, Capital Fund, PHAS (PASS, FASS, and MASS), HCV, Housing Operations, Inspections and many other areas.
Debbie began her career in 1992, working as the accountant for a group of 5 small PHAs under the management of the Mountain Grove Housing Authority, which was the town in which she grew up. In 1999 Debbie was recruited by the Orlando Housing Authority (OHA) to be the budget manager but was quickly promoted to the position of Finance Director. While working as Finance Director of OHA, Debbie also assisted Sanford and Seminole County housing authorities – implementing financial workout plans at each through a cooperative employee sharing arrangement with OHA. At OHA, Debbie and OHA employees were asked by the DC Housing Authority to assist in software implementation and other tasks. Debbie was also instrumental in successful applying for MTW while at OHA. In 2015 Debbie was recruited by the Punta Gorda Housing Authority (PGHA) as Deputy Executive Director and Finance Director where she has served in that capacity for several years as the PGHA developed multiple new apartment complexes utilizing the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC program).
Debbie has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Missouri State University, a Masters Degree in Accounting and Finance from Keller Graduate School of Management, has a Public Housing Manager (PHM) certification, is a certified Section 8 Manager, and a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Certified Inspector, among other certifications.
Jason E. Casterline, CPA - Partner
Qualifications: Jason is a principal with Leggins Casterline & Company. He has 39 years of experience assisting housing authorities in the areas of accounting, financial reporting and financial management. He has personally advised over 200 housing authorities in 23 states and US territories, including eight of the ten largest PHAs. He has delivered monthly and annual accounting services, conducted audits, assessed
Jason started his career in housing in 1985 with Heller and Company, and was promoted through various levels, ending his tenure there in 1995 as a partner with Heller Casterline & Blosky. While there, he became the first president of PHA Finance Inc.
Subsequently, Jason was the President of Casterline Associates PC for 23 years, from 1995 to 2018. Casterline Associates PC was a niche CPA firm focused mainly on providing accounting and financial consulting services to PHAs and HUD. In 2018, Casterline Associates PC was acquired by BDO USA LLP, where Jason served as a Managing Director for over 4 years. Jason left BDO USA LLP in late 2022 to join Housing Consultants USA where he currently serves full time as a partner.
During his career Jason has spoken before numerous state, regional and national housing associations. He has been sought after by HUD to participate in stakeholder meetings in Washington DC to discuss the development of such programs such as the transition to GAAP accounting, the new Operating Fund, Asset Management, PHAS, among others. Jason's firm Casterline Associates PC was chosen by HUD under an Indefinite Quantity Contract to assist in the assessment and turnaround of troubled PHAs. Jason has also assisted in writing REAC accounting briefs.
Jason is an honors graduate with a B.S. in Accounting from West Chester University, is a Certified Public Accountant in both Pennsylvania and Florida and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs. He currently resides in the state of Florida.
Other Personnel
Leggins Casterline & Company LLC has other available resources, including CPAs, MBAs, former CFOs of large PHAs, with a combined total of 55 years of experience working in the PHA industry.