The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, the National Coalition for the Homeless and other national leaders of the movement to end homelessness, in America, have written a letter to President-Elect Obama. Beyond offering congratulates, the letter urges strong leadership in strides to end homelessness by increasing affordable housing, ensuring adequate incomes, expanding access to health care, ensuring access to education for our homeless children and youth and protecting homeless people from discrimination.
The Task Force for the Homeless works in conjunction with NCH in the drafting of policy statements and stands in support of the suggestions and recommendations outlined in this letter.
November 25, 2008
President-Elect Barack Obama
Presidential Transition Team
5th and D St. NW
Washington, DC 20270
Dear President-Elect Obama,
We congratulate you on your election as the next President of the United States. As you move forward with your agenda, we urge you to give priority to the needs of America’s most vulnerable population – homeless persons.
The recent spikes in mortgage foreclosures and economic downturn have created a surge in demand for shelter and social services. As many as 3.5 million people are homeless over the course of a year, including 1.35 million children. Your strong leadership is needed to end this crisis. Solutions to address homelessness exist and they are centered on affordable housing, supportive services for those who need them, and adequate incomes. These solutions recognize that homelessness is more than just a charitable concern, but an issue of basic human rights that affects the overall wellbeing of our country.
We appreciate your leadership in the Senate to prevent homelessness among veterans, through your sponsorship of the Homes for Heroes Act, and Vice President-Elect Biden’s leadership in the Senate to prevent domestic violence survivors from becoming homeless, through the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
As leaders of the movement to end homelessness in America, we call upon you to build on this work by committing to take, and ask the Congress to take, these six key steps to move us significantly towards the goal of ending homelessness in America:
1. Commit to End Homelessness—Now
During the first year of your Administration, hold a White House Conference on Homelessness at which a federal, interagency plan to end homelessness in the United States is presented. The plan should have concrete goals and timelines.
2. Increase Access to Affordable Housing Fund at least 150,000 new housing vouchers each year to help address the critical shortage of rental housing affordable to people with extremely low incomes who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; create and sustain 90,000 additional units of permanent supportive housing; add 20,000 new HUD-VASH vouchers and 40,000 new units of permanent supportive housing for veterans who are homeless or at risk; fully fund the housing programs created by the Violence Against Women Act; increase funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, and provide 19,000 vouchers for homeless families under the Family Unification Program. Further, prevent low-income people from becoming homeless as a result of the current foreclosure crisis by providing $575 million in emergency funding to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to use to assist tenants displaced by foreclosure.
3. Ensure Adequate Incomes
Ensure that every American has an annual income—whether through wages, public income assistance, tax credits, or a combination thereof—sufficient to obtain and maintain permanent housing that costs no more than 30 percent of the household’s income.
4. Expand Access to Health Services
Ensure that your health care plan guarantees access and eliminates all financial barriers to comprehensive health services – including mental health care – for all Americans, and enact Medicaid policies that allow reimbursement for effective services that help reduce the use of more costly emergency and hospital care.
5. Ensure Access to Education for Homeless Children and Youth
By 2010, strengthen educational access and stability for homeless children and youth, including young children and unaccompanied youth, through the reauthorization and the full funding of the education title of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and expanded access to Head Start.
6. Protect Homeless People from Discrimination
Homeless persons’ civil rights to vote, to frequent public places, to utilize public facilities, and to enjoy equal protection of the law must be supported and advanced.
We urge you to adopt these recommendations as a first step towards ending homelessness in America. A more detailed explanation of the recommendations and their rationale is enclosed. We stand ready to assist you and your staff. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your staff.
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For more information, please contact Laurel Weir, Policy Director, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, at 202-638-2535, x210.
Respectfully,
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
America’s Road Home Corporation for Supportive Housing
Give Us Your Poor
National AIDS Housing Council
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Center for Housing and Child Welfare
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Housing Law Project
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness
Ending the Crisis of Homelessness in America
Background for Recommendations to President-Elect Obama
1. Commit to End Homelessness—Now.
Background: Solutions to homelessness exist and thousands of programs are implementing them across the country, but these groups do not have the resources to bring them to the scale needed to solve the problem. Further, many state and local governments have created plans to end homelessness in their communities, but they are hampered by the lack of federal support. While President Bush made a commitment, albeit limited, to end some forms of homelessness, federal support was not forthcoming. Public opinion surveys consistently show that the American people favor government action to end homelessness, and would pay higher taxes to fund it. Coordinated federal action, funding and leadership are needed, and White House leadership is essential to mobilizing the political will to end the crisis.
Recommendation: During the first year of your Administration, hold a White House Conference on Homelessness at which a federal, interagency plan to end homelessness in the United States is presented. The plan should have concrete goals and timelines.
2. Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing
Background: Federal funding for affordable housing has been slashed over the past 30 years; in the private market, gentrification has replaced inexpensive housing with luxury residential or commercial property, without provision for those displaced. Currently, in no U.S. county can a minimum wage worker afford a one-bedroom apartment, according to federal affordability guidelines. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), approximately 5.99 million low-income households had worst case housing needs in 2005, the most recent year for which data is available; that number does not include persons who were homeless or who were living doubled up. Even emergency shelter is insufficient: according to the most recent data from HUD, approximately 280,000 persons were unsheltered on a single night in 2007.
Subpopulations of homeless and at risk people have particular needs. Homeless veterans, both men and women, account for 30% of the adult homeless population, and the numbers threaten to rise as a result of inadequate support for those returning from the current Gulf wars. For women, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness, but there is a severe shortage of housing for women fleeing abuse. Unaccompanied youth also face a shortage of housing options – in 2007, programs funded by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act made street contacts with over 740,000 youths, but only 7% received shelter or housing options. Additionally, many homeless persons have disabilities or suffer from addictions and need permanent, supportive housing. For example, access to affordable housing is critical for persons with HIV/AIDS – a 15-year longitudinal study by Columbia University found housing to be one of the primary needs for persons living with HIV/AIDS, and housing with supportive services provided a critical pathway to HIV care and treatment.
Recommendation: Fund at least 150,000 new housing vouchers each year to help address the critical shortage of rental housing affordable to people with extremely low incomes who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; create and sustain 90,000 additional units of permanent supportive housing; add 20,000 new HUD-VASH vouchers and 40,000 new units of permanent supportive housing for veterans who are homeless or at risk by enacting and fully funding the Homes for Heroes bill you introduced; and fully fund the housing programs created by the Violence Against Women Act, sponsored by Vice-President Elect Biden. Additionally, quickly promulgate regulations for the National Housing Trust Fund and work to increase Trust Fund funding to $5 billion. Protect homeless families by providing 19,000 housing vouchers under the Family Unification Program. Lastly, prevent low-income people from becoming homeless as a result of the current foreclosure crisis by immediately providing $575 million to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to use to assist tenants displaced by foreclosure.
3. Ensure Adequate Incomes
Background: Approximately 44% of the adult homeless population has performed some type of work for pay in any given month, yet most do not make enough to afford housing. Many more homeless persons may be unable to work due to disabling conditions – some 31% of homeless adults experience mental illness, addiction or both in a year; and approximately 45% suffer from chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, or lost limbs. Yet, while many are eligible for disability benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) programs, only 11% receive SSI and only 8% receive SSDI benefits.
Recommendation: Ensure that every American has an annual income—whether through wages, public income assistance, tax credits, or a combination thereof—sufficient to obtain and maintain permanent housing that costs no more than 30 percent of the household’s income.
4. Expand Access to Health Services
Background: Homeless people suffer from multiple health problems at a rate far higher than the general U.S. population, yet 55% have no medical insurance; only 30% receive Medicaid, and only 7% receive medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Once people become homeless, they have shorter life spans than housed persons, and are three or four times more likely to die prematurely due at least in part to untreated medical problems. When homeless persons are hospitalized, they remain in the hospital longer than housed persons with similar ailments. Mental health and substance abuse disorders are also common – as many as 74% of homeless adults have experienced a mental health, alcohol, or drug problem within the past year. Without access to treatment, these issues may both prolong and be exacerbated by homelessness.
Recommendation: Ensure that your health care plan guarantees access and eliminates all financial barriers to comprehensive health services – including mental health services – for all Americans, and enact Medicaid policies that allow reimbursement for effective services that help reduce the use of more costly emergency and hospital care.
5. Ensure Access to Education for Homeless Children and Youth
Background: School is a place of safety, structure, and opportunity. Yet homeless children and youth face unique barriers to education. These barriers include being unable to meet enrollment requirements, high residential mobility, lack of transportation, lack of school supplies and clothing, and poor health, fatigue, and hunger. When these barriers are not addressed, homeless children and youth often are unable to attend, or even enroll in, school, which prevents them from obtaining the education that is guaranteed under law and is their best hope of escaping poverty as adults. The McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program was created specifically to remove the barriers to education, including early childhood education, caused by homelessness. It was amended most recently in Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Recommendation: By 2010, strengthen educational access and stability for homeless children and youth, including young children and unaccompanied youth, through the reauthorization and the full funding of the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act.
6. Protect Homeless People from Discrimination
Background: Homeless persons encounter many challenges not faced by housed persons when trying to exercise basic civil rights. Homeless persons seeking to vote or register to vote may face obstacles because of their inability to prove residency or because they lack the necessary identification documents such as a photo ID. The lack of ID also may cause them to be denied access to government buildings, such as Social Security offices, even when the purpose of their visit is to obtain replacement identification documents.
City ordinances frequently serve as a tool for criminalizing homelessness – prohibiting persons from engaging in necessary, life-sustaining activities in public spaces even when those persons have nowhere else to go. Furthermore, some cities have taken the criminalization of homelessness a step further, by prohibiting public feeding of groups of homeless persons or limiting feeding to certain parts of the city.
Recommendation: Homeless persons’ civil rights to vote, to frequent public places, to utilize public facilities, and to enjoy equal protection of the law must be supported and advanced.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
USA TODAY – HOMELESS NUMBERS ALARMING!
By Wendy Koch
More families with children are becoming homeless as they face mounting economic pressures, including mortgage foreclosures, according to a USA TODAY survey of a dozen of the largest cities in the nation.
Local authorities say the number of families seeking help has risen in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington.
"Everywhere I go, I hear there is an increase" in the need for housing aid, especially for families, says Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates federal programs. He says the main causes are job losses and foreclosures.
Other factors have been higher food and fuel prices hitting families with "no cushion," says Nan Roman of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Many mayors have 10-year plans to end homelessness and had reported progress until this year. The most recent official count, in January 2007, found 671,888 people living on U.S. streets or in shelters, down 12% from January 2005.
"We saw family homelessness began to increase last winter," says Sally Erickson, Portland's homeless program manager. "There's definitely a spike in the last six months." The number of requests for emergency shelter doubled from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal 2008, which ended in June.
Darlene Newsom, who runs United Methodist Outreach Ministries' New Day Centers, which provide shelter programs for families in Phoenix, says the number of requests is "alarming." She says families who never sought help before are calling.
Los Angeles says it has no 2008 data. Miami reports no major change. Chicago has not had a surge in requests, but more come from renters evicted because of landlords' foreclosure, says Nancy Radner of the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.
USA TODAY found:
• In New York City, 2,747 families applied for shelter in September 2008, up from 2,087 in September 2007.
• In Hennepin County, including Minneapolis, 880 families were in shelters from January through August 2008, up from 698 in that period last year. At least 10% this year came from foreclosed properties where most had been renters, says Cathy ten Broeke, county coordinator to end homelessness.
Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania professor of social policy, expects foreclosures to cause a "big increase" in homeless families.
Mangano says a new federal law gives communities $3.9 billion to buy foreclosed properties or provide services to the homeless.
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BELOW ARE A FEW ARTICLES RE: HOUSING FROM OUR ARCHIVES THAT RELATE TO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HOUSING AS IT RELATES TO POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS...
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More families with children are becoming homeless as they face mounting economic pressures, including mortgage foreclosures, according to a USA TODAY survey of a dozen of the largest cities in the nation.
Local authorities say the number of families seeking help has risen in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington.
"Everywhere I go, I hear there is an increase" in the need for housing aid, especially for families, says Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates federal programs. He says the main causes are job losses and foreclosures.
Other factors have been higher food and fuel prices hitting families with "no cushion," says Nan Roman of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Many mayors have 10-year plans to end homelessness and had reported progress until this year. The most recent official count, in January 2007, found 671,888 people living on U.S. streets or in shelters, down 12% from January 2005.
"We saw family homelessness began to increase last winter," says Sally Erickson, Portland's homeless program manager. "There's definitely a spike in the last six months." The number of requests for emergency shelter doubled from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal 2008, which ended in June.
Darlene Newsom, who runs United Methodist Outreach Ministries' New Day Centers, which provide shelter programs for families in Phoenix, says the number of requests is "alarming." She says families who never sought help before are calling.
Los Angeles says it has no 2008 data. Miami reports no major change. Chicago has not had a surge in requests, but more come from renters evicted because of landlords' foreclosure, says Nancy Radner of the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.
USA TODAY found:
• In New York City, 2,747 families applied for shelter in September 2008, up from 2,087 in September 2007.
• In Hennepin County, including Minneapolis, 880 families were in shelters from January through August 2008, up from 698 in that period last year. At least 10% this year came from foreclosed properties where most had been renters, says Cathy ten Broeke, county coordinator to end homelessness.
Dennis Culhane, a University of Pennsylvania professor of social policy, expects foreclosures to cause a "big increase" in homeless families.
Mangano says a new federal law gives communities $3.9 billion to buy foreclosed properties or provide services to the homeless.
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BELOW ARE A FEW ARTICLES RE: HOUSING FROM OUR ARCHIVES THAT RELATE TO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HOUSING AS IT RELATES TO POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS...
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Thursday, August 7, 2008
PRESIDENT SIGNS HOUSING TRUST FUND INTO LAW!!!
A Message from the National Housing Trust Fund Campaign:
July 30, 2008 / Today, President George W. Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Among the bill’s numerous provisions is the establishment of a national Housing Trust Fund. This is a major victory for low income housing advocates and the lowest income people in our country with the most serious needs.
The Housing Trust Fund’s most important features are:
It is a permanent program with a dedicated source of funding not subject to the annual appropriations process.
At least 90% of the funds must be used for the production, preservation, rehabilitation, or operation of rental housing. Up to 10% can be used for the following homeownership activities for first-time homebuyers: production, preservation, and rehabilitation; down payment assistance, closing cost assistance, and assistance for interest rate buy-downs.
At least 75% of the funds for rental housing must benefit extremely low income households and all funds must benefit very low income households.
This is the first new federal housing production program since the HOME program was created in 1990 and the first new production program specifically targeted to extremely low income households since the Section 8 program was created in 1974.
Funds for the Housing Trust Fund will come from annual contributions made by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The amount will be based on a percentage of each company’s annual new business. Using the formula in the bill, the amount in 2007 would have been $557 million. Because their new business is increasing, the amount in 2008 is expected to be higher. However, 25% of the funds each year must first go to a reserve fund at the Treasury to offset scoring problems.
The remaining 75% of the funds will be divided between the Housing Trust Fund, which gets 65%, and a new Capital Magnet Fund that gets 35%. For the first three years, a percentage of the funds (100% in FY09, 50% in FY10, and 25% in FY11) will be diverted to a reserve fund to cover losses that the FHA might incur refinancing troubled mortgages through the new HOPE for Homeowners program (see article below). Based on the projected amount the formula will produce in calendar year 2008, approximately $300 million would have been available for the housing trust fund this year had it been in place with no diversions for the HOPE for Homeowners reserve fund. Funds not needed to cover FHA losses eventually will revert to the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund.
Given the recent instability of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, concerns have been raised about whether any funds will be available for new programs. The new regulator has the authority to suspend contributions under certain circumstances related the fiscal distress of the GSEs. However, no money will be available for the Housing Trust Fund until FY10, by which time Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s fiscal conditions are expected to be much improved.
Now that it has achieved this important and long-sought milestone, the National Housing Trust Fund Campaign will turn its attention to the next two steps towards achieving its goal of 1.5 million homes in 10 years. The first is implementation of the program—working with HUD to create an effective and timely fund distribution system. The second is to identify and advocate for additional sources of dedicated revenue. The bill specifically provides that Congress may “transfer, appropriate, or credit” other funds to the Housing Trust Fund.
More details about the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund provisions follow:
Housing Trust Fund
For the purposes of federal civil rights laws, the Housing Trust Fund is considered federal financial assistance. All activities carried out must comply with federal laws on tenant protection and tenant participation, laws requiring public participation, and fair housing and laws related to accessibility for people with disabilities.
It will be administered by HUD, which will provide grants to states, which will designate a state housing finance agency, housing and community development entity, a tribal designated housing entity, or any other qualified agency to receive the grants.
The HUD Secretary is to establish a distribution formula to the states within 12 months of enactment of the bill. The formula should include the following factors:
the ratio of the shortage of affordable and available rental units to extremely low income renter households in the state to the aggregate shortage of affordable and available rental units to extremely low income renter households in all the states (this factor is to be given “priority emphasis”);
the ratio of the shortage of affordable and available rental units to very low income renter households in the state to the aggregate shortage of affordable and available rental units to very low income renter households in all the states;
the ratio of extremely low income renter households in the state living with either incomplete kitchens or plumbing facilities, more than one person per room, or paying more than 50% of their income for housing costs to the aggregate number of extremely low income renter households living with either incomplete kitchens or plumbing facilities, more than one person per room, or paying more than 50% of income for housing costs in all the states;
the ratio of very low income renter households in the state paying more than 50% of income on rent compared to the aggregate number of very low income renter households paying more than 50% of income on rent in all the states.
The sum of those factors will be multiplied by the approximate cost of construction in the state to determine the final amount of funding allocated to each state. However, the minimum state allocation will be at least $3 million annually.
Each year that the state receives a grant, it must establish a plan to distribute the funds and allow public comments on the plan. The plan must detail the eligible uses including the required income targeting.
Eligible recipients of grants from the states are organizations and agencies (for-profit and non-profit) that demonstrate 1) the experience and capacity to produce the kind of housing the program calls for, 2) the financial capacity to undertake the eligible activity, and 3) familiarity with federal, state, and local housing programs.
Prohibited uses are political activities, lobbying, counseling, traveling and administrative
expenses, or endorsements of a particular candidate or party.
Recipients must conduct and submit periodic financial and project reports, and conform to audit and record retention requirements. If a recipient misuses the funds allocated to it, it must reimburse their grant to the state within 12 months after their misuse is known. Either the Secretary of HUD or the state can determine if a grant is being misused.
States must submit an annual report describing the activities for which they used the funding. If the Secretary determines that the state is blatantly not complying with the requirements, the Secretary can reduce the amount of the grant to the state, limit the availability of assistance, or require the state to reimburse the Secretary.
States must spend the allotted amount in two years or the funds are returned to HUD.
If another affordable housing trust fund is established by law, the funds meant for the trust fund created in this bill will be transferred to the new affordable housing trust fund.
Capital Magnet Fund
Establishes a Capital Magnet Fund (CMF), which will be an account within the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund at the Department of Treasury, which is also allowed to receive additional funding from other sources.
Eligible recipients are Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution or non-profits that have at least one of their purposes the development or management of affordable housing.
Eligible recipients can apply for a competitive grant through the Treasury to help develop, preserve, purchase, and rehabilitate affordable housing for mostly extremely low, very low, and low income families. Grant funds may also be used for economic development or community service facilities in conjunction with affordable housing to help stabilize a low-income or rural area.
The CMF may also be used to provide loan loss reserves, to capitalize a revolving loan fund or an affordable housing fund, or for risk-sharing loans.
Applications for the competitive grants are required to include a detailed description of the types of affordable housing, economic, and community revitalization projects the institution would use the grant for, and the anticipated time frame they intend to use it.
No institution can be awarded more than 15% of all Capital Magnet funds available for grants in that year.
The Secretary is encouraged to fund activities in rural or underserved metropolitan areas.
Among the criteria in determining which areas should be served are:
o the percentage of low income families or the extent of poverty
o the rate of unemployment or underemployment
o the extent of blight and disinvestment
o projects targeting extremely low, very low , and low income families in an area of economic distress
o or any other criteria chosen by the Secretary
Institutions receiving grants must spend the funds within two years from the date of receiving
them.
Prohibited uses are political activities, advocacy, lobbying, counseling services, travel expenses, and endorsements of a particular candidate or party.
Each grantee must track its funds by issuing periodic financial and project reporting, and audit requirements. If the Secretary is not satisfied with the compliance, the grantee may receive fewer funds, have to pay the Treasury back, or have their grant terminated.
The Secretary must submit a periodic report to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services describing the activities these funds are being used for.
For more information, go to www.nhtf.org.
Monday, July 28, 2008
U.N. Weighs in Against Demolishing Public Housing
John Moreno Gonzales / Associated Press Writer / Thursday, February 28, 2008
New Orleans advocates who've clamored for recognition of alleged human rights violations in the Hurricane Katrina recovery claimed victory Thursday, after United Nations' experts said thousands of black families would continue to suffer displacement and homelessness if the demolition of 4,500 public housing units is not halted.
"I think this is vindication of what public housing advocates have been saying from day one," said Monique Harden, co-director of the public interest law firm Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, who testified before Geneva-based U.N. experts.
"Recovery must mean the end of displacement for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast," added Harden, who returned to New Orleans last week. "What we have instead is recovery that demolishes affordable housing."
U.N.-appointed experts Miloon Kothari, the U.N. Human Rights Council's investigator for housing, and Gay McDougall, an expert on minority issues, urged U.S. and local government leaders to further include current and former residents in discussions that would help them return home.
"The spiraling costs of private housing and rental units, and in particular the demolition of public housing, puts these communities in further distress, increasing poverty and homelessness," said a joint statement by the men. "We therefore call on the Federal Government and State and local authorities to immediately halt the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans."
But local officials said the U.N. experts were too detached from the complexities of the post-Katrina city to claim razing of the buildings was racist. City officials were riled, but mostly planned to ignore the finding.
"The past model of public housing in New Orleans has been a failed one - years of neglect and mismanagement left our public housing developments in ruin," said a joint statement issued by the city council Thursday. "These are critical times in our city's history - we can choose to continue on the path of progress and positive change or we can choose to maintain the status quo."
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also weighed in, calling the U.N. expert findings "misinformed."
"We do not want to relegate thousands of minority and low-income families back into the sub-standard conditions of New Orleans' public housing - conditions only made worse by Hurricane Katrina," said a statement issued by HUD's press offices.
The expert comments did not entail an official U.N. resolution, but came a day before a larger U.N. racism panel planned to discuss Katrina recovery efforts and public housing in New Orleans. Neither opinion carries legal or regulatory power.
The demolition of the housing projects appears all but assured, early stages have begun at some developments only demolition permits remain for others. The council voted unanimously in December to raze the units. Still, critics say it was the council's first major action after the election of a white majority that reflected demographic shifts caused by Katrina.
"After the disaster there was a desire for a clean slate on the part of local leaders," said Robert Tannen, a local urban planner and housing advocate. "And that clean slate mostly displaces poor and minority residents."
Since the storm in August 2005, the city's black population has plummeted by 57 percent, while the white population fell 36 percent, according to U.S. Census data. Blacks now make up roughly 58 percent of New Orleans compared to 67 percent before the storm. Blacks have been in the majority for about three decades.
New Orleans has seen 65 percent of its total population return, according to a local demographer who uses utility hookups to offer the most detailed figures. But some black enclaves are a fraction of what they were, and others see their very existence threatened.
According to demographer Greg Rigamer, the Lower 9th Ward has seen only 9.9 percent of its population return. A traditionally mixed-race neighborhood within the Lower 9th, Holy Cross, has fared better with a 37 percent return, benefiting from the work of preservationists who seek to restore the federally declared historic district. Eastern New Orleans, a sprawling area that includes the black upper middle-class enclave of Eastover, has nearly kept pace with the overall return, with about 60 percent of its residents home.
But Rigamer's numbers bear out the racial and economic underpinnings of the recovery. Affluent and mostly white areas not only have all their residents back, but are growing. The Garden District has seen 107 percent of its population return, the French Quarter 103 percent, and an adjacent neighborhood called Faubourg Marigny has a 100.3 percent return rate.
Tannen, who has advocated for the housing to be improved but not destroyed, said while the focus on public housing is symbolically powerful, the loss of working-class rental units to Katrina is more significant.
According to the Oakland, Calif., think tank PolicyLink, hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed 41,000 apartments affordable to people earning less than the area's median income, and only 43 percent will be rebuilt under federal programs. Prospects are bleakest for those earning less-than $26,150. According to the think tank, only 16 percent of housing affordable to them is scheduled for federally funded redevelopment.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
New Orleans advocates who've clamored for recognition of alleged human rights violations in the Hurricane Katrina recovery claimed victory Thursday, after United Nations' experts said thousands of black families would continue to suffer displacement and homelessness if the demolition of 4,500 public housing units is not halted.
"I think this is vindication of what public housing advocates have been saying from day one," said Monique Harden, co-director of the public interest law firm Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, who testified before Geneva-based U.N. experts.
"Recovery must mean the end of displacement for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast," added Harden, who returned to New Orleans last week. "What we have instead is recovery that demolishes affordable housing."
U.N.-appointed experts Miloon Kothari, the U.N. Human Rights Council's investigator for housing, and Gay McDougall, an expert on minority issues, urged U.S. and local government leaders to further include current and former residents in discussions that would help them return home.
"The spiraling costs of private housing and rental units, and in particular the demolition of public housing, puts these communities in further distress, increasing poverty and homelessness," said a joint statement by the men. "We therefore call on the Federal Government and State and local authorities to immediately halt the demolitions of public housing in New Orleans."
But local officials said the U.N. experts were too detached from the complexities of the post-Katrina city to claim razing of the buildings was racist. City officials were riled, but mostly planned to ignore the finding.
"The past model of public housing in New Orleans has been a failed one - years of neglect and mismanagement left our public housing developments in ruin," said a joint statement issued by the city council Thursday. "These are critical times in our city's history - we can choose to continue on the path of progress and positive change or we can choose to maintain the status quo."
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also weighed in, calling the U.N. expert findings "misinformed."
"We do not want to relegate thousands of minority and low-income families back into the sub-standard conditions of New Orleans' public housing - conditions only made worse by Hurricane Katrina," said a statement issued by HUD's press offices.
The expert comments did not entail an official U.N. resolution, but came a day before a larger U.N. racism panel planned to discuss Katrina recovery efforts and public housing in New Orleans. Neither opinion carries legal or regulatory power.
The demolition of the housing projects appears all but assured, early stages have begun at some developments only demolition permits remain for others. The council voted unanimously in December to raze the units. Still, critics say it was the council's first major action after the election of a white majority that reflected demographic shifts caused by Katrina.
"After the disaster there was a desire for a clean slate on the part of local leaders," said Robert Tannen, a local urban planner and housing advocate. "And that clean slate mostly displaces poor and minority residents."
Since the storm in August 2005, the city's black population has plummeted by 57 percent, while the white population fell 36 percent, according to U.S. Census data. Blacks now make up roughly 58 percent of New Orleans compared to 67 percent before the storm. Blacks have been in the majority for about three decades.
New Orleans has seen 65 percent of its total population return, according to a local demographer who uses utility hookups to offer the most detailed figures. But some black enclaves are a fraction of what they were, and others see their very existence threatened.
According to demographer Greg Rigamer, the Lower 9th Ward has seen only 9.9 percent of its population return. A traditionally mixed-race neighborhood within the Lower 9th, Holy Cross, has fared better with a 37 percent return, benefiting from the work of preservationists who seek to restore the federally declared historic district. Eastern New Orleans, a sprawling area that includes the black upper middle-class enclave of Eastover, has nearly kept pace with the overall return, with about 60 percent of its residents home.
But Rigamer's numbers bear out the racial and economic underpinnings of the recovery. Affluent and mostly white areas not only have all their residents back, but are growing. The Garden District has seen 107 percent of its population return, the French Quarter 103 percent, and an adjacent neighborhood called Faubourg Marigny has a 100.3 percent return rate.
Tannen, who has advocated for the housing to be improved but not destroyed, said while the focus on public housing is symbolically powerful, the loss of working-class rental units to Katrina is more significant.
According to the Oakland, Calif., think tank PolicyLink, hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed 41,000 apartments affordable to people earning less than the area's median income, and only 43 percent will be rebuilt under federal programs. Prospects are bleakest for those earning less-than $26,150. According to the think tank, only 16 percent of housing affordable to them is scheduled for federally funded redevelopment.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Monday, July 14, 2008
HUD Grants Approval to Demolish Bowen Homes
(FROM ATLANTA PROGRESSIVE NEWS) ATLANTA - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) granted the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) approval June 20, 2008, to move forward with plans to relocate the residents of Bowen Homes and demolish the complex.
The AHA has been working for over a year to demolish Bowen Homes and the other 11 remaining public housing complexes under their jurisdiction. Five were demolished last year, leaving seven left, including Bowen.
As this story went to press, APN received unconfirmed reports that HUD has now also approved demolishing Bankhead Courts, Herndon Homes, Hollywood Courts, and Thomasville Heights, the last of the family developments. If the information is confirmed, this would leave just two senior high-rises-Palmer House and Roosevelt House-under consideration with HUD.
There are about a dozen additional senior high-rises and small developments not affected by the demolition plans. AHA's director, Renee Glover, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) newspaper, these would not be set for demolition; however, AHA requested City funds for redevelopment at these sites and suggested possible demolitions even for these communities at its most recent annual public hearing.
If successful, AHA would become the first large city in the United States to demolish all of its public housing communities.
The AHA submitted the Bowen Homes application March 17, 2008, to HUD, arguing that Bowen Homes has become physically obsolete, meaning that it would cost too much to renovate; and that it has become a haven for violence and crime.
"It don't surprise me in a way but I expected HUD to take a look a little deeper than they did," Shirley Hightower, President of the Bowen Homes resident association, told APN.
Hightower believes the AHA exaggerated its crime statistics and added that crime committed on the site is perpetrated by outside individuals.
The City Council of Atlanta had approved two resolutions in February 2008 proposed by Councilwoman Felicia Moore, providing for increased oversight of AHA's demolition applications.
The first resolution had allowed Moore one month to review the applications for Bankhead, Bowen, and Hollywood. Moore reviewed the applications and asked questions, but said she was not satisfied with the answers. Moore did not take any additional action after that point, telling APN she was fed up with AHA, and that she would address them again when they sought more funding from the City.
The second resolution, accepting measures volunteered by AHA, allowed the Community Resources and Human Development Committee (CDHR) three weeks to review all other demolition applications, which AHA never provided. APN made the Committee aware of this but no Members ever took action.
The second resolution also provided that AHA would hold quarterly presentations for CDHR. These presentations never occurred. Councilman Ivory Young told APN he inquired to AHA as to when the date of the first one would be, but never advised of one being scheduled. AHA was also supposed to hold two public hearings which never occurred.
Meanwhile, APN had sent in 82 questions to AHA, which they never answered. HUD promised resident leaders in writing this spring that the demolitions would not be approved until all the questions were answered. Neither APN nor residents have received the answers to the questions to date.
QUESTIONS LINGER OVER PHYSICAL OBSOLESCENCE - The AHA concluded, and HUD concurred, that it would be more cost effective to demolish Bowen Homes than redesign and rehabilitate the complex, according to a copy of a letter from HUD's Special Applications Center (SAC) in Chicago, to HUD's Atlanta Office of Public Housing, obtained by Atlanta Progressive News.
However, HUD's concurrence raises serious questions about its implementation of its own rules regarding physical obsolescence.
As previously reported by APN, AHA submitted inflated renovation budgets for multiple communities to make the cost of renovation seem unaffordable. They did this by including interior and exterior renovations to bring the units up to market standards as well as numerous luxury and aesthetic amenities. Meanwhile, HUD instructs AHA to provide renovation budgets for HUD's analysis, which include a reasonable program of modifications to bring the community back to "useful life," not market standards.
AHA initially placed the cost of redesigning and rehabilitating Bowen Homes at $103,351,472. HUD's SAC conducted a tour of the facility April 30, 2008, through May 2, 2008. "In summary, all major electrical and mechanical systems need upgrading and a central air conditioning system should replace the window-mounted units (these units were purchased by individual residents)," according to HUD's approval letter.
"None of the buildings' units comply with Section 504 requirements and the physical design makes retrofitting nearly impossible without major rehabilitation."
Jones attributed any disrepair at Bowen Homes to the lack of care and attention paid by the AHA over the years more than anything else.
While federal funding for public housing has decreased by 20% under the Bush Administration, AHA has increased revenue from its own residents by raising their rents; therefore, AHA has chosen to spend money on demolitions instead of improvements.
After the SAC inspection, the AHA removed "several ineligible items" from its estimate, such as a swimming pool, microwave range hoods, dishwashers, garbage disposals, and "other amenities and luxury items." This suggests that HUD took some notice of the questions raised by APN.
However, HUD allowed AHA to continue to include market-based improvements which are not based on any deficiencies with the buildings. "The exterior design readily identifies this site as public housing. Redesigning the exterior will require additions to the rear of the buildings, defined off-street parking, new fencing, sidewalks, and rear patios," HUD wrote.
"In order to make the units marketable, a redesign of the interior units is required since the bedrooms are too small by today's standards, a separate dining area is needed for larger families, and all kitchens and bathrooms will require upgrading," HUD wrote.
Still, with the swimming pool and other luxury items taken out, the new cost fell to
$72,649,543 with a separate cost for redesign that totaled $27,694,525.
Then, "the SAC modified the revised cost estimates by adjusting the quantity of interior doors, windows, light fixtures, and the demolition of some interior doors," according to HUD's approval letter. "The SAC also removed the rehabilitation cost for an administration and community building as [HUD] is comparing the rehabilitation cost with [Total Development Cost] TDC of units only."
As a result, the adjusted cost fell to $66,588,209, which is 58.90 percent of the Total Development Cost (TDC) limit. Regulations do not permit HUD to consider modifications cost effective if the modifications exceed 57.14 percent of the TDC at the time the application is submitted.
Thus, if the cost had been slightly lower-which it would have been by far if the exterior and interior market-based modifications were excluded-the demolitions could not have been approved.
RELOCATION - The relocation of remaining residents at Bowen Homes is expected to begin in July and will take approximately 12 to 18 months to complete. Relocation is expected to cost $5,718,120, which includes moving expenses for each family as well as staff salaries for relocation teams.
Hightower told APN residents are scared and uncertain of the future.
"They're not ready to leave but yet they want to go," she said. "They don't have the means to go."
As previously reported in APN, while the majority of residents attending association meetings at Bowen Homes and Bankhead Courts say they want to move, this does not reflect all of the communities. The majority of residents at Hollywood Courts and Palmer House have signed petitions stating they do not want to move. APN has no information regarding the wishes of residents at Herndon Homes, Thomasville Heights, or Roosevelt House.
The AHA said it will give residents Section 8 vouchers that will allow them to move elsewhere. Complaints on these Section 8 vouchers have included: not every resident that wants one has received one, residents are having a hard time finding another place to live, and some landlords do not take the vouchers.
Hightower told APN that those who have moved elsewhere on Housing Choice Vouchers are having a hard time adjusting.
"Most of the people I talk to on Section 8, it's not the rent, it's the utility bills that whip them," Hightower said. "In public housing, you get behind in rent, at least you get to catch up on your late fees. You're in Section 8, you don't pay your rent, you're gone."
Once all the residents are gone, AHA can begin demolishing Bowen Homes at an estimated cost of $5,850,000. The AHA plans to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Atlanta's developer and investor community to build a mixed-use, mixed-income development.
AHA is no longer required to provide one-for-one replacement housing and HUD is not obligated to fund replacement housing due to changes in federal law over the last few years. Lindsay Jones, an Atlanta attorney who has been working with public housing residents for several months, told APN that HUD did not look close enough at the AHA's relocation plan, which he argues violates the US Fair Housing Act, which HUD enforces.
Jones, along with other individuals and groups, submitted evidence along with the AHA application that he said proves the violation. "It's obviously surprising to receive notice of HUD's approval, in light of all this evidence given to HUD," he told APN.
Jones and Hightower contend that under AHA's relocation plan, residents are either being moved from one public housing complex to another or placed in areas that are socially and economically segregated without access to good jobs, schools, or retail opportunities.
"I want to know, where are they going?" Hightower asked, adding the new places are "no better than where they left from." No resident should be relocated until the AHA brings its relocation plans in accordance with the Fair Housing Act, Jones said.
Advocates will take this complaint to the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office (FHEO) within HUD's Atlanta regional office for an appeal and also pursue other legal options.
RESIDENT CONSULTATION - HUD decided the AHA has met the requirements for resident consultation as required by federal law.
"In the application, the AHA states that they have worked diligently to keep AHA-assisted residents and the resident leadership fully informed of its plans for relocation and demolition and has engaged in significant consultation with residents and resident leaders to ensure that their questions, suggestions, and concerns have been addressed," according to HUD's approval letter.
The approval letter noted the AHA met with the Bowen Homes Resident Association April 26, July 26, and December 11, 2007; and with the Jurisdiction Wide Resident Council (JWRC) or Resident Advisory Board (RAB) on April 12, 2006, and February 14 and December 18, 2007.
While AHA has met with residents, these meetings involve AHA telling residents their plans, not asking residents their wishes. Also, AHA did not modify its plans to address any resident concerns.
APN previously reported the AHA sent in a false agenda and minutes for the February 14, 2007 JWRC meeting along with five demolition applications to HUD.
While the matter was referred to the HUD's Office of the Inspector General, the OIG never contacted APN about it, and the SAC did not even mention the issue in their letter. AHA submitted the same fabricated documents to HUD again in these applications.
APN had provided HUD's SAC with a copy of the forged and original documents by certified mail.
Moreover, the SAC did not mention the fact that the Resident Advisory Board had adopted a resolution opposing the demolitions, even though a copy of this resolution was also sent certified.
The application also noted several other meetings: April 4, 2006 (initial meeting to discuss demolition and relocation plans); April 18, 2006 (public hearing on 2007 annual plan at Atlanta City Hall; and April 19, 2007 (public hearing to discuss 2008 annual plan).
HUD also acknowledged receiving e-mails, faxes, and written comments from residents and other concerned groups and individuals who oppose the AHA's relocation/demolition plans, but did comment on what it saw.
Several of the acknowledged comments were from APN readers, who sent emails to APN for forwarding to HUD. These APN readers who HUD acknowledged were Alan M. Harris, John R. Caruso, and Elisabeth Omilami, Executive Director of Hosea Feed the Hungry.
HUD also acknowledged letters from the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless and attorney Lindsay Jones; receipt of APN's analysis; and receipts of letters from three resident presidents, Elaine "9X" Osby of Cosby Spears, Eleanor Rayton of Palmer House, and Diane Wright of Hollywood Courts and the RAB Board. APN had assisted the three Presidents in articulating their concerns.
"I'm not pleased with it at all," Hightower said of HUD's decision. "I haven't given up. We're not through with them at all."
Diane Wright declined to be interviewed for this article.
Friday, June 6, 2008
HUD Reviewing Resident & APN Concerns
From: The Atlanta Progressive News / By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor
(APN) ATLANTA – The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) responded to the city-wide Resident Advisory Board for public housing residents, in a May 13, 2008, letter obtained exclusively by Atlanta Progressive News, acknowledging residents’ concerns and promising to analyze the issues raised both by residents as well as by APN.
"Thank you for your letter of April 28, 2008, raising your concerns about the proposed demolition of seven developments by the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA)," Ainars Rodins, Director of HUD’s Special Applications Center in Chicago, which reviews demolition applications, wrote.
"The Special Applications Center (SAC) is aware of the 82 questions raised by the Atlanta Progressive News (APN) and has incorporated their analysis in its review, along with other issues raised by interested parties received via Email and other means," Rodins wrote.
"A final decision will not be rendered until all of the issues raised by concerned individuals have been analyzed, but we cannot commit to putting off a final decision for a specific amount of time as you request in your correspondence," Rodins wrote.
Ms. Eleanor Rayton, President of Palmer House senior high rise, and RAB Board members had previously sent a letter and resolution, respectively, requesting a 60 to 90 day extension on HUD’s review of the applications where residents and resident leaders were not provided the chance to review or respond to applications before they were submitted to HUD.
Meanwhile, in Wright’s April 28, 2008, letter, she requested a meeting with Mr. Rodins and others at HUD in Chicago, to discuss her concerns about the applications.
Residents from Hollywood Courts, Palmer House, and the RAB Board wanted also to attend a meeting in Chicago.
"I feel a meeting here in Chicago would add little to the process since our analysis is still underway. We have spoken several times on the phone, and I am aware of your constituents’ concerns," Rodins wrote.
It is unclear why analysis being underway would stand in the way of a meeting. After all, if Rodins met with residents after the analysis was done, it would defeat the purpose of the meeting.
As previously reported by APN, Ms. Rayton says she has spoken twice with Mr. Rodins and he told her he could not give her a date and a time for such a meeting.
Rodins attempted to assure the residents, however, that his office would review their concerns.
"The SAC reviewers have a compiled a list of the concerns that have been raised with us and will use it as their guide to get their questions answered, in addition to those they pose as part of their usual review process," Rodins wrote.
So far, multiple parties including Atlanta Progressive News, Georgia State University Assistant Professor of Sociology Deirdre Oakley, the RAB Board, and the resident associations of Hollywood Courts and Palmer House have sent certified packages including various letters, reports, documents, and resolutions to HUD’s Chicago Office.
APN also collected comments sent from readers after encouraging readers to email their concerns about the demolition applications to demolitioninput@gmail.com. APN sent in five comments from readers. If readers want to continue to send comments in, they should send them to directly to ainars.rodins@hud.gov and copy APN.
Previously, AHA promised City Council that they would respond to APN’s 82 questions, but their eventual written response was merely to thank APN for the questions and state they would consider them.
Resident leaders from the RAB Board and residents of Hollywood Courts signed a petition stating “WE WANT REAL ANSWERS!” to the 82 questions. This petition was sent in to HUD.
APN’s analysis of the demolition applications raised serious concerns about AHA’s apparent fraudulent claims regarding the physical conditions of some of the public housing buildings; AHA’s apparent fraudulent claims regarding residents’ preferences as to whether to move or stay; and the lack of evidence of available voucher-leasing opportunities for residents who would be displaced.
Recently, APN also exclusively reported that the Empire Board of Realtors is claiming that AHA only has 700 possible units identified for some 2000 families. This information was also sent to HUD.
This is the first time HUD has acknowledged Atlanta residents’ concerns in writing.
Wright told Atlanta Progressive News she was pleased to get some written response from HUD but still wants a meeting.
"I think it was very nice of him to send it, but I do have some problems with it. I just really want to know, why is it they can't meet with us?" Wright said.
"I'm really trying to figure out, they can just throw the residents out on the street and no one from HUD wants to talk with the residents about it?" Wright said.
"It should have been answered before now. We should've known what was going on. It's just like AHA is doing here, not wanting to talk to us, not wanting to meet with us like we're nobodies," Wright said.
At a meeting, "they'll be able to hear our concerns, not just put ‘em in an email and on paper. Maybe we could get better answers and find out what's really going on," Wright said.
"I think if they were going to answer the 82 questions, don't you think they would've analyzed them by now so people wouldn't be evicted?" Wright asked. Residents claim that AHA is already evicting many residents living in public housing on lease violations and criminal background, in order to empty out the communities before an application is approved.
"I just think they're holding something back," Wright said.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Resources Scarce, Homelessness Persists in New Orleans
By SHAILA DEWAN - The New York Times - Published: May 28, 2008
NEW ORLEANS — Mayor C. Ray Nagin recently suggested a way to reduce this city’s post-Katrina homeless population: give them one-way bus tickets out of town.
Patrick Pugh and Clara Gomez outside their tent at a homeless encampment under a highway overpass in New Orleans.
Mr. Nagin later insisted the off-the-cuff proposal was just a joke. But he has portrayed the dozens of people camped in a tent city under a freeway overpass near Canal Street as recalcitrant drug and alcohol abusers who refuse shelter, give passers-by the finger and, worst of all, hail from somewhere else.
While many of the homeless do have addiction problems or mental illness, a survey by advocacy groups in February showed that 86 percent were from the New Orleans area. Sixty percent said they were homeless because of Hurricane Katrina, and about 30 percent said they had received rental assistance at one time from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Not far from the French Quarter, flanking Canal Street on Claiborne Avenue, they are living inside a long corridor formed not of walls and a roof but of the thick stench of human waste and sweat tinged with alcohol, crack and desperation.
The inhabitants are natives like Ronald Gardner, 54, an H.I.V.-positive man who said he had never before slept on the streets until Katrina. Or Ronald Berry, 57, who despite being a paranoid schizophrenic said he had lived on his own, in a rented house in the Lower Ninth Ward, for a dozen years before the storm. Both men receive disability checks of $637 a month, not nearly enough to cover post-hurricane rents.
“If I could just get a warm room,” Mr. Gardner said, sitting on the cot under which all his belongings are stored, “I could take it from there.”
Lurlene Newell, 54, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had paid her rent in Texas after the storm, but when she moved back to New Orleans, she could not find a place to live.
By one very rough estimate, the number of homeless people in New Orleans has doubled since Katrina struck in 2005. Homelessness has also become a much more visible problem — late last year, Unity of Greater New Orleans, a network of agencies that help the homeless, cleared an encampment of 300 people that had sprung up in Duncan Plaza, in full view of City Hall. About 280 of those people are now in apartments, but others have flocked to fill several blocks of Claiborne Avenue at Canal, near enough to the French Quarter to regularly encounter tourists.
Unity workers are hoping that Congress will include $76 million in the supplemental appropriation for Iraq to pay for vouchers that would give rent subsidies and services to 3,000 disabled homeless people.
On Thursday, the Senate passed a version of the bill that included the vouchers; the current House version, not yet approved, does not include them. Without the vouchers, said Martha J. Kegel, Unity’s executive director, even those people already in apartments will be in jeopardy. Their current vouchers, issued under a “rapid rehousing” program, expire at the end of 2008.
New Orleans had 2,800 beds for the homeless before the storm; now it has 2,000, Ms. Kegel said. Those beds are full, but even if they were not, many of the people living on Canal Street are not the sort who can stay in a group shelter. According to the survey, which was conducted before dawn one morning so that only those who actually sleep in the camp would be counted, 80 percent have at least one physical disability, 58 percent have had some kind of addiction, 40 percent are mentally ill, and 19 percent were “tri-morbid” — they had a disability, an addiction and mental illness.
For these difficult cases, permanent housing with supportive services, like counseling, has become a preferred method. But it takes time, patience, money and one thing New Orleans is short of: apartments. Many apartment developers who applied for tax credits after Hurricane Katrina were required to set aside 5 percent of their units for supportive housing, but because of high construction costs and other factors, far fewer units than expected are in the pipeline. And without the vouchers, even those units will not be affordable.
Unity has already moved 60 of the most vulnerable people from the camp to hotel rooms, paid for with a city health department grant, including a woman who is eight months pregnant and a paranoid schizophrenic who is diabetic and a double amputee. In the filth of the camp, the amputee’s stumps had become infected.
Outreach workers have found clients with cancer and colostomy bags, and one so disabled that he was unable to talk. On average, people have stayed in hotels for six weeks before Unity finds an apartment and cobbles together the necessary funds.
Mike Miller, the director of supportive housing placement at Unity, said the camp had become a public health hazard since the city removed some portable toilets in February.
“Two outreach workers have tested positive for tuberculosis,” Mr. Miller said. “There’s hepatitis C, there’s AIDS, there’s H.I.V. Everyone out there’s had an eye infection of some sort. I got one.”
On Thursday, Herman Moore Jr. was hanging out with a friend in the camp. Mr. Moore had lived in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer, then a FEMA-financed hotel room, but had not realized that he was eligible for further assistance after the 30-day hotel stay ended last fall. Tipped off by his brother, Mr. Moore had only recently rented a house under the emergency management agency’s program, but had yet to pay the deposit or turn on the utilities because he had no money.
“If I had a TV and some electricity, you all wouldn’t even see me,” he said.
Clara Gomez, 45, told an outreach worker that she had just discovered she was pregnant. Like about 14 percent of the homeless people under the bridge, Ms. Gomez had come to New Orleans to work as a builder, but acknowledged that she had problems with drug and alcohol abuse.
After getting fired from one job, she wound up under the bridge, where she met Patrick Pugh, 36, a New Orleanian who said he had been in drug rehabilitation, turning his life around, when the storm hit. Their IDs had been stolen, they said, making it difficult to get jobs or food stamps.
Seated on a mattress, Ms. Gomez shifted nervously, changing positions every few seconds, all the while keeping her arms anchored around Mr. Pugh’s neck.
“We’re ready,” she said. “We’re ready to get out of here.”
NEW ORLEANS — Mayor C. Ray Nagin recently suggested a way to reduce this city’s post-Katrina homeless population: give them one-way bus tickets out of town.
Patrick Pugh and Clara Gomez outside their tent at a homeless encampment under a highway overpass in New Orleans.
Mr. Nagin later insisted the off-the-cuff proposal was just a joke. But he has portrayed the dozens of people camped in a tent city under a freeway overpass near Canal Street as recalcitrant drug and alcohol abusers who refuse shelter, give passers-by the finger and, worst of all, hail from somewhere else.
While many of the homeless do have addiction problems or mental illness, a survey by advocacy groups in February showed that 86 percent were from the New Orleans area. Sixty percent said they were homeless because of Hurricane Katrina, and about 30 percent said they had received rental assistance at one time from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Not far from the French Quarter, flanking Canal Street on Claiborne Avenue, they are living inside a long corridor formed not of walls and a roof but of the thick stench of human waste and sweat tinged with alcohol, crack and desperation.
The inhabitants are natives like Ronald Gardner, 54, an H.I.V.-positive man who said he had never before slept on the streets until Katrina. Or Ronald Berry, 57, who despite being a paranoid schizophrenic said he had lived on his own, in a rented house in the Lower Ninth Ward, for a dozen years before the storm. Both men receive disability checks of $637 a month, not nearly enough to cover post-hurricane rents.
“If I could just get a warm room,” Mr. Gardner said, sitting on the cot under which all his belongings are stored, “I could take it from there.”
Lurlene Newell, 54, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency had paid her rent in Texas after the storm, but when she moved back to New Orleans, she could not find a place to live.
By one very rough estimate, the number of homeless people in New Orleans has doubled since Katrina struck in 2005. Homelessness has also become a much more visible problem — late last year, Unity of Greater New Orleans, a network of agencies that help the homeless, cleared an encampment of 300 people that had sprung up in Duncan Plaza, in full view of City Hall. About 280 of those people are now in apartments, but others have flocked to fill several blocks of Claiborne Avenue at Canal, near enough to the French Quarter to regularly encounter tourists.
Unity workers are hoping that Congress will include $76 million in the supplemental appropriation for Iraq to pay for vouchers that would give rent subsidies and services to 3,000 disabled homeless people.
On Thursday, the Senate passed a version of the bill that included the vouchers; the current House version, not yet approved, does not include them. Without the vouchers, said Martha J. Kegel, Unity’s executive director, even those people already in apartments will be in jeopardy. Their current vouchers, issued under a “rapid rehousing” program, expire at the end of 2008.
New Orleans had 2,800 beds for the homeless before the storm; now it has 2,000, Ms. Kegel said. Those beds are full, but even if they were not, many of the people living on Canal Street are not the sort who can stay in a group shelter. According to the survey, which was conducted before dawn one morning so that only those who actually sleep in the camp would be counted, 80 percent have at least one physical disability, 58 percent have had some kind of addiction, 40 percent are mentally ill, and 19 percent were “tri-morbid” — they had a disability, an addiction and mental illness.
For these difficult cases, permanent housing with supportive services, like counseling, has become a preferred method. But it takes time, patience, money and one thing New Orleans is short of: apartments. Many apartment developers who applied for tax credits after Hurricane Katrina were required to set aside 5 percent of their units for supportive housing, but because of high construction costs and other factors, far fewer units than expected are in the pipeline. And without the vouchers, even those units will not be affordable.
Unity has already moved 60 of the most vulnerable people from the camp to hotel rooms, paid for with a city health department grant, including a woman who is eight months pregnant and a paranoid schizophrenic who is diabetic and a double amputee. In the filth of the camp, the amputee’s stumps had become infected.
Outreach workers have found clients with cancer and colostomy bags, and one so disabled that he was unable to talk. On average, people have stayed in hotels for six weeks before Unity finds an apartment and cobbles together the necessary funds.
Mike Miller, the director of supportive housing placement at Unity, said the camp had become a public health hazard since the city removed some portable toilets in February.
“Two outreach workers have tested positive for tuberculosis,” Mr. Miller said. “There’s hepatitis C, there’s AIDS, there’s H.I.V. Everyone out there’s had an eye infection of some sort. I got one.”
On Thursday, Herman Moore Jr. was hanging out with a friend in the camp. Mr. Moore had lived in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer, then a FEMA-financed hotel room, but had not realized that he was eligible for further assistance after the 30-day hotel stay ended last fall. Tipped off by his brother, Mr. Moore had only recently rented a house under the emergency management agency’s program, but had yet to pay the deposit or turn on the utilities because he had no money.
“If I had a TV and some electricity, you all wouldn’t even see me,” he said.
Clara Gomez, 45, told an outreach worker that she had just discovered she was pregnant. Like about 14 percent of the homeless people under the bridge, Ms. Gomez had come to New Orleans to work as a builder, but acknowledged that she had problems with drug and alcohol abuse.
After getting fired from one job, she wound up under the bridge, where she met Patrick Pugh, 36, a New Orleanian who said he had been in drug rehabilitation, turning his life around, when the storm hit. Their IDs had been stolen, they said, making it difficult to get jobs or food stamps.
Seated on a mattress, Ms. Gomez shifted nervously, changing positions every few seconds, all the while keeping her arms anchored around Mr. Pugh’s neck.
“We’re ready,” she said. “We’re ready to get out of here.”
Chicago's City of (homeless) Children
May 27, 2008
Heated discourse on the Children's Museum, pro and con, has occupied many pages of the Chicago Tribune recently. Expressions of passion and concern for our city's poor children have emerged as part of that discourse, even a suggestion by the mayor to call this the "City of Children."
So, too, has willingness emerged to spend substantial money for the museum - $100 million and the whatever-it-takes cost of legal fees to be paid by Chicago.Chicago Coalition for the Homeless lauds expression of concern for our children by the mayor and other leaders, but we invite attention to be turned fully to the children's greatest concern, a lack of stable, affordable, decent housing.
This year alone there have been 10,349 homeless students identified in the Chicago Public Schools. On any scale, such a thing can only be termed a disaster.
What happens to children when they are homeless? You won't like the answer: they are more likely to be exposed to violence and food deprivation, suffer increased anxiety and depression, have greater rates of developmental delays and behavioral disturbances, experience more untreated or undertreated asthma, have fewer supports to recover from trauma, more hospitalizations and emergency room visits, experience repeated disruption in relationships and social settings, require more special education services and generally have a worse overall health status.
With more than 10,000 of Chicago's children undergoing homelessness, a hefty figure repeated for at least two years, shouldn't housing be our pre-eminent concern for children?We recognize the considerable power of a bully pulpit acting to change the lives of homeless children. And museums are important.
If, for the sake of children we are willing to spend $100 million and more on the museum, then, at least, we ought to be willing to spend the same amount of money and passion to fund and build affordable housing for Chicago's families and their children.
Laurene Heybach - Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Heated discourse on the Children's Museum, pro and con, has occupied many pages of the Chicago Tribune recently. Expressions of passion and concern for our city's poor children have emerged as part of that discourse, even a suggestion by the mayor to call this the "City of Children."
So, too, has willingness emerged to spend substantial money for the museum - $100 million and the whatever-it-takes cost of legal fees to be paid by Chicago.Chicago Coalition for the Homeless lauds expression of concern for our children by the mayor and other leaders, but we invite attention to be turned fully to the children's greatest concern, a lack of stable, affordable, decent housing.
This year alone there have been 10,349 homeless students identified in the Chicago Public Schools. On any scale, such a thing can only be termed a disaster.
What happens to children when they are homeless? You won't like the answer: they are more likely to be exposed to violence and food deprivation, suffer increased anxiety and depression, have greater rates of developmental delays and behavioral disturbances, experience more untreated or undertreated asthma, have fewer supports to recover from trauma, more hospitalizations and emergency room visits, experience repeated disruption in relationships and social settings, require more special education services and generally have a worse overall health status.
With more than 10,000 of Chicago's children undergoing homelessness, a hefty figure repeated for at least two years, shouldn't housing be our pre-eminent concern for children?We recognize the considerable power of a bully pulpit acting to change the lives of homeless children. And museums are important.
If, for the sake of children we are willing to spend $100 million and more on the museum, then, at least, we ought to be willing to spend the same amount of money and passion to fund and build affordable housing for Chicago's families and their children.
Laurene Heybach - Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Northampton, MA Gets $500,000 to Help Homeless Veterans with Housing
By NANCY H. GONTER ngonter@repub.com - The Republican Newsroom - May 13, 2008
NORTHAMPTON, MA - Federal and local officials announced today that nearly $500,000 has been awarded to Northampton to provide subsidized housing vouchers for 70 homeless veterans.
"This fits exactly into what we are trying to do in terms of homelessness in this city," Mayor Mary Clare Higgins said at a press conference at the Northampton Senior Center on Conz Street. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Taylor Caswell presented Higgins, Northampton Housing Authority Director Jonathan A. Hite and Veterans Affairs Medical Center Director Mary A. Dowling with a check for $487,402.
"This funding will serve a vital need of providing homes and support to those who sacrificed so much while serving our country," Caswell said. Caswell praised the cooperation between the city of Northampton, the Housing Authority and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Part of new HUD housing program
The money is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's new Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, passed by Congress at the end of last year, which will provide $2.5 million statewide and assist 245 homeless veterans across the state. In Northampton, the Housing Authority will award the vouchers, with the process starting as soon as next week, and veterans will receive the services they need through the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds.
They may be used in any community in Western Massachusetts to rent privately-owned housing. "We want to go back and say 'Here's how it's done in Western Massachusetts. Let's use this as a model,'" Caswell said. Steven E. Como, executive vice president of Soldier On, which operates homeless shelters for veterans at the Medical Center, said there are 145 homeless veterans now at the shelters, some of whom may be referred to this program.
Unlike traditional "Section 8" housing vouchers which set income limits and bar anyone who has had a substance abuse or criminal history, these vouchers will be more flexible, taking in the needs of veterans who are homeless, Como said. 'A tremendous gift' John F. Downing, president of Soldier On which is also building 39 units of housing for veterans in Pittsfield, said these vouchers are a "tremendous gift" to veterans.
"In a capitalistic society, if you have a place to call your own, you feel you can change and you feel you can build a future," Downing said.
Downing said that as a group, veterans are three times more likely than others to be homeless.
"This is a moment of great home for our work and a moment of great dignity for the people we serve," Downing said.
NORTHAMPTON, MA - Federal and local officials announced today that nearly $500,000 has been awarded to Northampton to provide subsidized housing vouchers for 70 homeless veterans.
"This fits exactly into what we are trying to do in terms of homelessness in this city," Mayor Mary Clare Higgins said at a press conference at the Northampton Senior Center on Conz Street. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Director Taylor Caswell presented Higgins, Northampton Housing Authority Director Jonathan A. Hite and Veterans Affairs Medical Center Director Mary A. Dowling with a check for $487,402.
"This funding will serve a vital need of providing homes and support to those who sacrificed so much while serving our country," Caswell said. Caswell praised the cooperation between the city of Northampton, the Housing Authority and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Part of new HUD housing program
The money is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's new Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, passed by Congress at the end of last year, which will provide $2.5 million statewide and assist 245 homeless veterans across the state. In Northampton, the Housing Authority will award the vouchers, with the process starting as soon as next week, and veterans will receive the services they need through the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds.
They may be used in any community in Western Massachusetts to rent privately-owned housing. "We want to go back and say 'Here's how it's done in Western Massachusetts. Let's use this as a model,'" Caswell said. Steven E. Como, executive vice president of Soldier On, which operates homeless shelters for veterans at the Medical Center, said there are 145 homeless veterans now at the shelters, some of whom may be referred to this program.
Unlike traditional "Section 8" housing vouchers which set income limits and bar anyone who has had a substance abuse or criminal history, these vouchers will be more flexible, taking in the needs of veterans who are homeless, Como said. 'A tremendous gift' John F. Downing, president of Soldier On which is also building 39 units of housing for veterans in Pittsfield, said these vouchers are a "tremendous gift" to veterans.
"In a capitalistic society, if you have a place to call your own, you feel you can change and you feel you can build a future," Downing said.
Downing said that as a group, veterans are three times more likely than others to be homeless.
"This is a moment of great home for our work and a moment of great dignity for the people we serve," Downing said.
AHA Is 1,300 Voucher Units Short, Realtor Board Says
By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News (May 12, 2008)
(APN) ATLANTA – An Atlanta realtor coordinating the effort to find replacement housing for some 2,000 families in public housing communities about to be evicted by Atlanta Housing Authority sent a message to realtors stating AHA only has 700 voucher-leasing units identified for some 2,000 families.
An Atlanta Progressive News undercover operative contacted the realtor, Vivian Lyons, to confirm the authenticity of the message and learn additional information. The operative told Lyons she had friends who had properties to lease.
The revelations raise the probability that AHA has defrauded the US Department of Housing and Urban Development when they stated there was more than sufficient leasing opportunities in Atlanta and that each family would get three units to choose from.
"I am working with the Empire Board of Realtors and through them we are working with the Atlanta Housing Authorities. We currently are trying to place about 2,000 tenants into houses if at all possible," Vivian Lyons wrote May 8, 2008, in the Google Group, "The Good Broker, LLC."
"The tenants are coming through the Atlanta Housing Authority and the rental payments will be paid through the Atlanta Housing Authority. This program works somewhat like Section 8 but the AHA will come out and do the inspection if home passes inspection on first round a check for the first month's rent is given at the end of the inspection... AHA will pay the moving expense and some other incentives," Lyons wrote.
"So if any of you have any rental homes in the Atlanta area may I please list them on the site that we have available to us, you must be a Empire Board Member to do this and the training period for this first round has been closed but we are in need of 2,000 homes and we only have 700 as of 5-7-2008," Lyons wrote.
Today, Lyons confirmed to Atlanta Progressive News that AHA is 1,300 units short.
"Yes, 1300. The floodgates will open on the first on June for us to start putting residents in properties," Lyons said.
"We have 2,000 residents to place," Lyons said.
When Lyons and her team of realtors identify a voucher-leasing opportunity, "We list it on the website for the AHA people."
Lyons said she was looking "As far Mableton and Ausdale, Douglas, Cobb, and Fulton and Dekalb. And there will be a few in Conyers and Covington. If I get enough in Carroll County area we'll have the floodgate open up to that to."
Councilwoman Felicia Moore, who is not satisfied with AHA’s plan, was not surprised. "We already knew that," Moore said when told about the email and phone call with Ms. Lyons.
AHA promised to HUD in demolition applications submitted in February and March 2008, in their relocation plans, that they would offer each family three different units to choose from.
It is unclear how each family will have three units to choose from, when actually, there are fewer units than families to be displaced.
"They won’t have the choice of one unit," Councilwoman Moore remarked. AHA’s program is ironically called Housing Choice.
APN previously reported there is no evidence of available voucher housing for the families facing eviction.
HUD asks a Housing Authority in the relocation plans to "describe, generally, the availability of rental housing to voucher holders in the metropolitan area over the planned period of relocation. What is the vacancy rate? Is there a shortage of such housing?"
In AHA's answer they mislead HUD when they write, "Atlanta has experienced a soft rental market for the past several years. According to REIS Rental Market Data, there were approximately 3,564 property vacancies in the Atlanta/Fulton submarket, and over 28,767 vacancies in the metro Atlanta area as of mid-year 2007," (Relocation Plan, page 10).
However, this data gives property vacancies, not, as HUD inquires, "availability of rental housing to voucher holders." A listing of vacant properties does not even mean that those units are affordable, and therefore able to be covered under the limits on the vouchers established by AHA under the voucher program.
In a meeting AHA held with resident leaders in December 2007, City Councilwoman Felicia Moore requested copies of "studies" that AHA alleged having from their developer partners showing that there are available housing opportunities.
"Your comment was the developers have insured [sic] you that there are enough units within the city of Atlanta. Well, I'd like to see that documentation from developers. You said you've done these studies. I'd like to see those studies," Councilwoman Moore said on December 18, 2007.
"All right. Well, we'll work with you on that and I'm sure you can get some closure," AHA Director Renee Glover said.
AHA never did provide evidence of available voucher housing and now it apparent why: because, according to the Empire Board of Realtors, the units do not exist.
Numerous families were living in hotels who had been evicted by AHA from five communities in 2007, according to numerous residents and resident leaders. APN has not yet confirmed how many families are still in hotels, but AHA admitted in at the December 18, 2007, meeting, they were using hotels.
Residents are asking HUD not to approve the 7 demolition applications currently under review, based on the fact they don’t have anywhere to go and that AHA appears to have de-frauded HUD regarding this issue.
The Empire Board of Realtors approached AHA to help find landlords, Lyons told APN.
The Empire Board of Realtors was originally formed in 1939 to fight discrimination against Blacks in housing in Atlanta.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
(APN) ATLANTA – An Atlanta realtor coordinating the effort to find replacement housing for some 2,000 families in public housing communities about to be evicted by Atlanta Housing Authority sent a message to realtors stating AHA only has 700 voucher-leasing units identified for some 2,000 families.
An Atlanta Progressive News undercover operative contacted the realtor, Vivian Lyons, to confirm the authenticity of the message and learn additional information. The operative told Lyons she had friends who had properties to lease.
The revelations raise the probability that AHA has defrauded the US Department of Housing and Urban Development when they stated there was more than sufficient leasing opportunities in Atlanta and that each family would get three units to choose from.
"I am working with the Empire Board of Realtors and through them we are working with the Atlanta Housing Authorities. We currently are trying to place about 2,000 tenants into houses if at all possible," Vivian Lyons wrote May 8, 2008, in the Google Group, "The Good Broker, LLC."
"The tenants are coming through the Atlanta Housing Authority and the rental payments will be paid through the Atlanta Housing Authority. This program works somewhat like Section 8 but the AHA will come out and do the inspection if home passes inspection on first round a check for the first month's rent is given at the end of the inspection... AHA will pay the moving expense and some other incentives," Lyons wrote.
"So if any of you have any rental homes in the Atlanta area may I please list them on the site that we have available to us, you must be a Empire Board Member to do this and the training period for this first round has been closed but we are in need of 2,000 homes and we only have 700 as of 5-7-2008," Lyons wrote.
Today, Lyons confirmed to Atlanta Progressive News that AHA is 1,300 units short.
"Yes, 1300. The floodgates will open on the first on June for us to start putting residents in properties," Lyons said.
"We have 2,000 residents to place," Lyons said.
When Lyons and her team of realtors identify a voucher-leasing opportunity, "We list it on the website for the AHA people."
Lyons said she was looking "As far Mableton and Ausdale, Douglas, Cobb, and Fulton and Dekalb. And there will be a few in Conyers and Covington. If I get enough in Carroll County area we'll have the floodgate open up to that to."
Councilwoman Felicia Moore, who is not satisfied with AHA’s plan, was not surprised. "We already knew that," Moore said when told about the email and phone call with Ms. Lyons.
AHA promised to HUD in demolition applications submitted in February and March 2008, in their relocation plans, that they would offer each family three different units to choose from.
It is unclear how each family will have three units to choose from, when actually, there are fewer units than families to be displaced.
"They won’t have the choice of one unit," Councilwoman Moore remarked. AHA’s program is ironically called Housing Choice.
APN previously reported there is no evidence of available voucher housing for the families facing eviction.
HUD asks a Housing Authority in the relocation plans to "describe, generally, the availability of rental housing to voucher holders in the metropolitan area over the planned period of relocation. What is the vacancy rate? Is there a shortage of such housing?"
In AHA's answer they mislead HUD when they write, "Atlanta has experienced a soft rental market for the past several years. According to REIS Rental Market Data, there were approximately 3,564 property vacancies in the Atlanta/Fulton submarket, and over 28,767 vacancies in the metro Atlanta area as of mid-year 2007," (Relocation Plan, page 10).
However, this data gives property vacancies, not, as HUD inquires, "availability of rental housing to voucher holders." A listing of vacant properties does not even mean that those units are affordable, and therefore able to be covered under the limits on the vouchers established by AHA under the voucher program.
In a meeting AHA held with resident leaders in December 2007, City Councilwoman Felicia Moore requested copies of "studies" that AHA alleged having from their developer partners showing that there are available housing opportunities.
"Your comment was the developers have insured [sic] you that there are enough units within the city of Atlanta. Well, I'd like to see that documentation from developers. You said you've done these studies. I'd like to see those studies," Councilwoman Moore said on December 18, 2007.
"All right. Well, we'll work with you on that and I'm sure you can get some closure," AHA Director Renee Glover said.
AHA never did provide evidence of available voucher housing and now it apparent why: because, according to the Empire Board of Realtors, the units do not exist.
Numerous families were living in hotels who had been evicted by AHA from five communities in 2007, according to numerous residents and resident leaders. APN has not yet confirmed how many families are still in hotels, but AHA admitted in at the December 18, 2007, meeting, they were using hotels.
Residents are asking HUD not to approve the 7 demolition applications currently under review, based on the fact they don’t have anywhere to go and that AHA appears to have de-frauded HUD regarding this issue.
The Empire Board of Realtors approached AHA to help find landlords, Lyons told APN.
The Empire Board of Realtors was originally formed in 1939 to fight discrimination against Blacks in housing in Atlanta.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
Beltline Investor Conspires to Raise Rent on AHA Voucher Holders
By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News (May 11, 2008)
(APN) ATLANTA – In a rare admission of intent, a real estate investor in the Beltline area, James Orr, wrote on his blog about how realtors should invest in rental properties in the area, accept vouchers for displaced public housing residents, and then raise rents as property values skyrocket around the Beltline.
The blog post is currently available on Orr’s website at: http://analyzeddeals.com/atlanta-ga-real-estate-deal-58k-discount-nice-cash-flow/
On Orr’s blog post, he writes about a two-bedroom one bath duplex, 900 square feet, in the 30314 zip code. He writes that a “preferred investor” in the Atlanta area told him about the property, and this investor has gotten tired of being a landlord.
Orr then suggests displaced public housing residents as potential tenants to an investor.
"I have a close relationship with Atlanta Housing Authority. AHA will pay up to $750 for a 2 bedroom in this area. According to AHA, due to the demolition of project housing across the US; starting in June/2008 - 342 families will need housing in addition to current need," Orr writes.
"More families will be added to this list in July, September and finally Jan/2009; AHA anticipates over 1700 families will be displaced in Atlanta and in need of housing," Orr writes.
However, unbeknownst to these residents, Orr suggests the landlord can raise the rent after just one year.
"AHA requires that all participants remain in the property for 2 years; AHA will allow for rental increase after the expiration of the annual lease," Orr writes.
"It gets better; this property is walking distance from the Beltline," Orr writes.
"The Beltline is a one-of-a-kind rail/trail, parks and mixed development plan to link 45 neighborhoods. They have started construction of the Southwest Beltline project in late January/2008. This property is located in the Southwest of Atlanta. The Beltline has a five year plan," Orr writes.
"Anyone purchasing this property should let it sit/collect the rent, allow the market to correct itself and reap the benefits," Orr writes.
The problem is, AHA will only pay voucher subsidies up to the fair market rent value of housing.
Fair market rent is determined by dividing Greater Metro Atlanta up into a few submarkets. Fair market rent in AHA’s submarkets will likely not keep pace with Beltline development in specific areas.
Therefore, based on his proposed investment plan, it is unlikely the duplex Orr is advertising will remain as voucher housing for long.
Mr. Orr did not return two voice messages from Atlanta Progressive News.
"Our concern has been that looking at AHA’s policies and the City’s enactment of the TADs [tax allocation districts], we see the making of a perfect storm to create broad scale gentrification of Southwest Atlanta with significant displacement of residents in public housing and homeowners, who we know by research commissioned by Georgia Stand Up, are dealing with significant increases in property taxes due to real estate speculation in the area," Lindsay Jones, attorney for the City-wide Resident Advisory Board for public housing residents, and others, told Atlanta Progressive News.
"We’re looking at displacement... The inevitable displacement of persons from rental properties when the redevelopment opportunities for the real estate speculators take place, as illustrated by this advertisement," Jones said.
"These are the very concerns of course the residents in public housing have been trying to address with the City, the Housing Authority, and HUD [the US Department of Housing and Urban Development] as violations of the Fair Housing Act," Jones said.
Jones agreed with APN’s analysis that the fair market rent of the Atlanta submarkets which include parts of the Beltline, will likely be unable to keep up pace with the rents in close proximity to the Beltline.
"They’re diluting the impact of the Beltline by having an area [to determine Fair market rent] larger than the Beltline area," Jones said.
"You’ll see displacement close to Beltline and it will move out... So as to create an exclusionary policy, where the closer you are to the Beltline, you are excluded, because you can’t use Section 8 certificates," Jones said.
"But as the Beltline moves out... by the time they [property values] catch up to the whole region you’ll have major displacement," Jones said.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
(APN) ATLANTA – In a rare admission of intent, a real estate investor in the Beltline area, James Orr, wrote on his blog about how realtors should invest in rental properties in the area, accept vouchers for displaced public housing residents, and then raise rents as property values skyrocket around the Beltline.
The blog post is currently available on Orr’s website at: http://analyzeddeals.com/atlanta-ga-real-estate-deal-58k-discount-nice-cash-flow/
On Orr’s blog post, he writes about a two-bedroom one bath duplex, 900 square feet, in the 30314 zip code. He writes that a “preferred investor” in the Atlanta area told him about the property, and this investor has gotten tired of being a landlord.
Orr then suggests displaced public housing residents as potential tenants to an investor.
"I have a close relationship with Atlanta Housing Authority. AHA will pay up to $750 for a 2 bedroom in this area. According to AHA, due to the demolition of project housing across the US; starting in June/2008 - 342 families will need housing in addition to current need," Orr writes.
"More families will be added to this list in July, September and finally Jan/2009; AHA anticipates over 1700 families will be displaced in Atlanta and in need of housing," Orr writes.
However, unbeknownst to these residents, Orr suggests the landlord can raise the rent after just one year.
"AHA requires that all participants remain in the property for 2 years; AHA will allow for rental increase after the expiration of the annual lease," Orr writes.
"It gets better; this property is walking distance from the Beltline," Orr writes.
"The Beltline is a one-of-a-kind rail/trail, parks and mixed development plan to link 45 neighborhoods. They have started construction of the Southwest Beltline project in late January/2008. This property is located in the Southwest of Atlanta. The Beltline has a five year plan," Orr writes.
"Anyone purchasing this property should let it sit/collect the rent, allow the market to correct itself and reap the benefits," Orr writes.
The problem is, AHA will only pay voucher subsidies up to the fair market rent value of housing.
Fair market rent is determined by dividing Greater Metro Atlanta up into a few submarkets. Fair market rent in AHA’s submarkets will likely not keep pace with Beltline development in specific areas.
Therefore, based on his proposed investment plan, it is unlikely the duplex Orr is advertising will remain as voucher housing for long.
Mr. Orr did not return two voice messages from Atlanta Progressive News.
"Our concern has been that looking at AHA’s policies and the City’s enactment of the TADs [tax allocation districts], we see the making of a perfect storm to create broad scale gentrification of Southwest Atlanta with significant displacement of residents in public housing and homeowners, who we know by research commissioned by Georgia Stand Up, are dealing with significant increases in property taxes due to real estate speculation in the area," Lindsay Jones, attorney for the City-wide Resident Advisory Board for public housing residents, and others, told Atlanta Progressive News.
"We’re looking at displacement... The inevitable displacement of persons from rental properties when the redevelopment opportunities for the real estate speculators take place, as illustrated by this advertisement," Jones said.
"These are the very concerns of course the residents in public housing have been trying to address with the City, the Housing Authority, and HUD [the US Department of Housing and Urban Development] as violations of the Fair Housing Act," Jones said.
Jones agreed with APN’s analysis that the fair market rent of the Atlanta submarkets which include parts of the Beltline, will likely be unable to keep up pace with the rents in close proximity to the Beltline.
"They’re diluting the impact of the Beltline by having an area [to determine Fair market rent] larger than the Beltline area," Jones said.
"You’ll see displacement close to Beltline and it will move out... So as to create an exclusionary policy, where the closer you are to the Beltline, you are excluded, because you can’t use Section 8 certificates," Jones said.
"But as the Beltline moves out... by the time they [property values] catch up to the whole region you’ll have major displacement," Jones said.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
Hollywood Courts Residents Say Rufurbish, Don’t Demolish
By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News (May 07, 2008)
(APN) ATLANTA – Hollywood Courts residents held a meeting in chairs outside of their community center this evening, because Atlanta Housing Authority has locked them out of their center and refused to let them hold their meeting inside, according to Diane Wright, President of Hollywood Courts resident association and the city-wide Resident Advisory Board (RAB).
The resident association approved a plan which they plan to submit to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to refurbish their community instead of tearing it down.
The residents also stated their interest in forming a co-op by purchasing their community from AHA and managing and refurbishing it themselves.
The full text of the plan is as follows:
We the people of Hollywood Courts tenant association hereby resolve:
We have adopted a plan to refurbish our community with AHA’s funds they’ve set aside for relocation:
$90,900 – fixing pest infestation
$95,950 – accessibility modifications
$129,750 – storm sewer repair
$909,000 – HVAC system (central air and heating)
$116,150 – remove old AC, heater
Total – $1,341,750
We know the HVAC costs should be lower because all units have no AC to remove; all units already have heaters; and some residents may not require new HVAC units.
Whereas we disagree with AHA’s claims about the buildings.
Whereas we want to hire residents to do the work.
Whereas the majority of residents do not want to move.
Whereas we are interested in purchasing our community, managing it ourselves, and starting a co-op.
(End of resolution text)
HUD’s Special Applications Center has been reviewing demolition applications for Hollywood Courts, Bowen Homes, and Bankhead Courts since March 2008. They’ve been reviewing applications for Palmer House, Roosevelt House, Thomasville, and Herndon Homes since February 2008.
As previously reported by Atlanta Progressive News, AHA made fraudulent claims to HUD in demolition applications for Hollywood Courts and Palmer House regarding the physical condition of the buildings. APN has not yet reviewed the other applications’ architectural reports, although they are likely also fraudulent because the contents of the applications are very similar to each other.
Despite AHA’s claims that they do not have money to repair Hollywood Courts, AHA told HUD they have set aside $1,781,907 for relocation for Hollywood Courts, including money to pay staff salaries for relocation teams and to give a few hundred dollars to each family for moving costs.
Therefore, Hollywood Courts residents’ refurbishing plan costs less than AHA’s planned costs for relocation, not to mention the funds they have allotted for demolition.
Due to AHA’s participation in Move to Work (MTW), a federal demonstration program, AHA has the flexibility to spend its funds on repairs or demolitions if it chooses.
AHA claims Hollywood Courts is "physically obsolete" and, to quote director Renee Glover, "decrepit."
However, as exclusively reported by APN because no other media is paying attention, Praxis 3 architectural firm’s report for Hollywood Courts states the buildings are structurally sound.
Praxis 3 finds only two physical issues with Hollywood Courts: pest infestation and storm sewer overflow.
Therefore, Hollywood Courts residents’ refurbishing plan addresses both physical issues raised by Praxis 3, in addition addressing handicap accessibility issues and providing each unit with central air and heating.
The budget figures in residents' plans are actually pulled from Praxis 3's own budget. However, Praxis 3's budget also included numerous unnecessary luxury amenities and aesthetic improvements, thus inflating their stated cost of refurbishing Hollywood Courts to over $32.8 million. Some items included in AHA and Praxis 3's $32.8 million budget, are a swimming pool, athletic center, additions to each unit, new front porches and patios, new roofing, doors, and windows.
In order for a housing authority (HA) to propose demolition, federal regulations state the HA must show they do not have enough funds to refurbish the community. This appears to be why AHA inflated their proposed budget: so they could say it was too much to afford.
In addition to passing the resolution, Hollywood Courts residents talked also about their next steps. They said they want to drive up to Chicago to meet with Ainars Rodins and others in the Special Applications Center who are reviewing the demolition applications.
Diane Wright as well as Eleanor Rayton, President of Palmer House, are both waiting to hear back from HUD regarding their meeting request.
They would also like to protest locally, including possibly at HUD’s Atlanta regional office on Marietta Street.
The majority of Hollywood Courts residents have signed petitions stating they do not want to move, which have also been sent certified to HUD.
Hollywood Courts is in good physical condition, does not have major crime problems, and has high levels of employment. Wright runs a Section 3 business, where she employs residents in construction, painting, and maintenance jobs. Hollywood Courts has a strong residents association and close ties between neighbors.
It is located in District 9, west of Downtown Atlanta. The residents have a computer lab, training center, office, and barber shop. The community is surrounded by forest.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
(APN) ATLANTA – Hollywood Courts residents held a meeting in chairs outside of their community center this evening, because Atlanta Housing Authority has locked them out of their center and refused to let them hold their meeting inside, according to Diane Wright, President of Hollywood Courts resident association and the city-wide Resident Advisory Board (RAB).
The resident association approved a plan which they plan to submit to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to refurbish their community instead of tearing it down.
The residents also stated their interest in forming a co-op by purchasing their community from AHA and managing and refurbishing it themselves.
The full text of the plan is as follows:
We the people of Hollywood Courts tenant association hereby resolve:
We have adopted a plan to refurbish our community with AHA’s funds they’ve set aside for relocation:
$90,900 – fixing pest infestation
$95,950 – accessibility modifications
$129,750 – storm sewer repair
$909,000 – HVAC system (central air and heating)
$116,150 – remove old AC, heater
Total – $1,341,750
We know the HVAC costs should be lower because all units have no AC to remove; all units already have heaters; and some residents may not require new HVAC units.
Whereas we disagree with AHA’s claims about the buildings.
Whereas we want to hire residents to do the work.
Whereas the majority of residents do not want to move.
Whereas we are interested in purchasing our community, managing it ourselves, and starting a co-op.
(End of resolution text)
HUD’s Special Applications Center has been reviewing demolition applications for Hollywood Courts, Bowen Homes, and Bankhead Courts since March 2008. They’ve been reviewing applications for Palmer House, Roosevelt House, Thomasville, and Herndon Homes since February 2008.
As previously reported by Atlanta Progressive News, AHA made fraudulent claims to HUD in demolition applications for Hollywood Courts and Palmer House regarding the physical condition of the buildings. APN has not yet reviewed the other applications’ architectural reports, although they are likely also fraudulent because the contents of the applications are very similar to each other.
Despite AHA’s claims that they do not have money to repair Hollywood Courts, AHA told HUD they have set aside $1,781,907 for relocation for Hollywood Courts, including money to pay staff salaries for relocation teams and to give a few hundred dollars to each family for moving costs.
Therefore, Hollywood Courts residents’ refurbishing plan costs less than AHA’s planned costs for relocation, not to mention the funds they have allotted for demolition.
Due to AHA’s participation in Move to Work (MTW), a federal demonstration program, AHA has the flexibility to spend its funds on repairs or demolitions if it chooses.
AHA claims Hollywood Courts is "physically obsolete" and, to quote director Renee Glover, "decrepit."
However, as exclusively reported by APN because no other media is paying attention, Praxis 3 architectural firm’s report for Hollywood Courts states the buildings are structurally sound.
Praxis 3 finds only two physical issues with Hollywood Courts: pest infestation and storm sewer overflow.
Therefore, Hollywood Courts residents’ refurbishing plan addresses both physical issues raised by Praxis 3, in addition addressing handicap accessibility issues and providing each unit with central air and heating.
The budget figures in residents' plans are actually pulled from Praxis 3's own budget. However, Praxis 3's budget also included numerous unnecessary luxury amenities and aesthetic improvements, thus inflating their stated cost of refurbishing Hollywood Courts to over $32.8 million. Some items included in AHA and Praxis 3's $32.8 million budget, are a swimming pool, athletic center, additions to each unit, new front porches and patios, new roofing, doors, and windows.
In order for a housing authority (HA) to propose demolition, federal regulations state the HA must show they do not have enough funds to refurbish the community. This appears to be why AHA inflated their proposed budget: so they could say it was too much to afford.
In addition to passing the resolution, Hollywood Courts residents talked also about their next steps. They said they want to drive up to Chicago to meet with Ainars Rodins and others in the Special Applications Center who are reviewing the demolition applications.
Diane Wright as well as Eleanor Rayton, President of Palmer House, are both waiting to hear back from HUD regarding their meeting request.
They would also like to protest locally, including possibly at HUD’s Atlanta regional office on Marietta Street.
The majority of Hollywood Courts residents have signed petitions stating they do not want to move, which have also been sent certified to HUD.
Hollywood Courts is in good physical condition, does not have major crime problems, and has high levels of employment. Wright runs a Section 3 business, where she employs residents in construction, painting, and maintenance jobs. Hollywood Courts has a strong residents association and close ties between neighbors.
It is located in District 9, west of Downtown Atlanta. The residents have a computer lab, training center, office, and barber shop. The community is surrounded by forest.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
Seniors, Resident Leaders Ask HUD to Postpone Demolition Review
By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News (May 02, 2008)
(APN) ATLANTA – Resident leaders at Palmer House senior highrise and the citywide Resident Advisory Board for public housing have sent emails, letters, and resolutions to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development requesting a delay in their consideration of demolition applications currently under review, until residents and association leaders have a chance to review the demolition applications, Atlanta Progressive News has learned.
"Atlanta Housing Authority submitted to you demolition applications for several communities on February 4, 2008, without letting resident leaders and officers see or review the applications for comments before the were submitted. I would think that since they want to demolish our home that we should have been included in what they were doing to us," Eleanor Rayton, President of the Palmer House senior highrise, wrote in a letter to Ainars Rodins, director of HUD’s Special Application Center, dated March 30, 2008.
"We want a chance to review the application! We are senior citizens and we will need more time at least two or three months to review the application. It’s a very thick book and it will take some time for me to read all of it, and my officers want to read it also, we want to know how and why they justify their plans, what are their plans, and why didn’t they speak with us about their plans to see if we want to move or stay," Rayton wrote.
"I have a lot of seniors that are going through a lot of emotional changes about this moving, some of them are afraid that they will be homeless, and have had to up on nerve medication, they are seniors and they are afraid," Rayton wrote.
"We support Ms. Rayton’s request for a 60-90 day extension on HUD’s review of demo applications so residents have a chance to review them and respond," leaders of the RAB Board, wrote in a resolution dated March 23, 2008, which was also mailed to HUD.
Rayton has not received written replies to either her email or letter to Mr. Rodins, she says, and she has also left him several voice messages which have not been returned.
"Please do not shut us out of this process; this is our Home and the seniors want to have a voice, they’re afraid. Let’s be honest and truthful with our seniors, most of the seniors have lost their confidence in AHA. They don’t trust them, they come to me daily wanting to know they are being truthful with [sic], and will they end up homeless," Rayton wrote.
SENIORS ADAMANT THEY DO NOT WANT TO MOVE
"My residents are still saying they don't want to move. They don't want to go anywhere. We're going to stay right here," Rayton said.
"Me and several of my residents talked today, including my Vice and we were talking about it. We think it’s really wrong how they doing us, how they wanting us to move. We stayed here during the time it was so bad you couldn't walk the streets. Why can't we be here to enjoy the beautiful location of Techwood now?" Rayton said.
Palmer and Roosevelt House are located near Centennial Park, where Techwood/Clark Howell was demolished by AHA in the 1990s under HOPE VI and was replaced with Centennial Place.
"We went through all that bad times here and now they want us to move and it's just not right. We want to enjoy all this beautification. It's for the rich people. Either for like the people that have to drive maybe 50 to 60 miles to get to work, the people that live out in the suburbs and they don't to spend all that time coming down to Atlanta, that's what we feel like," Rayton said.
PALMER HOUSE BUILDING IN GOOD CONDITION
Atlanta Progressive News reviewed the architectural report for Palmer House by Praxis 3 architectural firm for the Palmer House demolition application.
The report shows Palmer House, like Hollywood Court and possibly other communities, is "structurally sound." APN has only had time to review Hollywood Courts’s full application [around 1000 pages] and only portions of other applications thus far. Palmer House is reported by Praxis 3 to be in good physical condition.
The only two physical issues with Palmer House are that discoloration on the roof suggests standing water, which can be fixed for $7500; and that refurbishment is needed for the glazing on the exterior walls, which can be fixed for $75,000. Thus, the total refurbishment cost is $82,500 to address physical issues listed in the report.
However, AHA has apparently made a fraudulent claim to HUD that Palmer House, like Hollywood Courts, is physically obsolete, a claim not even supported by the architectural reports they commissioned.
RESIDENTS SCARED BY AHA RELOCATION TEAMS
Relocation teams have been approaching senior citizens at Palmer House and Roosevelt House since February 2008, resident leaders say.
"The first time when they came out here I did not know they was coming. They were on the floor and some of the residents had called me saying they had signed a letter and people wanted their social security numbers," Rayton told Atlanta Progressive News.
"I said who are these people? Where are they from? They said they're from Housing. I said, do they have a business card to give y'all? They said no they didn't want to tell us their name. I said this wasn't right. I was in a lot of pain that day," Rayton said.
"I went to a couple of seniors’ apartments and looked at the paper. I talked to my Vice and said I can't go door to door. So I went on the intercom. I said people who say they're from AHA are here, I don't know who they are. And I don't know where they come from. I said those papers, you might be signing your life away or you might be signing yourself outdoors. So don't sign any more papers," Rayton recalled.
"The people got mad and came to the management office and wanted to know who said that," Rayton said.
"I went down trying to block them by the water fountain as people got on the elevator," Rayton said.
"One lady she said I'm not going to sign this. I said y'all don't sign anything til I go out and find out what's going on. [AHA’s] Mr. .Simms called my office and my VP said I wasn't there," Rayton said.
"He called downstairs to management. I asked them, did they have any business cards and they said they didn't. I said we'll just wait until we find out about you all," Rayton said.
"Mr. Simms called management to come get me to the phone. He tried to explain what was going on. I said that wasn't right because we didn't know what was going on. And he should come down here himself," Rayton said.
RAYTON’S VISIT TO LOCAL HUD
Determined to find answers, Rayton visited federal HUD’s Atlanta office on Marietta Street.
"I went down to HUD to find out. Down on Marietta Street. I spoke with [Onri Harvey]. She was somebody on staff. We went up and I sat and talked with her. We took the papers and asked was those papers correct? She said yes. They had to do that now because last year they had a lot of drama with AHA coming and saying to move in 90 days, and that's not enough time for us to be able to move," Rayton said.
From the way the letters are described, they are likely letters which were included the various demolition applications. The letters let residents know that applications have been submitted to HUD and that if they are approved, then the residents will be displaced.
"They said it's for us to sign to receive them so we can't say you only gave us 60 days."
Rayton asked Harvey why her building was proposed for demolition, she said.
"She told us it was gonna have to go because it's so old and they can't keep putting money into it and fix it up the way they should be fixed up for us to live in here. But my residents don't want to go," Rayton said.
When told in recent days by APN that Palmer House is not physically obsolete and can be refurbished with funds AHA has already set aside for relocation: "Well I think what they said was wrong. They just lied," Rayton said.
"I wanted a copy of the developers. She told me they don't have a copy of that because they don't have any developers," Rayton said.
Rayton also asked HUD for a copy of the demolition application.
"She said they don't have a copy of it. She told us we couldn't get one," Rayton said.
RAYTON’S EMAIL TO AHA AND HUD
When local HUD would not provide Rayton a copy of the demolition application, after AHA never provided Rayton a copy, she emailed AHA director Renee Glover and carbon copied HUD officials in Chicago.
"I've ask [sic] several times for a copu [sic] of the demolition application, I would like to also know what will be did with this building and will some of the residents get to move back it they want to, I would like to know who are the developers that will get this building," Rayton wrote in an email dated March 10, 2008.
"I'm the resident president of the palmer house senior high rise and we're very concern that AHA didn't send us a copy of the demolition application before they submited [sic] it to HUD, we have serious concerns and questions about the demolition application that was submited to HUD on February 1, 2008 we feel that we be included in everthing [sic] that has to do with the Palmer House Senior High Rise because this is our home, this is where we live, we never had a chance to see the copy of the demolition application, my residents are asking me to see it and I don't have it to show them," Rayton wrote.
AHA’s Barney Simms responded to Rayton’s email on March 12, 2008.
"Ms. Glover forwarded to me your e-mail dated March 9, 2008 in which you requested a copy of the demolition application for Palmer House," Simms wrote, according to an email obtained by Atlanta Progressive News.
"I was not aware that you had requested a copy of the application before; however, I think it would be great for you and other Palmer House residents to have access to the application. Therefore, I will make sure that you receive a hand delivered copy of the application before the close of business on Friday of this week. I will also make another copy available so that it can be kept in the property management office so other Palmer House residents will have access to it," Simms wrote.
"In fact, I think your idea to provide the applications to the residents is such a wonderful idea that I will make available copies of the demolition applications for each affected community. One copy will be provided to the resident association president and another will be made available for residents' access within the property management office of the community," Simms wrote.
Rayton received her copy Friday of that week, she said.
Rayton believes it is unfair AHA did not involve the resident association in their planning.
AHA claims it has held over 20 meetings with the various resident associations, but these meetings typically involve AHA telling residents their plans.
"They made the plan by themselves. We didn't know anything about it. We really should have. If they didn't want to include the residents, I think the officers should have been included. When they did HOPE VI for Techwood/Clark Howell, they gave them the plans and everything. They sat down and talked with them about it," Rayton said.
Rayton is currently hopeful she will hear back from Mr. Rodins regarding her request. She is actively seeking support from various community leaders for her request as well, APN can report.
Rayton, along with other RAB Board members, has requested a sit-down meeting with HUD in Chicago and is waiting to see if HUD is willing.
"I would just like to ask them, could they just come back, reevaluate this building and let us stay here? This is our home. This is where we want to stay. We don't want to move out of Atlanta. We don't want to move out of Downtown Atlanta. We want to stay here. And if there's anything wrong with the building, could they just repair it and let us continue to live here? We have some residents live here 30 something years and they don't want to go anywhere," Rayton said.
(APN) ATLANTA – Resident leaders at Palmer House senior highrise and the citywide Resident Advisory Board for public housing have sent emails, letters, and resolutions to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development requesting a delay in their consideration of demolition applications currently under review, until residents and association leaders have a chance to review the demolition applications, Atlanta Progressive News has learned.
"Atlanta Housing Authority submitted to you demolition applications for several communities on February 4, 2008, without letting resident leaders and officers see or review the applications for comments before the were submitted. I would think that since they want to demolish our home that we should have been included in what they were doing to us," Eleanor Rayton, President of the Palmer House senior highrise, wrote in a letter to Ainars Rodins, director of HUD’s Special Application Center, dated March 30, 2008.
"We want a chance to review the application! We are senior citizens and we will need more time at least two or three months to review the application. It’s a very thick book and it will take some time for me to read all of it, and my officers want to read it also, we want to know how and why they justify their plans, what are their plans, and why didn’t they speak with us about their plans to see if we want to move or stay," Rayton wrote.
"I have a lot of seniors that are going through a lot of emotional changes about this moving, some of them are afraid that they will be homeless, and have had to up on nerve medication, they are seniors and they are afraid," Rayton wrote.
"We support Ms. Rayton’s request for a 60-90 day extension on HUD’s review of demo applications so residents have a chance to review them and respond," leaders of the RAB Board, wrote in a resolution dated March 23, 2008, which was also mailed to HUD.
Rayton has not received written replies to either her email or letter to Mr. Rodins, she says, and she has also left him several voice messages which have not been returned.
"Please do not shut us out of this process; this is our Home and the seniors want to have a voice, they’re afraid. Let’s be honest and truthful with our seniors, most of the seniors have lost their confidence in AHA. They don’t trust them, they come to me daily wanting to know they are being truthful with [sic], and will they end up homeless," Rayton wrote.
SENIORS ADAMANT THEY DO NOT WANT TO MOVE
"My residents are still saying they don't want to move. They don't want to go anywhere. We're going to stay right here," Rayton said.
"Me and several of my residents talked today, including my Vice and we were talking about it. We think it’s really wrong how they doing us, how they wanting us to move. We stayed here during the time it was so bad you couldn't walk the streets. Why can't we be here to enjoy the beautiful location of Techwood now?" Rayton said.
Palmer and Roosevelt House are located near Centennial Park, where Techwood/Clark Howell was demolished by AHA in the 1990s under HOPE VI and was replaced with Centennial Place.
"We went through all that bad times here and now they want us to move and it's just not right. We want to enjoy all this beautification. It's for the rich people. Either for like the people that have to drive maybe 50 to 60 miles to get to work, the people that live out in the suburbs and they don't to spend all that time coming down to Atlanta, that's what we feel like," Rayton said.
PALMER HOUSE BUILDING IN GOOD CONDITION
Atlanta Progressive News reviewed the architectural report for Palmer House by Praxis 3 architectural firm for the Palmer House demolition application.
The report shows Palmer House, like Hollywood Court and possibly other communities, is "structurally sound." APN has only had time to review Hollywood Courts’s full application [around 1000 pages] and only portions of other applications thus far. Palmer House is reported by Praxis 3 to be in good physical condition.
The only two physical issues with Palmer House are that discoloration on the roof suggests standing water, which can be fixed for $7500; and that refurbishment is needed for the glazing on the exterior walls, which can be fixed for $75,000. Thus, the total refurbishment cost is $82,500 to address physical issues listed in the report.
However, AHA has apparently made a fraudulent claim to HUD that Palmer House, like Hollywood Courts, is physically obsolete, a claim not even supported by the architectural reports they commissioned.
RESIDENTS SCARED BY AHA RELOCATION TEAMS
Relocation teams have been approaching senior citizens at Palmer House and Roosevelt House since February 2008, resident leaders say.
"The first time when they came out here I did not know they was coming. They were on the floor and some of the residents had called me saying they had signed a letter and people wanted their social security numbers," Rayton told Atlanta Progressive News.
"I said who are these people? Where are they from? They said they're from Housing. I said, do they have a business card to give y'all? They said no they didn't want to tell us their name. I said this wasn't right. I was in a lot of pain that day," Rayton said.
"I went to a couple of seniors’ apartments and looked at the paper. I talked to my Vice and said I can't go door to door. So I went on the intercom. I said people who say they're from AHA are here, I don't know who they are. And I don't know where they come from. I said those papers, you might be signing your life away or you might be signing yourself outdoors. So don't sign any more papers," Rayton recalled.
"The people got mad and came to the management office and wanted to know who said that," Rayton said.
"I went down trying to block them by the water fountain as people got on the elevator," Rayton said.
"One lady she said I'm not going to sign this. I said y'all don't sign anything til I go out and find out what's going on. [AHA’s] Mr. .Simms called my office and my VP said I wasn't there," Rayton said.
"He called downstairs to management. I asked them, did they have any business cards and they said they didn't. I said we'll just wait until we find out about you all," Rayton said.
"Mr. Simms called management to come get me to the phone. He tried to explain what was going on. I said that wasn't right because we didn't know what was going on. And he should come down here himself," Rayton said.
RAYTON’S VISIT TO LOCAL HUD
Determined to find answers, Rayton visited federal HUD’s Atlanta office on Marietta Street.
"I went down to HUD to find out. Down on Marietta Street. I spoke with [Onri Harvey]. She was somebody on staff. We went up and I sat and talked with her. We took the papers and asked was those papers correct? She said yes. They had to do that now because last year they had a lot of drama with AHA coming and saying to move in 90 days, and that's not enough time for us to be able to move," Rayton said.
From the way the letters are described, they are likely letters which were included the various demolition applications. The letters let residents know that applications have been submitted to HUD and that if they are approved, then the residents will be displaced.
"They said it's for us to sign to receive them so we can't say you only gave us 60 days."
Rayton asked Harvey why her building was proposed for demolition, she said.
"She told us it was gonna have to go because it's so old and they can't keep putting money into it and fix it up the way they should be fixed up for us to live in here. But my residents don't want to go," Rayton said.
When told in recent days by APN that Palmer House is not physically obsolete and can be refurbished with funds AHA has already set aside for relocation: "Well I think what they said was wrong. They just lied," Rayton said.
"I wanted a copy of the developers. She told me they don't have a copy of that because they don't have any developers," Rayton said.
Rayton also asked HUD for a copy of the demolition application.
"She said they don't have a copy of it. She told us we couldn't get one," Rayton said.
RAYTON’S EMAIL TO AHA AND HUD
When local HUD would not provide Rayton a copy of the demolition application, after AHA never provided Rayton a copy, she emailed AHA director Renee Glover and carbon copied HUD officials in Chicago.
"I've ask [sic] several times for a copu [sic] of the demolition application, I would like to also know what will be did with this building and will some of the residents get to move back it they want to, I would like to know who are the developers that will get this building," Rayton wrote in an email dated March 10, 2008.
"I'm the resident president of the palmer house senior high rise and we're very concern that AHA didn't send us a copy of the demolition application before they submited [sic] it to HUD, we have serious concerns and questions about the demolition application that was submited to HUD on February 1, 2008 we feel that we be included in everthing [sic] that has to do with the Palmer House Senior High Rise because this is our home, this is where we live, we never had a chance to see the copy of the demolition application, my residents are asking me to see it and I don't have it to show them," Rayton wrote.
AHA’s Barney Simms responded to Rayton’s email on March 12, 2008.
"Ms. Glover forwarded to me your e-mail dated March 9, 2008 in which you requested a copy of the demolition application for Palmer House," Simms wrote, according to an email obtained by Atlanta Progressive News.
"I was not aware that you had requested a copy of the application before; however, I think it would be great for you and other Palmer House residents to have access to the application. Therefore, I will make sure that you receive a hand delivered copy of the application before the close of business on Friday of this week. I will also make another copy available so that it can be kept in the property management office so other Palmer House residents will have access to it," Simms wrote.
"In fact, I think your idea to provide the applications to the residents is such a wonderful idea that I will make available copies of the demolition applications for each affected community. One copy will be provided to the resident association president and another will be made available for residents' access within the property management office of the community," Simms wrote.
Rayton received her copy Friday of that week, she said.
Rayton believes it is unfair AHA did not involve the resident association in their planning.
AHA claims it has held over 20 meetings with the various resident associations, but these meetings typically involve AHA telling residents their plans.
"They made the plan by themselves. We didn't know anything about it. We really should have. If they didn't want to include the residents, I think the officers should have been included. When they did HOPE VI for Techwood/Clark Howell, they gave them the plans and everything. They sat down and talked with them about it," Rayton said.
Rayton is currently hopeful she will hear back from Mr. Rodins regarding her request. She is actively seeking support from various community leaders for her request as well, APN can report.
Rayton, along with other RAB Board members, has requested a sit-down meeting with HUD in Chicago and is waiting to see if HUD is willing.
"I would just like to ask them, could they just come back, reevaluate this building and let us stay here? This is our home. This is where we want to stay. We don't want to move out of Atlanta. We don't want to move out of Downtown Atlanta. We want to stay here. And if there's anything wrong with the building, could they just repair it and let us continue to live here? We have some residents live here 30 something years and they don't want to go anywhere," Rayton said.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com.
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for The Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com.
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