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SERC-NAHRO Summer 1990
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lator Southeastern Regional Council
SUMMER ISSUE 1990
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials
OUR BOTH
ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
middotSER
OUR BIRTHDAY CAKE
OFACERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSONS 1989-91
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL COUNCIL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS
PRESIDENT
A W Gus Kuhn Executive Director Bessemer Housing Authority 1100 Fifth Avenue North Bessemer Alabama 35020
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Herbert D McBride Executive Director Roanoke Redev amp Hous Auth P O Box 6359 Roanoke Virginia 24017
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Elaine T Ostrowski Executive Director Greensboro Housing Authority P O Box 21287 Greensboro North Carolina 27420
VICE PRESIDENTS
Housing
Austin J Simms Executive Director Lexlngton- Fayette Hous Auth 635 Ballard Street LeIington Kentuck) 40508
Member Services
Lanelle Davis Executive Director Long Beach Housing Authority P O Box 418 Long Beach Mississippi 39560
Community Revitalization amp Development
Zelma D Boggess Executive Director Jackson County Housing Auth I TanRlewood Vra Whispering Wy Rlprey West Virginia 2527f
Professional Development
Paul A Pierce Hauslng Authority or the City of Decatur and Cly or DeKalb P O Box 1627 Decatur Georgia 30031
PAST PRESIDENTS
First Betty G Smith Knoxville Tennessee
Second John Van Ness Louisville Kentucky
Third David L Smotherman Decatur Georgia
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
Alabama Florida Georgia Kentucky Misslssij)pi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
COMMITTEE
Annual Conference Coordinators
Exhibits Exhibitors Representative Hospitality
Opening Ceremonies Program Registration - 1990 Registration - 1991
Ushers
Resolutions Budget PoUcy Advisory Nominating Site Selection - 1992 -93
1994-95
Commissioners Legislative Member Services
Public Affairs Administrative Practice Membership Plan Benefit Board
Housing Management Maintenance ClAP Rental Assistance Human Services
C R and D CR amp D Housing Production
Professional Development Professional Development
Housing Mgmt Inst Board Scholarship
AD HOC Committees
J C Miller Jr Larry Shoeman Margaret Tidwell Oneila Perry Thomas Robinson Nancy Walker Donald Cameron Janice Platt Danny Cruce Manuel Cartelle
CHAIRPERSONS
Eleanor Hill Margaret Whitfield Reynolds Jones Robert Crownover Jane Hamilton Milo Docmiddot Pearson Edgar Langston Frank Chavers Austin Simms Beverly Romeo LaneJle Davis Hazel Mosley Margaret Tidwell James Meacher Thomas Robinson Karl Tyree Jr Betty Smltn A E Arrington Betty Smith John Acurr Walter Lambert Robert Pless
John Collier William Bo Pierce George Smith Michael Proffitt
Dean Robinson Glen Ford Edwina Burnett Carolyn Beaman
William Hawkins Frank Gooch
John Nolen Robert Taylor Michael Proffitt Doris Jeffries
CrimeDrug Abuse-Public HousPaula Jones Deinstitutionalization amp Homeless Disasters
Samuel Hider Donald Cameron
Message froDi the SERe-NAHKO President
Well we have just cODlpleted our Annual Conference at the Galt House in Louisville Kentucky and with this Conference we celebrate( the Fi ftieth Anni versary of SERCshyNAHRO Our Organization has come a long way and the celebration held on this occasion was certainly appropriate and in order A special toast was made at the banguet which IS printed elsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator and it is a toast that should be recorded for posterity and remembered for the recognition it gives to our past leaders and for the unaerlying message it gives to all of us relative to what is expected of us The Annual Conference Coordinators Eleanor Hill and Margaret Whitfield planned and checked every detail of our Con ference and accomplished one of the smoothest running Con ferences ever held Their supervision over the entire Conference and the cooperation they received from the other Con ference Chairpersons resulted in one of the most successful Annual Conferences ever And when did we have a more exciting and exhuberant Conference Registration Imagine donated wine champagne cake and music at Registration was really a terrific way to get our Conference started And did everyone see the beautiful cake that was designed to look like a six-unit public housing buildlnamp with a one story wing apartment at botli ends and four units in the middle which were two-story The baker of this cake even took time to put in six small light meters and the icing even showed the shrubbery arouna the eatable building Thanks to Austin Simms and his Registration Committee for this most unusual Registration Party we have ever had The Program Committee provided interesting subjects lor everyone in attendance and our theme Building the Future Upon the History of the Past was evident throughout the entire Conference Much information was disseminated which all of us were able to carry back home to use in our everyday operations For all of this hard work and endeavor thanks go to Frank Chavers and his Program Committee for providing us with the kind of Information we need
The Exhibit area proved to be a real gathering place and all of tne vendors were deliglited with lhe exposure they received through two dutch treat luncheons and two evening receptions in their area Many vendors were particularly appreciative of the way they were treated and the interest shown in their products They were also
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pleased with the location of the Exhibit area and the closeness to all other activities For ali this satisfactory and acceptable work thanks go to Ronnie Jones and his wife Kathy for carrying out the task of Exhibitors Committee
To say the least hospitality was shown everywhere but especially at the Souses Coffee held in the Presidents SUIte which Jane Hamilton and Frances Kuhn planned and carried out This is always a delightful occasion when the spouses can get together to renew the acquaintances they have made over the years Milo Doc Pearson IS also due recognition and thanks for the provision of refreshments in the Presidents Suite whenever there were any activities being held there His able assistant Joe Alexander was also in much evidence during tee receptions for which everyone was appreCIative
Shirley Hider sang the National Anthem beauti fully and Ed Langston did an outstanding job leadinamp our Opening Ceremonies with the parade of flags and then In addition carried out the ushering responsibilities with Hazel Mosley Without their directions to their Committee members we could not have had the kind of Conference we did A new innovation that helped this year to keep things in order was the different colored tickets to the different fUDctions Jim Meacher had a considerable number of resolutions to be adopted this year and he was able to guide all of these resolutions through the Executive Committee without any problems
I personally appreciate all of the Officers and State Representatives who participated in this Annual Conference and for guiding the planning of it in so short a time We now must go back to facing the task at hand and that is to review our mem ber services to check on all housing legislation and community development legislation and to develop programs for our membership through the Professional Development Committee The Professional Development Committee is now working feverishly to complete an outstanding SERC Fall Worksliop to be beld in Hilton Heaa South Carolina on November 11 12 and 13 1990 Make your plans now to attend and if you can bring a Commissioner in view of the outstanding program that will be held at that time
A final thanks to all those who attended and Qarticipated in our Fiftieth Anniversary Annual Conference of SERC-NAHRO
A W Gus Kuhn President SERC-NAHRO
The pnmary objectMl 01 the SERCulatOl IS to pcMde a vehicle which facilrtates an open exchange 01 InfOlmatlQn and ideas among pofessionals In the field 01 housing and community developnent fv1 essential requirement to serve thiS purpose is poshyfesslOnal artICles and other infOlmational material dealing with the developnent and mplementahon 01 variOUS skills and pacshytices in thiS field which are both 01 value as well as suitable fO( sharing with your fellow poIesslOnals Sutroissions 01 this nature are encouraged from individual and OIganishyzational members of the Southeastern Re-9ampa1 Council 01 NAHRO
A W Gus- Kuhn editor for this Issue only due to the gnatlon Of former editor ECI Jagnandan
Mrs Peggy Bush bull Staff
The official publication of the Southeastern Regional Council of Ihe National ASSOCiation of Housing and Redevelopment Officials serving the nations Housing and Community Development needs
CONTENTS
Message from the SERC-HABRO President
BUD Lines
SERCu1ating Alabama
SERCu1ating Florida
SERCu1ating Georgia
SERCu1ating Kentucky
SERCu1ating Horth Carolina
SERCu1ating South Carolina
SERCu1ating Mississippi
50th Annual Conference
50th Year Banquet Toast
SERCu1ating Tennessee
SERCu1ating Virginia
SERCu1ating west Virginia
SERC Committee Reports
Ft Collins Housing Authority Va U S A
Editorial by Jack Kemp
Meet your new Editor
Letters from the Edit r
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SERCulator the official publica Ion of the Southeastern Regional Council of the Natlonal Association of Housing and ReltJevelopment Officials ERCulator Is published quarterly at the Housing Authority of he City of Glasgow P O Box 645 Glasgow KY 42141 Comments suggestions articles features and photographs are solicited 1n the Interest of the memt5ers 01 the Southeastern Reg10nal Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials represented by ten states
Alabama florida Georgia Kentucky Mississippi North Carolina South carOlina Tennessee Virginia and West Virginia
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Regional Administrator Comments from the Regional Directormiddot US Department of Housing amp Urban Development
Raymond Harris
The Comprehensive Improvement Assisshytance Program (ClAP) for Public flousing Agencies (PHAs) has become one of the major Jlrograms of the Department of Housing and Urban Development mUD) As the PHAs physical in ventory ages needs develop to update the facilities and equipment to make the accomodations more modern comfortable and attracti ve for our clients the residents
As this is a major program changes frequently occur Beginning with Federal Fiscal Year 1990 some significant changes have been made in the program which were intended to improve the overall program and make it less complicated for both the PH As and HUD Comments on some of the changes follow
The application process was streamlined by eliminatlDg the two-applicatio (preliminar n d final) requirement Only one complete application up front is now required which IS followed by a Joint Review funoing decisions and bu oget submission
A new type modernization was made available for the first time this year to allow for additional modernization fundlDg of projects previously comprehensively modernized The purpose of this new category is to allow PHAs to be able to take care of problems that may not have b en detected or did not exist at the time of the comprehensive modernization This will permit PHAs to take care of items that were previously prohibited due to the inability to make premature replacements such as equipment roofs etc
This year we are encouraging PHAs to explore ways 10 which the Secretarys initiatives may be carrie out in all aSpects of ClAP This incfuds restorIng vacant units to occupancy economic development for residents drug elimination resident management homeownerShip and fair housing and equal oPllortunity We must always be on the alert to utilize all possible funding to imprpve the Ii ves of the residents of puolic hOUSlDg
In addition to consulting residents before accomplishing modernization work you are now
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required to involve them after approval of the program This includes providing them with a cOj)y of the HUD-approved application and the HUD-approved Project Implementation Schedule Th reSidents should be provided appropriate notice regardng proJlosed moves and to the maxim um extent possfblC provided opportunities for employment by the PnA and its contractors
We are excited about some of the changes in the ClAP progra especially the resident lDitiatives involvement we are convinced that not only will the residents benefit by improvements in their ability to live independentlYI but you as PHAs will also reap the oenefits 0 knowlDg you have improved the guality of life of your residents and thereby contri6uted to the overall improvement of the communities which you serve
One of Secretary Kemps highest priorities is to help make Public HOUSlDg drug free As a result of the Secretarys emphaSIS on anti-drug activitiesl I have helJled establish Youth Sports and Cultural Programs throughout our Region This initiative represents an important step In our efforts to deal With th drug problems In our Public Housing commuDll1es
It is designed to provide young children with activities such as basketball drama art and tutorial services that will help develop their self esteem and ive bem Ih lreng h to resist the pressure to use d rugs It is our position that children who feel good about themselves who can communicate their feelugs who can foresee the consequences of their 6 enavior and who can identify alternatives to drugs will be better prepared to resist the temptatIOns to abuse illegal substances
We are encouraged about the number of executive directors who nave implemented programs thus far Although we do not have any grants available at thiS tim we can supply you witn our Youth Sports and cultural Manual that will be vey helpful to you in devloping your progratp It IS a good source of materIal that can aid you 10 diSCUSSIOns about insuranc finding grant resources or training coaches
In addition to this Boys and Girls Clubs have made a commitment to actively become involved in developing their clubs in public housing If you have an available buildlDg or a deslfe to Implement programs that develop positive self concepts and great social attitudesl please consider becoming involved in these initiatives Within your authority you have a unique opportunity to provide children with an altr live to drugs and alcohol and at the same time reduce vandalism and juvenile drug arrests
If you are interested in the positive approach I urge you to contact my Slcial Assistant Mark Brezina at 404-730-2391 U S Department of Housing and Urban Development 75 Spring Street S W Room 600 Atlanta Georgia 30303
ALABAMA (Continued)
RESIDENT INITIATIVES IN ALABAMA
41- middot - lt
Approximately twenty-five housing autborities were represented on June 6 1990 at a meeting in tbe HUD office concerning tbe statewide public bousing VISTA program Partici pating PHAs will sponsor community workers in specific Erojects and will choose wbat goals lheir VIST As) will work on GoalsincJude neeas assessment resident IDvolvement drug education and awareness economic development opportunities for residents sports and recreationalcultural programs youth fouDs and mentor progras The Decatur Housing AUtbority will employ a sUjgtervlsor who will oversee activities statewide and will provide support and technical assistance to (he VISTAs Target date for the VISTAs to begin work is October 1990
High School residents honored I This month the Housing Authority of the
Birmingham District honored the outstanding high school and collegemiddotage residents of the Citys housing complexes
Named Mr and Miss Housing Authority at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham were Frank Parker 19 and Chiquita Holloway 17 Miss Holloway represented Kimbrough Homes and Mr Parker represented Russell Harris Homes
Each will receive a $20000 scholarship to Miles College and a $500 savings bond Second place winners who received trophies and other prizes were LaSonya Lockhart of Metropolitan Gardens and
HUD AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congratulations to H UD Manager Bob Lunsrord ror receiving the highest award granted by H UD On May 9 1990 he was presented the DlstIngulsbed Service Award by Jack Kemp In a ceremony at the H UD building In Washington D C Congratul ations again Bob for a Job well done and an award Justly awarded
A special presentation was made at the SAHMA meetIng on May 23 1990 State Representative Perry
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Jeffery Hollins of Loveman Village Besides being judged in evening and sportswear each displayed their respective talents
Miss Holloway will be going to Washington DC next month as a Congressional Scholar A member of Whos Who she plans to study medicine For her talent she offered a dramatic recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou
A graduate of Parker High School where he exmiddot celled scholastically and sang in the school choir Mr Parker plans to study medicine Displaying his beautifll tenor voice Frank sang a gospel song Tomorrow
Hooller Jr presented House Joint Resolution No 273 which commended the B irm ingham Field Office and Bob Lunsford ror Oufstandlng Achievem ent
In a rep0l1 Issued April 30 1990 by Ii UD Central OfrJce the Birmingham Office was cited ror bavlng a low FY 1989 derauH rate In Its single ramily Insurance
I program The default rate In the BIrmingham Orrlce Is 263 The default rate In the Southeast Is 309 The National default rate Is 234
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
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she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
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Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
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Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
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The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
14
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
16
Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
OFACERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE
CHAIRPERSONS 1989-91
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL COUNCIL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS
PRESIDENT
A W Gus Kuhn Executive Director Bessemer Housing Authority 1100 Fifth Avenue North Bessemer Alabama 35020
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Herbert D McBride Executive Director Roanoke Redev amp Hous Auth P O Box 6359 Roanoke Virginia 24017
SECRETARY-TREASURER
Elaine T Ostrowski Executive Director Greensboro Housing Authority P O Box 21287 Greensboro North Carolina 27420
VICE PRESIDENTS
Housing
Austin J Simms Executive Director Lexlngton- Fayette Hous Auth 635 Ballard Street LeIington Kentuck) 40508
Member Services
Lanelle Davis Executive Director Long Beach Housing Authority P O Box 418 Long Beach Mississippi 39560
Community Revitalization amp Development
Zelma D Boggess Executive Director Jackson County Housing Auth I TanRlewood Vra Whispering Wy Rlprey West Virginia 2527f
Professional Development
Paul A Pierce Hauslng Authority or the City of Decatur and Cly or DeKalb P O Box 1627 Decatur Georgia 30031
PAST PRESIDENTS
First Betty G Smith Knoxville Tennessee
Second John Van Ness Louisville Kentucky
Third David L Smotherman Decatur Georgia
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
Alabama Florida Georgia Kentucky Misslssij)pi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia
COMMITTEE
Annual Conference Coordinators
Exhibits Exhibitors Representative Hospitality
Opening Ceremonies Program Registration - 1990 Registration - 1991
Ushers
Resolutions Budget PoUcy Advisory Nominating Site Selection - 1992 -93
1994-95
Commissioners Legislative Member Services
Public Affairs Administrative Practice Membership Plan Benefit Board
Housing Management Maintenance ClAP Rental Assistance Human Services
C R and D CR amp D Housing Production
Professional Development Professional Development
Housing Mgmt Inst Board Scholarship
AD HOC Committees
J C Miller Jr Larry Shoeman Margaret Tidwell Oneila Perry Thomas Robinson Nancy Walker Donald Cameron Janice Platt Danny Cruce Manuel Cartelle
CHAIRPERSONS
Eleanor Hill Margaret Whitfield Reynolds Jones Robert Crownover Jane Hamilton Milo Docmiddot Pearson Edgar Langston Frank Chavers Austin Simms Beverly Romeo LaneJle Davis Hazel Mosley Margaret Tidwell James Meacher Thomas Robinson Karl Tyree Jr Betty Smltn A E Arrington Betty Smith John Acurr Walter Lambert Robert Pless
John Collier William Bo Pierce George Smith Michael Proffitt
Dean Robinson Glen Ford Edwina Burnett Carolyn Beaman
William Hawkins Frank Gooch
John Nolen Robert Taylor Michael Proffitt Doris Jeffries
CrimeDrug Abuse-Public HousPaula Jones Deinstitutionalization amp Homeless Disasters
Samuel Hider Donald Cameron
Message froDi the SERe-NAHKO President
Well we have just cODlpleted our Annual Conference at the Galt House in Louisville Kentucky and with this Conference we celebrate( the Fi ftieth Anni versary of SERCshyNAHRO Our Organization has come a long way and the celebration held on this occasion was certainly appropriate and in order A special toast was made at the banguet which IS printed elsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator and it is a toast that should be recorded for posterity and remembered for the recognition it gives to our past leaders and for the unaerlying message it gives to all of us relative to what is expected of us The Annual Conference Coordinators Eleanor Hill and Margaret Whitfield planned and checked every detail of our Con ference and accomplished one of the smoothest running Con ferences ever held Their supervision over the entire Conference and the cooperation they received from the other Con ference Chairpersons resulted in one of the most successful Annual Conferences ever And when did we have a more exciting and exhuberant Conference Registration Imagine donated wine champagne cake and music at Registration was really a terrific way to get our Conference started And did everyone see the beautiful cake that was designed to look like a six-unit public housing buildlnamp with a one story wing apartment at botli ends and four units in the middle which were two-story The baker of this cake even took time to put in six small light meters and the icing even showed the shrubbery arouna the eatable building Thanks to Austin Simms and his Registration Committee for this most unusual Registration Party we have ever had The Program Committee provided interesting subjects lor everyone in attendance and our theme Building the Future Upon the History of the Past was evident throughout the entire Conference Much information was disseminated which all of us were able to carry back home to use in our everyday operations For all of this hard work and endeavor thanks go to Frank Chavers and his Program Committee for providing us with the kind of Information we need
The Exhibit area proved to be a real gathering place and all of tne vendors were deliglited with lhe exposure they received through two dutch treat luncheons and two evening receptions in their area Many vendors were particularly appreciative of the way they were treated and the interest shown in their products They were also
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pleased with the location of the Exhibit area and the closeness to all other activities For ali this satisfactory and acceptable work thanks go to Ronnie Jones and his wife Kathy for carrying out the task of Exhibitors Committee
To say the least hospitality was shown everywhere but especially at the Souses Coffee held in the Presidents SUIte which Jane Hamilton and Frances Kuhn planned and carried out This is always a delightful occasion when the spouses can get together to renew the acquaintances they have made over the years Milo Doc Pearson IS also due recognition and thanks for the provision of refreshments in the Presidents Suite whenever there were any activities being held there His able assistant Joe Alexander was also in much evidence during tee receptions for which everyone was appreCIative
Shirley Hider sang the National Anthem beauti fully and Ed Langston did an outstanding job leadinamp our Opening Ceremonies with the parade of flags and then In addition carried out the ushering responsibilities with Hazel Mosley Without their directions to their Committee members we could not have had the kind of Conference we did A new innovation that helped this year to keep things in order was the different colored tickets to the different fUDctions Jim Meacher had a considerable number of resolutions to be adopted this year and he was able to guide all of these resolutions through the Executive Committee without any problems
I personally appreciate all of the Officers and State Representatives who participated in this Annual Conference and for guiding the planning of it in so short a time We now must go back to facing the task at hand and that is to review our mem ber services to check on all housing legislation and community development legislation and to develop programs for our membership through the Professional Development Committee The Professional Development Committee is now working feverishly to complete an outstanding SERC Fall Worksliop to be beld in Hilton Heaa South Carolina on November 11 12 and 13 1990 Make your plans now to attend and if you can bring a Commissioner in view of the outstanding program that will be held at that time
A final thanks to all those who attended and Qarticipated in our Fiftieth Anniversary Annual Conference of SERC-NAHRO
A W Gus Kuhn President SERC-NAHRO
The pnmary objectMl 01 the SERCulatOl IS to pcMde a vehicle which facilrtates an open exchange 01 InfOlmatlQn and ideas among pofessionals In the field 01 housing and community developnent fv1 essential requirement to serve thiS purpose is poshyfesslOnal artICles and other infOlmational material dealing with the developnent and mplementahon 01 variOUS skills and pacshytices in thiS field which are both 01 value as well as suitable fO( sharing with your fellow poIesslOnals Sutroissions 01 this nature are encouraged from individual and OIganishyzational members of the Southeastern Re-9ampa1 Council 01 NAHRO
A W Gus- Kuhn editor for this Issue only due to the gnatlon Of former editor ECI Jagnandan
Mrs Peggy Bush bull Staff
The official publication of the Southeastern Regional Council of Ihe National ASSOCiation of Housing and Redevelopment Officials serving the nations Housing and Community Development needs
CONTENTS
Message from the SERC-HABRO President
BUD Lines
SERCu1ating Alabama
SERCu1ating Florida
SERCu1ating Georgia
SERCu1ating Kentucky
SERCu1ating Horth Carolina
SERCu1ating South Carolina
SERCu1ating Mississippi
50th Annual Conference
50th Year Banquet Toast
SERCu1ating Tennessee
SERCu1ating Virginia
SERCu1ating west Virginia
SERC Committee Reports
Ft Collins Housing Authority Va U S A
Editorial by Jack Kemp
Meet your new Editor
Letters from the Edit r
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SERCulator the official publica Ion of the Southeastern Regional Council of the Natlonal Association of Housing and ReltJevelopment Officials ERCulator Is published quarterly at the Housing Authority of he City of Glasgow P O Box 645 Glasgow KY 42141 Comments suggestions articles features and photographs are solicited 1n the Interest of the memt5ers 01 the Southeastern Reg10nal Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials represented by ten states
Alabama florida Georgia Kentucky Mississippi North Carolina South carOlina Tennessee Virginia and West Virginia
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Regional Administrator Comments from the Regional Directormiddot US Department of Housing amp Urban Development
Raymond Harris
The Comprehensive Improvement Assisshytance Program (ClAP) for Public flousing Agencies (PHAs) has become one of the major Jlrograms of the Department of Housing and Urban Development mUD) As the PHAs physical in ventory ages needs develop to update the facilities and equipment to make the accomodations more modern comfortable and attracti ve for our clients the residents
As this is a major program changes frequently occur Beginning with Federal Fiscal Year 1990 some significant changes have been made in the program which were intended to improve the overall program and make it less complicated for both the PH As and HUD Comments on some of the changes follow
The application process was streamlined by eliminatlDg the two-applicatio (preliminar n d final) requirement Only one complete application up front is now required which IS followed by a Joint Review funoing decisions and bu oget submission
A new type modernization was made available for the first time this year to allow for additional modernization fundlDg of projects previously comprehensively modernized The purpose of this new category is to allow PHAs to be able to take care of problems that may not have b en detected or did not exist at the time of the comprehensive modernization This will permit PHAs to take care of items that were previously prohibited due to the inability to make premature replacements such as equipment roofs etc
This year we are encouraging PHAs to explore ways 10 which the Secretarys initiatives may be carrie out in all aSpects of ClAP This incfuds restorIng vacant units to occupancy economic development for residents drug elimination resident management homeownerShip and fair housing and equal oPllortunity We must always be on the alert to utilize all possible funding to imprpve the Ii ves of the residents of puolic hOUSlDg
In addition to consulting residents before accomplishing modernization work you are now
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required to involve them after approval of the program This includes providing them with a cOj)y of the HUD-approved application and the HUD-approved Project Implementation Schedule Th reSidents should be provided appropriate notice regardng proJlosed moves and to the maxim um extent possfblC provided opportunities for employment by the PnA and its contractors
We are excited about some of the changes in the ClAP progra especially the resident lDitiatives involvement we are convinced that not only will the residents benefit by improvements in their ability to live independentlYI but you as PHAs will also reap the oenefits 0 knowlDg you have improved the guality of life of your residents and thereby contri6uted to the overall improvement of the communities which you serve
One of Secretary Kemps highest priorities is to help make Public HOUSlDg drug free As a result of the Secretarys emphaSIS on anti-drug activitiesl I have helJled establish Youth Sports and Cultural Programs throughout our Region This initiative represents an important step In our efforts to deal With th drug problems In our Public Housing commuDll1es
It is designed to provide young children with activities such as basketball drama art and tutorial services that will help develop their self esteem and ive bem Ih lreng h to resist the pressure to use d rugs It is our position that children who feel good about themselves who can communicate their feelugs who can foresee the consequences of their 6 enavior and who can identify alternatives to drugs will be better prepared to resist the temptatIOns to abuse illegal substances
We are encouraged about the number of executive directors who nave implemented programs thus far Although we do not have any grants available at thiS tim we can supply you witn our Youth Sports and cultural Manual that will be vey helpful to you in devloping your progratp It IS a good source of materIal that can aid you 10 diSCUSSIOns about insuranc finding grant resources or training coaches
In addition to this Boys and Girls Clubs have made a commitment to actively become involved in developing their clubs in public housing If you have an available buildlDg or a deslfe to Implement programs that develop positive self concepts and great social attitudesl please consider becoming involved in these initiatives Within your authority you have a unique opportunity to provide children with an altr live to drugs and alcohol and at the same time reduce vandalism and juvenile drug arrests
If you are interested in the positive approach I urge you to contact my Slcial Assistant Mark Brezina at 404-730-2391 U S Department of Housing and Urban Development 75 Spring Street S W Room 600 Atlanta Georgia 30303
ALABAMA (Continued)
RESIDENT INITIATIVES IN ALABAMA
41- middot - lt
Approximately twenty-five housing autborities were represented on June 6 1990 at a meeting in tbe HUD office concerning tbe statewide public bousing VISTA program Partici pating PHAs will sponsor community workers in specific Erojects and will choose wbat goals lheir VIST As) will work on GoalsincJude neeas assessment resident IDvolvement drug education and awareness economic development opportunities for residents sports and recreationalcultural programs youth fouDs and mentor progras The Decatur Housing AUtbority will employ a sUjgtervlsor who will oversee activities statewide and will provide support and technical assistance to (he VISTAs Target date for the VISTAs to begin work is October 1990
High School residents honored I This month the Housing Authority of the
Birmingham District honored the outstanding high school and collegemiddotage residents of the Citys housing complexes
Named Mr and Miss Housing Authority at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham were Frank Parker 19 and Chiquita Holloway 17 Miss Holloway represented Kimbrough Homes and Mr Parker represented Russell Harris Homes
Each will receive a $20000 scholarship to Miles College and a $500 savings bond Second place winners who received trophies and other prizes were LaSonya Lockhart of Metropolitan Gardens and
HUD AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congratulations to H UD Manager Bob Lunsrord ror receiving the highest award granted by H UD On May 9 1990 he was presented the DlstIngulsbed Service Award by Jack Kemp In a ceremony at the H UD building In Washington D C Congratul ations again Bob for a Job well done and an award Justly awarded
A special presentation was made at the SAHMA meetIng on May 23 1990 State Representative Perry
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Jeffery Hollins of Loveman Village Besides being judged in evening and sportswear each displayed their respective talents
Miss Holloway will be going to Washington DC next month as a Congressional Scholar A member of Whos Who she plans to study medicine For her talent she offered a dramatic recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou
A graduate of Parker High School where he exmiddot celled scholastically and sang in the school choir Mr Parker plans to study medicine Displaying his beautifll tenor voice Frank sang a gospel song Tomorrow
Hooller Jr presented House Joint Resolution No 273 which commended the B irm ingham Field Office and Bob Lunsford ror Oufstandlng Achievem ent
In a rep0l1 Issued April 30 1990 by Ii UD Central OfrJce the Birmingham Office was cited ror bavlng a low FY 1989 derauH rate In Its single ramily Insurance
I program The default rate In the BIrmingham Orrlce Is 263 The default rate In the Southeast Is 309 The National default rate Is 234
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
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she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
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Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
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Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
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The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
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RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
16
Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
Message froDi the SERe-NAHKO President
Well we have just cODlpleted our Annual Conference at the Galt House in Louisville Kentucky and with this Conference we celebrate( the Fi ftieth Anni versary of SERCshyNAHRO Our Organization has come a long way and the celebration held on this occasion was certainly appropriate and in order A special toast was made at the banguet which IS printed elsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator and it is a toast that should be recorded for posterity and remembered for the recognition it gives to our past leaders and for the unaerlying message it gives to all of us relative to what is expected of us The Annual Conference Coordinators Eleanor Hill and Margaret Whitfield planned and checked every detail of our Con ference and accomplished one of the smoothest running Con ferences ever held Their supervision over the entire Conference and the cooperation they received from the other Con ference Chairpersons resulted in one of the most successful Annual Conferences ever And when did we have a more exciting and exhuberant Conference Registration Imagine donated wine champagne cake and music at Registration was really a terrific way to get our Conference started And did everyone see the beautiful cake that was designed to look like a six-unit public housing buildlnamp with a one story wing apartment at botli ends and four units in the middle which were two-story The baker of this cake even took time to put in six small light meters and the icing even showed the shrubbery arouna the eatable building Thanks to Austin Simms and his Registration Committee for this most unusual Registration Party we have ever had The Program Committee provided interesting subjects lor everyone in attendance and our theme Building the Future Upon the History of the Past was evident throughout the entire Conference Much information was disseminated which all of us were able to carry back home to use in our everyday operations For all of this hard work and endeavor thanks go to Frank Chavers and his Program Committee for providing us with the kind of Information we need
The Exhibit area proved to be a real gathering place and all of tne vendors were deliglited with lhe exposure they received through two dutch treat luncheons and two evening receptions in their area Many vendors were particularly appreciative of the way they were treated and the interest shown in their products They were also
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pleased with the location of the Exhibit area and the closeness to all other activities For ali this satisfactory and acceptable work thanks go to Ronnie Jones and his wife Kathy for carrying out the task of Exhibitors Committee
To say the least hospitality was shown everywhere but especially at the Souses Coffee held in the Presidents SUIte which Jane Hamilton and Frances Kuhn planned and carried out This is always a delightful occasion when the spouses can get together to renew the acquaintances they have made over the years Milo Doc Pearson IS also due recognition and thanks for the provision of refreshments in the Presidents Suite whenever there were any activities being held there His able assistant Joe Alexander was also in much evidence during tee receptions for which everyone was appreCIative
Shirley Hider sang the National Anthem beauti fully and Ed Langston did an outstanding job leadinamp our Opening Ceremonies with the parade of flags and then In addition carried out the ushering responsibilities with Hazel Mosley Without their directions to their Committee members we could not have had the kind of Conference we did A new innovation that helped this year to keep things in order was the different colored tickets to the different fUDctions Jim Meacher had a considerable number of resolutions to be adopted this year and he was able to guide all of these resolutions through the Executive Committee without any problems
I personally appreciate all of the Officers and State Representatives who participated in this Annual Conference and for guiding the planning of it in so short a time We now must go back to facing the task at hand and that is to review our mem ber services to check on all housing legislation and community development legislation and to develop programs for our membership through the Professional Development Committee The Professional Development Committee is now working feverishly to complete an outstanding SERC Fall Worksliop to be beld in Hilton Heaa South Carolina on November 11 12 and 13 1990 Make your plans now to attend and if you can bring a Commissioner in view of the outstanding program that will be held at that time
A final thanks to all those who attended and Qarticipated in our Fiftieth Anniversary Annual Conference of SERC-NAHRO
A W Gus Kuhn President SERC-NAHRO
The pnmary objectMl 01 the SERCulatOl IS to pcMde a vehicle which facilrtates an open exchange 01 InfOlmatlQn and ideas among pofessionals In the field 01 housing and community developnent fv1 essential requirement to serve thiS purpose is poshyfesslOnal artICles and other infOlmational material dealing with the developnent and mplementahon 01 variOUS skills and pacshytices in thiS field which are both 01 value as well as suitable fO( sharing with your fellow poIesslOnals Sutroissions 01 this nature are encouraged from individual and OIganishyzational members of the Southeastern Re-9ampa1 Council 01 NAHRO
A W Gus- Kuhn editor for this Issue only due to the gnatlon Of former editor ECI Jagnandan
Mrs Peggy Bush bull Staff
The official publication of the Southeastern Regional Council of Ihe National ASSOCiation of Housing and Redevelopment Officials serving the nations Housing and Community Development needs
CONTENTS
Message from the SERC-HABRO President
BUD Lines
SERCu1ating Alabama
SERCu1ating Florida
SERCu1ating Georgia
SERCu1ating Kentucky
SERCu1ating Horth Carolina
SERCu1ating South Carolina
SERCu1ating Mississippi
50th Annual Conference
50th Year Banquet Toast
SERCu1ating Tennessee
SERCu1ating Virginia
SERCu1ating west Virginia
SERC Committee Reports
Ft Collins Housing Authority Va U S A
Editorial by Jack Kemp
Meet your new Editor
Letters from the Edit r
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SERCulator the official publica Ion of the Southeastern Regional Council of the Natlonal Association of Housing and ReltJevelopment Officials ERCulator Is published quarterly at the Housing Authority of he City of Glasgow P O Box 645 Glasgow KY 42141 Comments suggestions articles features and photographs are solicited 1n the Interest of the memt5ers 01 the Southeastern Reg10nal Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials represented by ten states
Alabama florida Georgia Kentucky Mississippi North Carolina South carOlina Tennessee Virginia and West Virginia
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Regional Administrator Comments from the Regional Directormiddot US Department of Housing amp Urban Development
Raymond Harris
The Comprehensive Improvement Assisshytance Program (ClAP) for Public flousing Agencies (PHAs) has become one of the major Jlrograms of the Department of Housing and Urban Development mUD) As the PHAs physical in ventory ages needs develop to update the facilities and equipment to make the accomodations more modern comfortable and attracti ve for our clients the residents
As this is a major program changes frequently occur Beginning with Federal Fiscal Year 1990 some significant changes have been made in the program which were intended to improve the overall program and make it less complicated for both the PH As and HUD Comments on some of the changes follow
The application process was streamlined by eliminatlDg the two-applicatio (preliminar n d final) requirement Only one complete application up front is now required which IS followed by a Joint Review funoing decisions and bu oget submission
A new type modernization was made available for the first time this year to allow for additional modernization fundlDg of projects previously comprehensively modernized The purpose of this new category is to allow PHAs to be able to take care of problems that may not have b en detected or did not exist at the time of the comprehensive modernization This will permit PHAs to take care of items that were previously prohibited due to the inability to make premature replacements such as equipment roofs etc
This year we are encouraging PHAs to explore ways 10 which the Secretarys initiatives may be carrie out in all aSpects of ClAP This incfuds restorIng vacant units to occupancy economic development for residents drug elimination resident management homeownerShip and fair housing and equal oPllortunity We must always be on the alert to utilize all possible funding to imprpve the Ii ves of the residents of puolic hOUSlDg
In addition to consulting residents before accomplishing modernization work you are now
5
required to involve them after approval of the program This includes providing them with a cOj)y of the HUD-approved application and the HUD-approved Project Implementation Schedule Th reSidents should be provided appropriate notice regardng proJlosed moves and to the maxim um extent possfblC provided opportunities for employment by the PnA and its contractors
We are excited about some of the changes in the ClAP progra especially the resident lDitiatives involvement we are convinced that not only will the residents benefit by improvements in their ability to live independentlYI but you as PHAs will also reap the oenefits 0 knowlDg you have improved the guality of life of your residents and thereby contri6uted to the overall improvement of the communities which you serve
One of Secretary Kemps highest priorities is to help make Public HOUSlDg drug free As a result of the Secretarys emphaSIS on anti-drug activitiesl I have helJled establish Youth Sports and Cultural Programs throughout our Region This initiative represents an important step In our efforts to deal With th drug problems In our Public Housing commuDll1es
It is designed to provide young children with activities such as basketball drama art and tutorial services that will help develop their self esteem and ive bem Ih lreng h to resist the pressure to use d rugs It is our position that children who feel good about themselves who can communicate their feelugs who can foresee the consequences of their 6 enavior and who can identify alternatives to drugs will be better prepared to resist the temptatIOns to abuse illegal substances
We are encouraged about the number of executive directors who nave implemented programs thus far Although we do not have any grants available at thiS tim we can supply you witn our Youth Sports and cultural Manual that will be vey helpful to you in devloping your progratp It IS a good source of materIal that can aid you 10 diSCUSSIOns about insuranc finding grant resources or training coaches
In addition to this Boys and Girls Clubs have made a commitment to actively become involved in developing their clubs in public housing If you have an available buildlDg or a deslfe to Implement programs that develop positive self concepts and great social attitudesl please consider becoming involved in these initiatives Within your authority you have a unique opportunity to provide children with an altr live to drugs and alcohol and at the same time reduce vandalism and juvenile drug arrests
If you are interested in the positive approach I urge you to contact my Slcial Assistant Mark Brezina at 404-730-2391 U S Department of Housing and Urban Development 75 Spring Street S W Room 600 Atlanta Georgia 30303
ALABAMA (Continued)
RESIDENT INITIATIVES IN ALABAMA
41- middot - lt
Approximately twenty-five housing autborities were represented on June 6 1990 at a meeting in tbe HUD office concerning tbe statewide public bousing VISTA program Partici pating PHAs will sponsor community workers in specific Erojects and will choose wbat goals lheir VIST As) will work on GoalsincJude neeas assessment resident IDvolvement drug education and awareness economic development opportunities for residents sports and recreationalcultural programs youth fouDs and mentor progras The Decatur Housing AUtbority will employ a sUjgtervlsor who will oversee activities statewide and will provide support and technical assistance to (he VISTAs Target date for the VISTAs to begin work is October 1990
High School residents honored I This month the Housing Authority of the
Birmingham District honored the outstanding high school and collegemiddotage residents of the Citys housing complexes
Named Mr and Miss Housing Authority at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham were Frank Parker 19 and Chiquita Holloway 17 Miss Holloway represented Kimbrough Homes and Mr Parker represented Russell Harris Homes
Each will receive a $20000 scholarship to Miles College and a $500 savings bond Second place winners who received trophies and other prizes were LaSonya Lockhart of Metropolitan Gardens and
HUD AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congratulations to H UD Manager Bob Lunsrord ror receiving the highest award granted by H UD On May 9 1990 he was presented the DlstIngulsbed Service Award by Jack Kemp In a ceremony at the H UD building In Washington D C Congratul ations again Bob for a Job well done and an award Justly awarded
A special presentation was made at the SAHMA meetIng on May 23 1990 State Representative Perry
7
Jeffery Hollins of Loveman Village Besides being judged in evening and sportswear each displayed their respective talents
Miss Holloway will be going to Washington DC next month as a Congressional Scholar A member of Whos Who she plans to study medicine For her talent she offered a dramatic recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou
A graduate of Parker High School where he exmiddot celled scholastically and sang in the school choir Mr Parker plans to study medicine Displaying his beautifll tenor voice Frank sang a gospel song Tomorrow
Hooller Jr presented House Joint Resolution No 273 which commended the B irm ingham Field Office and Bob Lunsford ror Oufstandlng Achievem ent
In a rep0l1 Issued April 30 1990 by Ii UD Central OfrJce the Birmingham Office was cited ror bavlng a low FY 1989 derauH rate In Its single ramily Insurance
I program The default rate In the BIrmingham Orrlce Is 263 The default rate In the Southeast Is 309 The National default rate Is 234
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
8
she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
9
Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
11
Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
14
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
16
Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
The pnmary objectMl 01 the SERCulatOl IS to pcMde a vehicle which facilrtates an open exchange 01 InfOlmatlQn and ideas among pofessionals In the field 01 housing and community developnent fv1 essential requirement to serve thiS purpose is poshyfesslOnal artICles and other infOlmational material dealing with the developnent and mplementahon 01 variOUS skills and pacshytices in thiS field which are both 01 value as well as suitable fO( sharing with your fellow poIesslOnals Sutroissions 01 this nature are encouraged from individual and OIganishyzational members of the Southeastern Re-9ampa1 Council 01 NAHRO
A W Gus- Kuhn editor for this Issue only due to the gnatlon Of former editor ECI Jagnandan
Mrs Peggy Bush bull Staff
The official publication of the Southeastern Regional Council of Ihe National ASSOCiation of Housing and Redevelopment Officials serving the nations Housing and Community Development needs
CONTENTS
Message from the SERC-HABRO President
BUD Lines
SERCu1ating Alabama
SERCu1ating Florida
SERCu1ating Georgia
SERCu1ating Kentucky
SERCu1ating Horth Carolina
SERCu1ating South Carolina
SERCu1ating Mississippi
50th Annual Conference
50th Year Banquet Toast
SERCu1ating Tennessee
SERCu1ating Virginia
SERCu1ating west Virginia
SERC Committee Reports
Ft Collins Housing Authority Va U S A
Editorial by Jack Kemp
Meet your new Editor
Letters from the Edit r
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SERCulator the official publica Ion of the Southeastern Regional Council of the Natlonal Association of Housing and ReltJevelopment Officials ERCulator Is published quarterly at the Housing Authority of he City of Glasgow P O Box 645 Glasgow KY 42141 Comments suggestions articles features and photographs are solicited 1n the Interest of the memt5ers 01 the Southeastern Reg10nal Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials represented by ten states
Alabama florida Georgia Kentucky Mississippi North Carolina South carOlina Tennessee Virginia and West Virginia
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Regional Administrator Comments from the Regional Directormiddot US Department of Housing amp Urban Development
Raymond Harris
The Comprehensive Improvement Assisshytance Program (ClAP) for Public flousing Agencies (PHAs) has become one of the major Jlrograms of the Department of Housing and Urban Development mUD) As the PHAs physical in ventory ages needs develop to update the facilities and equipment to make the accomodations more modern comfortable and attracti ve for our clients the residents
As this is a major program changes frequently occur Beginning with Federal Fiscal Year 1990 some significant changes have been made in the program which were intended to improve the overall program and make it less complicated for both the PH As and HUD Comments on some of the changes follow
The application process was streamlined by eliminatlDg the two-applicatio (preliminar n d final) requirement Only one complete application up front is now required which IS followed by a Joint Review funoing decisions and bu oget submission
A new type modernization was made available for the first time this year to allow for additional modernization fundlDg of projects previously comprehensively modernized The purpose of this new category is to allow PHAs to be able to take care of problems that may not have b en detected or did not exist at the time of the comprehensive modernization This will permit PHAs to take care of items that were previously prohibited due to the inability to make premature replacements such as equipment roofs etc
This year we are encouraging PHAs to explore ways 10 which the Secretarys initiatives may be carrie out in all aSpects of ClAP This incfuds restorIng vacant units to occupancy economic development for residents drug elimination resident management homeownerShip and fair housing and equal oPllortunity We must always be on the alert to utilize all possible funding to imprpve the Ii ves of the residents of puolic hOUSlDg
In addition to consulting residents before accomplishing modernization work you are now
5
required to involve them after approval of the program This includes providing them with a cOj)y of the HUD-approved application and the HUD-approved Project Implementation Schedule Th reSidents should be provided appropriate notice regardng proJlosed moves and to the maxim um extent possfblC provided opportunities for employment by the PnA and its contractors
We are excited about some of the changes in the ClAP progra especially the resident lDitiatives involvement we are convinced that not only will the residents benefit by improvements in their ability to live independentlYI but you as PHAs will also reap the oenefits 0 knowlDg you have improved the guality of life of your residents and thereby contri6uted to the overall improvement of the communities which you serve
One of Secretary Kemps highest priorities is to help make Public HOUSlDg drug free As a result of the Secretarys emphaSIS on anti-drug activitiesl I have helJled establish Youth Sports and Cultural Programs throughout our Region This initiative represents an important step In our efforts to deal With th drug problems In our Public Housing commuDll1es
It is designed to provide young children with activities such as basketball drama art and tutorial services that will help develop their self esteem and ive bem Ih lreng h to resist the pressure to use d rugs It is our position that children who feel good about themselves who can communicate their feelugs who can foresee the consequences of their 6 enavior and who can identify alternatives to drugs will be better prepared to resist the temptatIOns to abuse illegal substances
We are encouraged about the number of executive directors who nave implemented programs thus far Although we do not have any grants available at thiS tim we can supply you witn our Youth Sports and cultural Manual that will be vey helpful to you in devloping your progratp It IS a good source of materIal that can aid you 10 diSCUSSIOns about insuranc finding grant resources or training coaches
In addition to this Boys and Girls Clubs have made a commitment to actively become involved in developing their clubs in public housing If you have an available buildlDg or a deslfe to Implement programs that develop positive self concepts and great social attitudesl please consider becoming involved in these initiatives Within your authority you have a unique opportunity to provide children with an altr live to drugs and alcohol and at the same time reduce vandalism and juvenile drug arrests
If you are interested in the positive approach I urge you to contact my Slcial Assistant Mark Brezina at 404-730-2391 U S Department of Housing and Urban Development 75 Spring Street S W Room 600 Atlanta Georgia 30303
ALABAMA (Continued)
RESIDENT INITIATIVES IN ALABAMA
41- middot - lt
Approximately twenty-five housing autborities were represented on June 6 1990 at a meeting in tbe HUD office concerning tbe statewide public bousing VISTA program Partici pating PHAs will sponsor community workers in specific Erojects and will choose wbat goals lheir VIST As) will work on GoalsincJude neeas assessment resident IDvolvement drug education and awareness economic development opportunities for residents sports and recreationalcultural programs youth fouDs and mentor progras The Decatur Housing AUtbority will employ a sUjgtervlsor who will oversee activities statewide and will provide support and technical assistance to (he VISTAs Target date for the VISTAs to begin work is October 1990
High School residents honored I This month the Housing Authority of the
Birmingham District honored the outstanding high school and collegemiddotage residents of the Citys housing complexes
Named Mr and Miss Housing Authority at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham were Frank Parker 19 and Chiquita Holloway 17 Miss Holloway represented Kimbrough Homes and Mr Parker represented Russell Harris Homes
Each will receive a $20000 scholarship to Miles College and a $500 savings bond Second place winners who received trophies and other prizes were LaSonya Lockhart of Metropolitan Gardens and
HUD AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congratulations to H UD Manager Bob Lunsrord ror receiving the highest award granted by H UD On May 9 1990 he was presented the DlstIngulsbed Service Award by Jack Kemp In a ceremony at the H UD building In Washington D C Congratul ations again Bob for a Job well done and an award Justly awarded
A special presentation was made at the SAHMA meetIng on May 23 1990 State Representative Perry
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Jeffery Hollins of Loveman Village Besides being judged in evening and sportswear each displayed their respective talents
Miss Holloway will be going to Washington DC next month as a Congressional Scholar A member of Whos Who she plans to study medicine For her talent she offered a dramatic recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou
A graduate of Parker High School where he exmiddot celled scholastically and sang in the school choir Mr Parker plans to study medicine Displaying his beautifll tenor voice Frank sang a gospel song Tomorrow
Hooller Jr presented House Joint Resolution No 273 which commended the B irm ingham Field Office and Bob Lunsford ror Oufstandlng Achievem ent
In a rep0l1 Issued April 30 1990 by Ii UD Central OfrJce the Birmingham Office was cited ror bavlng a low FY 1989 derauH rate In Its single ramily Insurance
I program The default rate In the BIrmingham Orrlce Is 263 The default rate In the Southeast Is 309 The National default rate Is 234
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
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she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
9
Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
10
KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
11
Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
13
NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
14
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
Regional Administrator Comments from the Regional Directormiddot US Department of Housing amp Urban Development
Raymond Harris
The Comprehensive Improvement Assisshytance Program (ClAP) for Public flousing Agencies (PHAs) has become one of the major Jlrograms of the Department of Housing and Urban Development mUD) As the PHAs physical in ventory ages needs develop to update the facilities and equipment to make the accomodations more modern comfortable and attracti ve for our clients the residents
As this is a major program changes frequently occur Beginning with Federal Fiscal Year 1990 some significant changes have been made in the program which were intended to improve the overall program and make it less complicated for both the PH As and HUD Comments on some of the changes follow
The application process was streamlined by eliminatlDg the two-applicatio (preliminar n d final) requirement Only one complete application up front is now required which IS followed by a Joint Review funoing decisions and bu oget submission
A new type modernization was made available for the first time this year to allow for additional modernization fundlDg of projects previously comprehensively modernized The purpose of this new category is to allow PHAs to be able to take care of problems that may not have b en detected or did not exist at the time of the comprehensive modernization This will permit PHAs to take care of items that were previously prohibited due to the inability to make premature replacements such as equipment roofs etc
This year we are encouraging PHAs to explore ways 10 which the Secretarys initiatives may be carrie out in all aSpects of ClAP This incfuds restorIng vacant units to occupancy economic development for residents drug elimination resident management homeownerShip and fair housing and equal oPllortunity We must always be on the alert to utilize all possible funding to imprpve the Ii ves of the residents of puolic hOUSlDg
In addition to consulting residents before accomplishing modernization work you are now
5
required to involve them after approval of the program This includes providing them with a cOj)y of the HUD-approved application and the HUD-approved Project Implementation Schedule Th reSidents should be provided appropriate notice regardng proJlosed moves and to the maxim um extent possfblC provided opportunities for employment by the PnA and its contractors
We are excited about some of the changes in the ClAP progra especially the resident lDitiatives involvement we are convinced that not only will the residents benefit by improvements in their ability to live independentlYI but you as PHAs will also reap the oenefits 0 knowlDg you have improved the guality of life of your residents and thereby contri6uted to the overall improvement of the communities which you serve
One of Secretary Kemps highest priorities is to help make Public HOUSlDg drug free As a result of the Secretarys emphaSIS on anti-drug activitiesl I have helJled establish Youth Sports and Cultural Programs throughout our Region This initiative represents an important step In our efforts to deal With th drug problems In our Public Housing commuDll1es
It is designed to provide young children with activities such as basketball drama art and tutorial services that will help develop their self esteem and ive bem Ih lreng h to resist the pressure to use d rugs It is our position that children who feel good about themselves who can communicate their feelugs who can foresee the consequences of their 6 enavior and who can identify alternatives to drugs will be better prepared to resist the temptatIOns to abuse illegal substances
We are encouraged about the number of executive directors who nave implemented programs thus far Although we do not have any grants available at thiS tim we can supply you witn our Youth Sports and cultural Manual that will be vey helpful to you in devloping your progratp It IS a good source of materIal that can aid you 10 diSCUSSIOns about insuranc finding grant resources or training coaches
In addition to this Boys and Girls Clubs have made a commitment to actively become involved in developing their clubs in public housing If you have an available buildlDg or a deslfe to Implement programs that develop positive self concepts and great social attitudesl please consider becoming involved in these initiatives Within your authority you have a unique opportunity to provide children with an altr live to drugs and alcohol and at the same time reduce vandalism and juvenile drug arrests
If you are interested in the positive approach I urge you to contact my Slcial Assistant Mark Brezina at 404-730-2391 U S Department of Housing and Urban Development 75 Spring Street S W Room 600 Atlanta Georgia 30303
ALABAMA (Continued)
RESIDENT INITIATIVES IN ALABAMA
41- middot - lt
Approximately twenty-five housing autborities were represented on June 6 1990 at a meeting in tbe HUD office concerning tbe statewide public bousing VISTA program Partici pating PHAs will sponsor community workers in specific Erojects and will choose wbat goals lheir VIST As) will work on GoalsincJude neeas assessment resident IDvolvement drug education and awareness economic development opportunities for residents sports and recreationalcultural programs youth fouDs and mentor progras The Decatur Housing AUtbority will employ a sUjgtervlsor who will oversee activities statewide and will provide support and technical assistance to (he VISTAs Target date for the VISTAs to begin work is October 1990
High School residents honored I This month the Housing Authority of the
Birmingham District honored the outstanding high school and collegemiddotage residents of the Citys housing complexes
Named Mr and Miss Housing Authority at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham were Frank Parker 19 and Chiquita Holloway 17 Miss Holloway represented Kimbrough Homes and Mr Parker represented Russell Harris Homes
Each will receive a $20000 scholarship to Miles College and a $500 savings bond Second place winners who received trophies and other prizes were LaSonya Lockhart of Metropolitan Gardens and
HUD AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congratulations to H UD Manager Bob Lunsrord ror receiving the highest award granted by H UD On May 9 1990 he was presented the DlstIngulsbed Service Award by Jack Kemp In a ceremony at the H UD building In Washington D C Congratul ations again Bob for a Job well done and an award Justly awarded
A special presentation was made at the SAHMA meetIng on May 23 1990 State Representative Perry
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Jeffery Hollins of Loveman Village Besides being judged in evening and sportswear each displayed their respective talents
Miss Holloway will be going to Washington DC next month as a Congressional Scholar A member of Whos Who she plans to study medicine For her talent she offered a dramatic recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou
A graduate of Parker High School where he exmiddot celled scholastically and sang in the school choir Mr Parker plans to study medicine Displaying his beautifll tenor voice Frank sang a gospel song Tomorrow
Hooller Jr presented House Joint Resolution No 273 which commended the B irm ingham Field Office and Bob Lunsford ror Oufstandlng Achievem ent
In a rep0l1 Issued April 30 1990 by Ii UD Central OfrJce the Birmingham Office was cited ror bavlng a low FY 1989 derauH rate In Its single ramily Insurance
I program The default rate In the BIrmingham Orrlce Is 263 The default rate In the Southeast Is 309 The National default rate Is 234
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
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she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
9
Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
11
Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
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The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
14
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
16
Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
ALABAMA (Continued)
RESIDENT INITIATIVES IN ALABAMA
41- middot - lt
Approximately twenty-five housing autborities were represented on June 6 1990 at a meeting in tbe HUD office concerning tbe statewide public bousing VISTA program Partici pating PHAs will sponsor community workers in specific Erojects and will choose wbat goals lheir VIST As) will work on GoalsincJude neeas assessment resident IDvolvement drug education and awareness economic development opportunities for residents sports and recreationalcultural programs youth fouDs and mentor progras The Decatur Housing AUtbority will employ a sUjgtervlsor who will oversee activities statewide and will provide support and technical assistance to (he VISTAs Target date for the VISTAs to begin work is October 1990
High School residents honored I This month the Housing Authority of the
Birmingham District honored the outstanding high school and collegemiddotage residents of the Citys housing complexes
Named Mr and Miss Housing Authority at the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham were Frank Parker 19 and Chiquita Holloway 17 Miss Holloway represented Kimbrough Homes and Mr Parker represented Russell Harris Homes
Each will receive a $20000 scholarship to Miles College and a $500 savings bond Second place winners who received trophies and other prizes were LaSonya Lockhart of Metropolitan Gardens and
HUD AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Congratulations to H UD Manager Bob Lunsrord ror receiving the highest award granted by H UD On May 9 1990 he was presented the DlstIngulsbed Service Award by Jack Kemp In a ceremony at the H UD building In Washington D C Congratul ations again Bob for a Job well done and an award Justly awarded
A special presentation was made at the SAHMA meetIng on May 23 1990 State Representative Perry
7
Jeffery Hollins of Loveman Village Besides being judged in evening and sportswear each displayed their respective talents
Miss Holloway will be going to Washington DC next month as a Congressional Scholar A member of Whos Who she plans to study medicine For her talent she offered a dramatic recitation of a poem by Maya Angelou
A graduate of Parker High School where he exmiddot celled scholastically and sang in the school choir Mr Parker plans to study medicine Displaying his beautifll tenor voice Frank sang a gospel song Tomorrow
Hooller Jr presented House Joint Resolution No 273 which commended the B irm ingham Field Office and Bob Lunsford ror Oufstandlng Achievem ent
In a rep0l1 Issued April 30 1990 by Ii UD Central OfrJce the Birmingham Office was cited ror bavlng a low FY 1989 derauH rate In Its single ramily Insurance
I program The default rate In the BIrmingham Orrlce Is 263 The default rate In the Southeast Is 309 The National default rate Is 234
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
8
she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
9
Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
11
Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
13
NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
14
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
ANOTHER LOOK AT BROWARD COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITYS
AWARD-WINNING SMAll BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM
Through its successful imIllementation of its Small Business Opportunities Program the Broward County HousinK Authority earned a national award from the Unitea States Department of Housing and Urban Development The SBO economic development program which has enabled residents of public housing to oQen their own businesses was also honored with a Human Services Award from SERC
Althltugh the Authority is honored by these prestigious awards it believes this programs success is best measured in human terms These SBOP graduates have had their dreams of business ownersnip turned into reality because of their participation in this HUD demonstration projects
-Hot Di it
ew uSlOess owner acen Akinbiyi 23 along with her husband and two children Brandon and Courtney are currently BCRA residents at Ehlinger Apartments in Davie Karen plans on op rating her Hot Diggity Dog hot oog concession a1 strategic locations throughout ffroward County Karen wants to use her successful operation of mobile hot dog carts as the foundation upon which to build a much larger business venture Karen and her husband Abraham are not confident that they will have the financial independence to leave pulilic housing within a year
VERDIS MANN Owner middotBazicozeli Bathroom outlouesR (Grant $760) ew nuslness owner erdis Mann 38 lives with
his wife Icelyn and their 7 children at BeRAs Auburn Gardens in Ft Lauderdale Verdts a
former employee of the Gillette CompanyToiletries Division is a veteran of the cosmetic and perfume industry The SBOP grant of $7600 will be used as
start-ue capital for his business of bathroom concessionsretail perfume and cosmetic products Verdis plans to locate his bathroom concessions in area nightclubs and his first on-site location is at the Copa Cabaret Hygiene perfume ampnd cosmetic products will be available in BazicozeUi Bathroom Boutiques in return for gratuities and customers will be offered tbe opportunity to middotorder for purchase perfume cosmetics and accessories at attractive discounted rates Having obtained all necessary tax and occupational )jcenses Verdis plans to be in fuJI operation and have Open House on May 12th at Bazicozellis 1 07 Sixtrunk Boulevard sales office Verdis bas stated that one of my main goals is to employ public housing residents and ive them the same chance to be successful tllat BCRAs Small Business Opportunities Program has granted memiddot
BRENDA STUGGIS Owner middotSonbre Appliances Inc (Grant $10000)
An alumni of the Authoritys first SBOP graduating class in March 1988 31-year old Brenda founded her 24-hour air conditioning refrigeration and major appliance service business in June of tbat year with SBOP grant funding In December 19881 upon graduation from the Advanced Tecbnica Academy Brenda became Browa d Countys first black woman air conditioning techni ian In 1989
8
she r ceived her Broward County Mechanical Contractors License Since its inception Brenda has doubled Sonbres clientele through tlie recommendations of satisfied customers and a limited amount of advertising Recently Sonbre was awarded the air conditioning installatIon contract on a 64- unit bousing development By working hard to establish her business Brenda has achieved something very speciaL financial independence and recogOltion in her community as a business owner with a reputation for providing excellent service
When the first SBOP class began two years agoot Brenda and her daughter Sonya were residents
BCHAs Ehlinger Apartments in Davie A year after opening Sonbre Appliances Brenda was able to leave pu61ic housing today she owns her own home
II STREET -WISE SCHOOL II
PROPOSED The Community of Palatka Florida is proposing to initiate an Alt rnative School for expelled students The concept was developed after the community experienced a high degree of juvenile crime activity from vandalism theft and drug sales Upon reviewing the statistics it was found that the overwhefming majority of the offenders were minors previou Iy expelled from (he school system Once expelled students were permitted to roam the str etsmiddot without penalty of non-compliance to the State mandatory school attenltlance laws Enter Project Inner-Mission Local community concerns onsisting of local amp circuit judges States Attorneys Office llRS Police and Sheriffs Office Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Drug Awareness Group and Housing Authority banned together to form a JOINT PARTNERSHIP in establishing a school for the
xpeUed Tne loner-Mission Program will be set up on a vacant lot provlded by the Housing AUlhority with a ltlonated portable classroom provided by the local school board The facility will accommodate approximately 30 studentsb divided into two sections for both Middle and Hig School group and operate year round rlm 730 am to 500 pm 5 days weekly A certified teacher and one aid will coordinate the educational functions for each group The educational efforts are to be conducted in three modules 1) Adult Education (GED) 2 Vocational Education and 3) Basic Life Skills Since the program Will be a bonafide certified educationai program and provide an alternative to juvenile correction facilIty for borderline minor S attendance would be MANDATORY B y COURT ORDER WITH PENALTY OF CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR PARENT AND MINOR for unexcused absence Police and Sheriffs office have areed to agtsstin enforcement of mandatory attendance to minimize absenteeism Funding for the program has been applied for througli the State Department of HRS under a demonstration pilot program concept Any community inteested n iOltiating a similar rrogram (or has one 10 eXistence) may contac Larry Shoeman PHA Director at 904329-0132 for further informatIon
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
9
Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
10
KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
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Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
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RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
16
Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
NCO WEEK FESTIVITIES IN JACKSONVIUE BENEFIT SE IORS
Mandarin Senior Citizen Center Ground Breaking Pictured L to R Mayor Tommy Hazouri Andre L Marlin Chief JHUD Community Development Division Mrs Vida Harvey President of the local nutrition centers Senior Council Gwen Yales Chief Adult Services Center aDd BCD Cook U S HUn
National Community Development Block Grant Week was celebrated in grand style in Jackson ville w ith the opening o f two new SenIOr Citizen Nutrition Sites and the ground breaking for a third Mayor Tommy Hazouri w ho lists the health and welfare of the citys senior citizens among his top priorities joi ned City Council represenlati yes) Congressman Charles Bennett and othe r city olficials in the ground breaking and dedication festivities that included the unyeiling of two pieces of sculpture created by area arltsts
Fi heen of the 26 nutrition sites located throughout the city h ave been either built or renovated with CDBG funds w hich is administered by the City of Jackson ville De partment o f Housing and Urban Developments (1HUD) Community Development Division Each o f the sites has tne capabihty of serving at least 100 meals Operated by the citys
9
Unveiling of Portico at Jacksonville Beaches Senior Citien Nutrition Center dedication Funding for new centers being built includes a piece of public art for everyone to enjoy
Adult Services Division some of the centers are available to the entire community w hile others are for youngsters 60 years and older and their spouses to enjoy Not only is a fine meal provided but seniors can enjoy a myriad of social and recreational activities
h including dancing painting and crafts) as
well as ealth sem inars blood pressure screenmgs and counseling services
Plans are in the offing for at least three more nutrition centers bringing closer Mayor Hazouris goal to better serve the needs and enrich the lives of all senior adults i n the city
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
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Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
13
NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
14
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
16
Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
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to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
GEORGIA
AUGUSTA HOUSING AUTHORITY CELEBRATES CEN
FRANCES GIVENS DOLLY PERKINS
How would you like to get ersonalized birthday wishes from President George Bush his wife Barbara and U S Senator Sam Nunn T Two of our young ladies did The AlKusfa Housing Authority celebrated CENTENARIAN DAY on May 10 1990 honoring these two ladies FRAN CES C G IVENS AND DOLLY G PERKINS who have both reachea the age of 101 years young
Mrs Givens was born on May 8 1889
in Thomson) Georgia and in 1948 she and her husband moved into Gilbert Manor Sbe has always- and sti I is - active In her community and church
Mrs Perkins was born on January 13 1989 in Washington Georgia and in 1954 moved to Augusta and lives at Delta Manor Mrs Perkins lived alone until the firsI part of May when she bad to be hospitalized and now lives with her daughter
The Honorable Charles DeVaney Mayor of Augusta and Executive Director Madden Reid as well as other dignitaries paid tribute to these ladies Various organizations and well wishers showered them with gifts letters a beautiful plaque - and a standing ovation
ATLANTA HOUSING AUTHORI Y DEPUTY HONORED
She calls her job at the Atlanta Housing Authority a mission Bettye Davis Deputy Executive Director has been on a mission to save the children in public housing Her efforts have resulted in the establishment of numerous social service programs (or public housing residents It is through fhese sociar service programs for public housing residents It is througll tbese eHorfs that Bettye -Davis has recently been inducted into the prestigious YWCA 1990 Academy of Women Achievers She was also recently appointed to the Governors Commission on Children and Youth
The Academy of Women Acbievers is an honorary organization which recognizes the accomplishments an(J contributions of outstanding women in the metro Atlanta area Each year the Academy inducts t(n new members
Ms Davis has demonstrated her commitment to Atlantas 50000 low-income housing residents She has experienced their plight first hand She knows the obstacles of poverty prejudice and poor self- image She was a resioent of public
housing Her goal was to ultimately get out and later serve as a role model-- determlDed to prove that you can overcome and succeed with enough determination and persistence
She was the first female to be apfointed to the posi tion o( Deputy Executive 0 the Atlanta Housing AuthOrity which is the nations fifth largest public houslDg authority
Ms Davis has been instrumental in gathering a group of outstanding xouth in public housing to form the Atlanta Housing Authority Youth Leadership Council This group serves as role models for the 17000 youtTl in public housing Their goal is to instill a sense of hope an(l accomplishment in their peers She is tTle first Qresident of the Atlanta Dollars for Scholars Chapter--a subsidiary of the National Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America (CFSA) whose primary purpose is to access funds to hefp youth from public housing to further their college education
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KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
11
Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
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RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
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Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
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February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
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The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
KENTUCKY
Hue SECRETARY KEMP IN LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
LouiBville Hayor Jerry AbraJllBolJ (right) and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during a tour of College Court a former public houBing development turned condominium community
The Housing Authority of Louisville QiAL) was in the national spotligIit on May 24 durin a visit by U S Housing amp Urban Development S-ecretary Jack Kemp
Louisville Mayor Jerr y Abramson and HALs Executive Director) Andrea Duncan Eave Kem]gt a personal tour of Lollege Court a former public housing development turned condommium commuDlty
During the tour Kemp was also briefed on HALs most recent innovafive endeavor the Home
11
Winifred HaJIImOn (rigbt) bull former public houBing reBident turned condoinium owner proudly BhoWB her unit to Andrea Duncan Executive Director of the HouBing Authority of LouiBville and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp during hiB viBit to LouiBvilleB College Court
Partnership Program The program is a partnership between tbt City and Liberty National Bank a local financial institution and will produce 51 affordable condominiums at various locations across Louisville
College Court and the Home Partnership Program as considered national models for otller cities interested in developing homeownership opportunities for low-income persons The programs are administered throush HALs nonprofi su bsjdiary Louisville Housmg Services CorporatIon
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
12
The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
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RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
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Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
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February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
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and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
KENTUCKY (Continued)
COVINGTON KENTUCKY KICKS OFF YOUTH SPORTS aUB
Spectators of the ALLSTAR game left to rigllt Caudie Branham Board Chairman R BrookJ Hatcher Director AHMB Harlan Stewart Resident InitiativCl Coordinator Ginger Van Nea Acting LoulliVille HUD Manager Mark Brezina Special Assiltant to HUD Regional Administrator Jerry McCullough HAC Social Service Director
Oneita A Perry Executive Director of the Housing A u thority of Covington announced that on Thursday July 5 1990 the Authority was officially u n derway with tbe activities of the You th Sports Club Fun dinf received for this program IS a matching grant 0 $25000 each from the Citys CDBG allotment and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Ginger Van Ness A cting Loisville HUD Manager R Brooks Hatcher Jr Director HOUSing Management Di vision Haran Stewart Residenl Initiatl ves Coordinator and Mark Brezina Secial Assistant to the Regional Administrator of HUD Atlanta Regional OTfice were Iresent with other Housing Au thority Stal f for aiscussion on the planned program and as spectators of an ALLSTAR oasketball game Mark Brezina
oversees the Region IV Youth Sports Cultural initiati ve for Puolic Housing Agencies in the Sou theast Region Prior to llis appointment as Special Assistant he was in private business for twelve years In 1986 he was recognized as an outstanding Young Man of America A former college football standout and defensive Player of the Year at the University of Houston he went on to p lay two years on a professional le vel
The program outlined bj the Authority is coordinate d by the Social Service Director Jerry M cCullough with the technical assistance of Tom Thacker and Ronald Simkins
Left to right Youth Sports Cub Coordinators Tom Thacker former Pro-buketball Player Mark Brezina HUD Atlanta Office and Ron Simpkins former Pro-football Player
Thacker comes with a professional _sport career consisting of ball teams 10 both the National and American Basketball Association inclusive of three cham pionship years with the Muskegon Panthers Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers Thacker since 1972 has been involved in organizing and directing basketball camps clinics leagues as well as bepeTit tourname nts as fund raisers for your organizations
Ron Simkins a former professional player with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers has been involved 10 various programs for the youth since 1976 His middotCommitment to Character program initiated in 1988 is desiKned to foster leadership and development skills lor inner city youths using sports as a catalyst
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The program is designed to encourage drugfree life styles by involvement In sjlorts Fundamentals of softball basketball footban and soccer will be taught with competition leagues in each sport The encouragement and motivation to each participant to build self-esteem team effort goal settinA as well as the art of winning ana losing The main obj ective bein that each Iarticlpant will set goals for eaucation and Clevelop a confidence level which will allow him or her to reach out and be the best he or she can be
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
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RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
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Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
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and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
KENTUCKY (Continued)
CONGRESSMAN BUNNING SUPPORTS HUD SPORTS PROGRAM
JOE MUNSONfThe Kentucky POit
US Rep Jim Bunning 01 Southgate throws up a jump ball during 8 basketball game at the Ida Spence public housing complex in Covington Bunning and three other professional athletes in Congress want sporting goods manufacturers to expand sports opportunities for youngsters in housing projects
U S Representative Jim Bunning of Southgate Kentucky and three other professional athletes in Congress are asking sporting goods manufacturers o help epand spqrts opportunites for youngsters In the nations pubhc houslDg proJects
Bunning a former major league baseball pitcher and three former professional oasketball players in Congress are seeklDg donations for a _sJlorts grants program the U S Department of Housing and Ur6an Development began last August
The program allows local housing authorities to apQly for up to $25000 to enhance or start sports cluDs at public housing sites The housing authority or a sponsor must match the grant to qualify The Congressmen decided to seek donations from the sports committee because some housing authorities cannot find the matching $25000 We are concerned that in these times oT severe budgetary constraints many local housing authorities are not capable of appropriating funds for recreation in the face of competing needs and therebYI cannot apply for the available matchlDg funas Representative Bunning wrote in a letter asking the National Sporting Goods Association for a donation
The donations either in cash or sports supplies would be counted toward the local housing authorities match Housing Secretary Jack Kemp a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills launcbed the program last August in part to help keep youth from getting involvea in drugs The Department of Housing and Urban Development has received 273 applicatIOns for grants Tile Agency has awarded $24 million to roo applicants nationally One of the successful applicants was the Covington Housing Authority of Kentucky which recently won a 25000 grant for a new sports program for youngsters The City of Covington matched the grant with money from its Community Development Block Grant said Oneita Perry Executive Director of the Covington Housing Authority Bunning stated there are a lot oT companies out there who have a lot of interest in children and would be willing to contribute to a program of this type Bunning also hopes professional atheretes will donate some of tneir time to the programs
KENTUCKY HOUSING ASSOCIATION INC will celebrate their 50th year of housing programs at the ANNUAL CONFERANCE September 12-14 1990 Executive Inn Owensboro Kentucky
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NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
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RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
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and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
NORTH CAROLINA
CITY OF DURHAM COMMITS $13 MIllION TO
NEW HOUSING INITIATIVE
The City of Durham has committed $13 million in general obligation housing funds to Oxford Commons an affordable housing venture develoQed by the Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc a nationally recognized private develoQer The Citys bond funas will be used Tor site acquisition development and second mortggcs for home buyers whose income is below 60 of the median Income The Durham Housing Authority and Cimarron Capital Inc ( have optioned and intend to acquire 20lS5 acres located in middotOxford Commons a mixed-use P U D located at the northeast corner of Meriwether Drive and Carter Street Extension The site is within walking distance of Durham County General Hospitaf
GTE and Oxford Commons Shopping Center which is currently under contruction The developers primary goal is to produce affordable for-safe and rental housing that is developed designed builtt and priced to serve low an(f moderate income amiJies The for-sale units will be comprised of approximately 59 patio homes and 46 meadow nomes Nearly one-half of the 105 for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are at or below 60 of the median income The balance of the for-sale units will be for families whose incomes are up to 80 of the area median income
Through site design and citv approvals the developers have also made provisions for a rental component of aplroximafely 90 units The rental units Will be for low-income elderly and handicapped households
DHAS WAR ON DRUGS PROGRAM RECEIVES AWARD
The Durham Housing Authority (PHA) was selected to receive recognition in the U S Department of Housing an(1 Urban Developments 1989 Performance Award Program for its War on Drugs Proampam The award was presented to James R labron Executive Director William Towe Director 01 Special Programs and Ernest Mangum Community Services Special Projects Coor-dinator at a Performance Award Ceremony held in the Capital Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Washington D C
DHA has adopted a very serious anti - dru policy during the past year In addition DHA has devoted a great deal of time energy and resources into developing a comprebensive program designed to aid 10 the War Against Drugs Executive Director James R Rabron states middotWe realize the crucial importance of progress being made in this war and has established it as one of our 1 priorities
CAROLINA COUNCIL CO-SPONSORS FIRST REGIONAL 504 MEETING GREENSBORO NORTH CAROLINA
Over 165 Housing and Community Development Professionals gathered April 9-10 to participate in regIOn 4s first 504 Town Meeting
The Training Session conducted by the Atlanta Regional Office of HUD covered all aspects of the compliance requirements called for under 24 CFR Part 8
CAROLINA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES bull bull bull bull bull bull bull bull
September 2-4 1990 - - CCHRCO 50th ANNUAL MEETING GROVE PARK INN ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA
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NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
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The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
NORTH CAROLINA (Continued)
RALEIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY CBEBRATES ARBOR DAY
Hayor Avery Upchurch takes a peek at a plant given to bull young resident gardener by the Telephone Pioneers
The Housing Authority or the City of Raleigh (RHA) held Its fourth Annual Arbor Day Celebration In Marcb drawing an impressive list of city officials guests and residents to Its Meadow Ridge community
In early Spring the RHA Landscape Starr planted over 225 trees In yards In this neighborhood The City of RaJelgh coordinated the first of three phases or median planting The city also supplied the middotceremonlal tree which Cit Mayor Avell Upchurch helped a young reSident plant and dedicate
The RHA Arbor Day Celebration Is a time for sharing and worklng together Several resident teens were recognized and applauded for their song and dance performances In addition tbe R HA Landscaping Crew followed its tradition of blowing up balloons for the kids Ginko the Wake County Keep America Beautiful mascot made a special appearance
Through the J oint dforts of the Housing Authority and Keep America Beautiful proj ectz residents were provided information and
15
RHAs Rxecutive Director Ployd T Carter speaks during the Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headowridge Community
incentives to encourage recycling Resident gardeners also received donated Canna lilies
Since 1985 Raleighs Apearance Commission has annually sponsored Community Awareness Week Many service organlzatlonst agencies and groups of citizens Involved wltn the Citys beautification efforts gather to holld special events In honor of Arbor Day
The RHA Arbor Day Celebrations began as part of the Lets Grow For It community environmental awareness project The RHA community In whlcb maj or landscaping was most recently completed has hosted the event During the recent Meadow Ridge celebration Housing Authority Director Floyd Carter encouraged continued resident support and Involvement In beautification efforts in the community
RHA looks forward to future Arbor Day Celebrations as they signify commitment to Improving the visual Image and developing pride In neighborhood appearance througb the sbared experience of gardening
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
-----
Jf
February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
l----
February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
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Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
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to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
SOUTH CAROLINA
CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS
U l l Ihi i i iHU iH l l l l ll i
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February 2 1 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB O F WALBS MAYOR
JOSBPH P RILE Y JR 49 CANNON STREBT CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
In addi tion to the massIve Recovery Effort which IS well underway the Authority has been extremely busy moving forward to imJrove the quantity o f housing i n the City of Charleston The following is an abbreviated list of some signi ficant hignlighs
THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS AWARDED I TS SECOND CAROPOLIS AWARD FOR THE HISTORIC RENOVATION OF 63 BEAUFAIN STREET a two e room u p ex ongma y constructed i n 1 8 1 A presentation was made b y t h e Preservation Society o f Charleston at its Annual Meeting The fast Caropolis A ward was made to this Authority in 1967
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES TOURED 4 9 CANNON STREET A SCATTERED INFILL P UBLIC HOUSING SITE D URING HIS 2 -DAY STAY IN THE CITY OF CHARLESTON The tour was Prince Charles only scheduled public appearance i n Charleston He also participated in a ceremonial tree planting of a Crepe M yrtle at the site to replace a tree destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in September Prince Charles who is well known as a critic of modern - day architecture was very im pressed i n t h e humanizing scale of the p roj ect and the sensi tivity to the needs of the residents and their fam ilies On the evening of February 2 1 in his
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Y
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February 21 1 990 HIS ROYAL HIGHNFSS CHARLBS PRINCB OF WALBS MA YOR
JOSEPH P RILBY JR HS LBILA RANSON RESIDENT
49 CANNON STREBT CHARLBSTON S C PLANTING
CREPB HYRTLB TO REPLACB TREB DBSTROYBD BY HURRICANF
HUGO
closing remarks Prince Charles told an audience of 200 international public and com m unity leaders that he was much Impressed with the scattered i n fill Ilrogram and he com plimented the City and the Charleson Hlt)Using Authority on i ts sensItIvIty to I tS 10w - IDcome cItIzens
DRUG CZAR WILLIAM BENNETT VISITS CHARLESTON TO MEET WITH CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY INTERDICTION PROGRAM Mr Bennett along WIth Pohce ChIef Reuben G reenberg applauaed the Police Department and the HOUSlDg Authority for their cooperation and support of ridding Crim inals from public housing neIghborhoods Special me ntion was also given to actIve resi dent organizations he had met during his visit
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AND THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BREAK NEW GROUND FOR THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP UNIT FOR LOW-INCOME CITIZENS In a uD lque partnership with the J9hn Croland Corporation lnd the South Carohna HouslDg FIDance Authonty all tmiddot oined to donate land p rovide construction
inancing donate profit and overhead and provide 100 mortgage money to create a home ownership demonstratIOn i n downtown Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
SOUTH CAROLINA (Continued)
NEW HOUSING AUTHORITY CHIEF NAMED
A former public housing administrator in Memphis Tennessee has been named chie f of the Colum bia Housing Authority
Rodney H Fauser former Deputy Execu tive Director of the Mem phis Housing Authority on May 2 1 assumed the $64 000 a year post being vacated by William R Ballou who will retire in June Ballou has been chief of the local public housing agency since 1976
A retired Air Force Colonel Fauser will be in chare of the management direction and implementation of all policies and operations o f the p ublic housing agency as authonzed by the se ven member board David G Ellison Jr Chairman of the Housing A uthority Board said Fausers appointment ende d a five month search that include d more than 150 applicatns
The Housing Authority owns and operates 23 public hOUSlDg com munities composed of 2414 units The agency also administers rental
M I S S I S S I P P I
assistance programs for 1 534 privately owned units Witli a sta ff of 160 the Housing Authority has an operating budget 01 $61 m illion
The original intent of Qublic housing was to provide temporary shelter Tor low i ncome families on their way up the economic laddermiddot Ellison said Although the CHA has enj oyed a n u m ber o f successes focally it is clear to me and our board that the origi nal m ission has been comprom ised nationwide
Fam ilies have been entrapped by racial and economic isolation and by i ll - conceived programs that encourage family separation and governmental dependency Mr Fauser has a proven record o f success and we think he is the person who can help us move through the 1990s with bold and creative solutions
Fauser received an underraduate degree from St Lawrence University in Canton New York and a graduate degree from Indians University
NEWS FROM MERIDIAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian and Robert E Taylor E xecutive Director were both recipients in March 1990 of two awards prsntd by the Cquncil n Aging and the MIssIssIPPI Gerontological Society
One award was for Comm unity Achievement for Outstanding Service to Older M ississippians The other award was for PublicPrivate Sector Partnerships
The Housing Authority of the City of Meridian does more tnan provide a home for the elderly The staff collaoorates with other agencies to coordinate a variety o f services that assist the e lderly to remain independent and in their own home as long as possible Working witb the East Central Area Agency of Aging the Meridian Housing Athonty has implemented various support services such as transportation to assist the elderly in obtaining various social human
17
and medical services needed to remain independent and in their homes
Recently the local Retired Senior Volu nteer Program (RSVP) and the Meridian Housing Autnority initiated a model program which IS designed to alleviate special needs to the elderly in their comm u nity These two agen cies have com bined forces to organize the elderl i n Oakland Heights Gardens into a poo of volunteers that work toether to assist each other with comm unity related Qroblems The j oy ot eh p rogram is tliat the elderly are involved in planning the activi ties and services p rovided through the project As stated by the organizers It is not j usl die housing authonty it is not j ust RSVP but i t is e verybody working together to make a better li fe for for the efderly i n that housing complex and the community around Oaklano Heights
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ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
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SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
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The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
18
ate fre s hrlt e n ts CCie Cine[ Mustc of tFie 40 s
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
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Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
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to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
PARADE OF FLAGS
WELCOME BY PRESIDENT A W GUS KUHN
L to R r Rick Nelson HABRO middotNoNo middot Plores HABRO PRESIDENT Helen Sauce HABRO PAST PRESIDENT
Be tty SMITH SBRe PAST PRESIDENT
19
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM BY SHIRLEY HIDER
L to R r SBRe PRBSIDENT middotGus middot Kuhn HABRO PRESIDENT middotNoNo middot Plores
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
1 0
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
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The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
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to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
A BANQUET TOAST MADE BY SERC- NAHRO PRESIDENT A W GUS
KUHN AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE GALT HOUSE IN
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY ON JUNE 1 9 1 990
Lad ies and gentlemen - - honored guests friends and colleagues
Whi le the waiters are preparing us for this occasion I want to prepare you for a Special Toast wnich we are about to make in honor of our great Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO I want to give you j ust a sm all touch of the history that brought us to this day
I want to remind you of our hum ble beginning on June 1 1940 in Savannah Georgia when a sm all group of farsighted men met to (orm and organize our Southeastern Regional Council of the National Association of Housing O fficials (NAHO) as it was then known 50 years ago That same year in Nove mber 1940 in Macon Georgia thIS small group met to adopt the original and first bylaws 0 our Organization and elected Ray Ed waras from Jackson vil le Florida as their first President
The persons who signed the original bylaws were John DeHol Burn ingham Alabama Ray Edwards Jac ksonville Florida Brown Nicholson Sr Colum bus Georgia H R Emory North Carolina W R Gedoi ngs South Carolina and Gerald uimre Nash ville Tennessee
Some o f you have intimated that I was there at that time 1 0 1940 but I can only say I wish I had been Ihre
It is coincidental that I should be in this privileged position at this time after spending rorty years 1 0 public housing to honor those great m en I have known and worKed with Men with great vision and ability in the nineteen forties when it all developed Men l ike the following
W E Horace Stillwell Savannah Georgia Joe Fowler Memphis Ten nessee Brown Ni cholson SrColum bus Georgia Joel Wier Athens Georgia Tom DyerTampa Florida George MarkwalterMacon Georgia Hal PowellAugusta Georgia Enoch Matthews Phoeni x CityAlabama Leo Dennis Phoenix CityAlabama H R Emory Wilm i ngton N Carolina Walker George Meridian Mississippi Larry Cox Norfolk Virginia Hudson Malone Albany Georgia
Then in the 1950s there were men like N H Nick Dos ker Louisville Kentucky R K BobCre ighton Chattanooga Tenn
amp Wilmington N Carolina Henry Johnson AsheVIlle N Carolina
2 1
Henry Cohen) Spartanburg S Carolina M B Satter fIeld Atlanta Georgia Harold Dillehay Charlotte N Carolina F A Freddie lay Richmond Virginia Jack Bryan Lexington KentucKY
There may be others and I apologize for anyone I may have missed who were officers be fore the nineteen sixties Since that time we have also had many great leaders which you all should remember during the nineteen sixties seventies and eighties Tliese were the leaders who had to adapt to change and fill the expanding needs of our membershIp Throughout these fifty yearst SERC has had many outstan ding leaders Eight 0 these leaders became President of the National Association of Housing and Rede velop ment Oficials which represents more than any other regIOn
We have now reached our Fiftieth fruitful Anni versary as a great Organization and it is both fitting and proper that a toast be made at this time for posterity
Please join with me in this fervent and prayerful toast on the Fi ftieth Ann iversary of the Southeastern Regional Council of NAHRO
A SPECIA L TOAST TO SERC- NAHRO
May what SER C-NAHR O and all its members have created and accomplished in the past fifty years be a bright beacon - -a beautiful monument- shyand a great example to our present members for the purpose of guiiiing them in what they can do- shywhat tJiey shouTd do- - and what they must do today and in the future
May the blessings the JJuidance and the best wishes of all our great SERC-NAHR O leaders of the past our faI thful departed and those still living be ever with us in all we do so that all our endeavors will be dedicated- - so that all our ob jectives will be right and true- -and so that all our actions will be strong in that great cause for which we all labor a decent safe and sanitary home in a suitable living environment in a community fully developed for that purpose for all the citizens of this great nation
Please raise your glass and join with me in this grand toast to SER C-NAHR O on the occasion of this Fiftieth Anniversary and may the next fifty years De as exciting ana full of accomplishments as the first Fifty years
May God bless us all and all those we serve SA L UTE
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
22
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
23
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
24
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
TENNESSEE
KCDC FAMILY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Fam ily Enhancement Program model is clin icall oased and designed to work with the tota fam ily The pu rpose of the Family Enhancement Program i n working toward self -su fficiency is to work with families at any level to assist them i n removing barriers that may prevent self -su fficiency
There are many barriers that prevent low shyincome fam ilies from becoming selfshysu fficient without listing their socio- economic status The Family Enhancement Program goal will be to worK with participants on a remed ial level A lthough all barriers are signi ficant the Family Enhancement Program p nority barriers are as follows
1 Literacy 2 Health and Nutrition 3 Family Stability 4 AdditIOnal Education 5 U tilizing Present Job Ski lls 6 Strengtliening Job Ski lls 7 T rainlOg and Developing
New Job Ski lls 8 Employment Opportunities
Briefly stated the Family Enhancement Program will strive to improve the quality o f l ife fr pogra participants b y provioing speCifiC tralOlOg In the above areas
The success of any p rogram depends on the amount of commitment from tne individual and service p rovider Therefore emphasis will be placed on total commitment 10 an e ffort to make all participants 100 sel fshysu fficient
The Family Enhancement Program is designed to have more than a snort- term e ffect It will measure success through both the adults and youths the program serves Adults will be given an opportunity to learn skills that will motivate tliem to seek selfshysufficient li fe Studies have shown that an e ffective comp rehensive prevention p rogram can impede and reverse the phenomena o f unemployment iuvenile delinquency substance abuse ano teen pregnancy all of which are barriers to self -su fhciency
MURFREESBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGINS
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
M u r freesboro Housing Authority began its own local Certi ficate Program A pril 1 19901 with the one bedroom elderly certi ficates fundea from its local fund account
Robert T Batey Execu tive Director o f the Authority stated IWe have not received any new Certi ficates from HUD since 1988 and have no prospects on the horizon Our waiting list which IS over 500 in the Section 8 and Voucher Program has been closed since Septem ber
The Murfreesboro Housing Authority is fortunate and unique to have local funds avadable beyond H U D contract m onies These funds are m ade u p from a n old urban renewal program a n d Section 8 administrati ve funds We feel a strong com mitment in ful filling our m ission to provide housing in our community and are using our local funds in this e ffort Batey said
Batey indicated the Program will be operated in a similar fashion to the ection 8 ExistlDg Program sans refe rences to HUD and the Feoe ral Government It will run side by side on the Authoritys data p rocessing syste m keeping all adm inistrative costs separate to be paid from nonshyHUD funds
We have looked at other non - HUD e f forts to provide low income housing and finally iletermined the most e f fective way to address the problem is with direct subsidY6
d Batey reported While we have budgeted $25 0 00 for our first
year we have the flexibility to increase the Program or reduce it through attrition a fter the first year
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The Murfreesboro Housing Authority Program is one comm unitys attempt to meet the needs of low income famllies We congratulate the Murfreesboro Housing Authority for its e f forts
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
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to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
TE N E E (Continued)
ATHENS 1I0NE bull ROOM SCHOOL
The One - Room School project underway in Athens at Lee Manor doesn t have an official name but bas developed a positive identity among residents
I t has ser ved as a wonde rful resource for public housing students who need and want help and guidance with their homework For the adult com m unity it provides tutorial help for those who have not com pleted high school and arc work ing toward a general eqUivalency diploma an d seek help from tutors
middotWe have a veraged about 28 students a day throughout the month of October and the n u mbers have been consistent with that so far in the mcoth o f Novembermiddot said Betty Casteel who is the sole teacher in the program
Casteels day isn t from 8 a to 4 pm l i ke er colleagues in the educatIOn fie ld Her day begtns at 2 p m and frequently lasts until aftr 9 pm Pre - school and k i n(lergarten students arnve about 4 p m By 5 pm cliild ren in grades 2 - 6 arrive ana at 6 pm j u ntor high schoof students ftll the small room
We have about 50 students on t h rolI and that doesn t include 16 adu ltsmiddot Casteel said They love to come here You wouldnt think
that after spending seven hours in school the y would want to come back to a school - like setting but they do
Casteel has the support o f a teachers aide and support from volunteer wor kers Formerly a teacners aide at Westside Elemen tary School Casteel finished her degree in education at Tennessee Wesleyan College She is certi fied to teach all elementary school courses and currently is working toward certi fication in pre - school and k indergarten education
The first year of the eXIlerimental program is being funded by State Education Department grants and no local funds are involved
Wor king with the Athens City School System and the One - Room School Ad vlsory Board is the Athens Housing Authority The housing age Jcy ha provlded the spae and some of the matenals being used 10 the proJect
(portions of this article have been p araph rased and copied and condensed from an article in the Daily Post Athenian by staff writer David Stoneshythe Editor)
We wish Athens good luck for con tinued success in a worthwhile p rogram which values the education of its residents
TRAINED HA RD - BUT I T SEEMED THA T E VER Y TIME
WE WERE BEGINNING TO FOR M UP INTO TEA MS WE
WO ULD BE REORGANIZED I WAS TO LEARN LA TER IN
LIFE THA T WE TEND TO MEE T ANY NEW SI TUA TION B Y
REORGANIZING AND A WONDERFUL ME THOD IT CA N BE
FOR CREA TING THE ILL USION OF PR OGRES S WHILE
PROD UCING CONFUSION INEFFICIENCY AND
DEMORAL IZA TION W
PE TRONIUS - 60 A D
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VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
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DIRECT vtA n
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND TENANTS ORGANIZATION INC
The Richmond Tenants Organization Inc (RTO Inc) presented the Third Annual Curtis J Holt Award to a prominent leader in toe Richmond community dUring its ninth Annual Meeting The meeting was held on Saturday May 19 1990 in the Whitcomo Court Community Center 2300 Carmine Street and the award was presented during Its Awards Luncheon
The first Award was presented to Mr Holts wife Mrs Alto Mae Holt and the second award was presented to Mrs Alma Marie Barlow the Executive President of RTO Inc Mr Curtis J Holti often remembered as a Grass Roots Civil Rights Activist lived in the Creighton community from 956 until his death on November 21 1986 -He also served as President of the Creighton Ci vic Association
BaSIC ANiD RRHA TO SPONSOR THIRD ANNUAL ACADEMIC OLYMPICS
The BaSIC (Building a Stable Involved Community) Board and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) sponsored the Third Annual Academic Olympics on Saturday June 2 1990 at 900 am at John F Kennedy High School The Academic Olympics was developed in cooperation with Richmond Public Schools to encourage students to excel academically and to enoance the academic success of youth living in RRHAs public housing communities Participants were quizzed in history eglish science an mathematics All participants received recognition and winners were presented with awards and pnzes
The opening ceremony began at 900 am followed by the semifinals Lunch was served at noon and the finals began at 130 pm followed by the presentatIOn of prizes and awards Youth in grades four through eight residing in public housing communities are eligible to participate in the event Volunteers reresenhng vanous community groups tutored and assisted children in preparation for the event Jgtarticipants registered in advance with the tutoring program management office or the Department of Recreation and Parks staff in their respective communi ties
VAHCDO AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO RRHA YOUTH
Each year the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (Y AHCDO) awards a $1 000 scliolarship to a qualifying high school senior residing In one of Virginias public housing communities For the fifth consecutive year a young resident of one of Ricomond Redeve1qpment and Housing Authoritys housing communitles is the recipient of the scholarship awarded at V AHCDOs Annual MeetlDg Banquet held in Lynchburg Virginia on ay 21
Michael K Ross a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School and a resident of Gilpin is the recipient of the $1000 scholarship awarded by VAHCDO MalDtaining a 35 GPA he will attend Mary Wasnington College in Fredericksburg Virginia majoring in Urban Planning His extra- curricular activities and achievements included belDg the schools resident pianist for the past three years T
a mem ber of the high school band member of the Key Club recipient oT the Virginia Commonwealth u niversitys Evelyn and Allen Stein Music Scholarship and a singer and actor in several community theater productions
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VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
VIRGINIA (Continued)
HAMPTON REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
THREE HAM PTON RESIDENT
COUNCILS RECEIVE HUD GRANTS
Two resident councils with the Hampton Redevelop m e n t and Housing Authority applied and were awarded Te chnical Assistance Grants for Resident Management Training in Fiscal Year 1989 The same resident councils applied and were awarded additional funding in the 1990 round North Phoebus Resident Council Inc received $75000 in 1989 and $12450 in the 1 990 funds Lincoln Park Resident Council) Inc received $50000 in 1 989 and $45000 in 190
Pine Chapel Resident Council Inc the A u t horitys largest housing com ple x applied for $100000 in [990 and was awaraed the full amoun t Each group is looking forward to the e x tensive tra in ing tliey will recei ve which will prepare them to 6ecome self -sufficient
JUST SAY NOli FESTIVAL
Youth from three Ham pton Redevelopment and Housing Au thoritts housing complexes IJartici IJated in the first A nnual Just Say No Festival on Ap ril 19 sponsored by the Hampton Re creation Department and held in the Authoritys Lincoln Park Recreation Center The afternoon was fi l led with staff from the Housing Authority Recreation Department and Police Departmet spea king on the qangers o f drugs m USIC videos ana Il- very Interesting demonstration by the Ham pton Police departments drug dog Re fresnments were enjoyed by everyone The Hampton Recreation staff works closely with Housing Au thority staff on many events concerning al l residents I n the Housi ng Authoritys comple xes
NORFOLK REDEVELOPM ENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
FORMER EXECUTIVE D I RECTOR RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Norfolk VlfglDla- -Eastern VlfglDla Medical School awarded t hree honorary oegrees at the com mencement ceremony for the EVMS Class of 1990 The ceremolly was held May 19 at 10 a m in Chrysler Hall The Class of 1990 was the 15th class to graduate from EVMS
Lawrence M Cox-z form er Executive Director of the Norfolk Kedevelopment and Housing Au thority rece i ved a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa A rthur C Guyton M D world shyrenowned e x pert in h uman ph ysiology and Richard M Magraw M D former PreSident 0 the Eastern Virginia Medical Authorit y (now the Medi cal Coll ege of Ham pton Roads) e a c h received a Doctor of Science honoris causa
M r COX was one of the community leaders dedi cated dur ing the 1 960s to establishing a me dical schoo l for Hampton Roads His vision of the bene fits a medical school could bring to the region helped galvanize community support for EVMS and turn the d ream of a medical sch ool for Hampton Roads i n to a reality As Executive Dire ctor of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing A uthority from 1941- 1969 Mr Cox helped to develol the Eastern Virginia Medical Center now a regional medical referral center and home of the EVMS campus
A nati ve of Norfolk M r Cox graduated from Maury Hig School and attended George WashlDgton Uni versity in Wash ington D C Mr Cox has devoted his career to housing and urban a f fairs Between 1934 and 1937 he was a
2S
Statistician In the HOUSlDg DIVISion of the Pubhc Works Administration From 1937 unti l 1940 he served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the U S Housing A u thori ty In August 1940 Mr Cox became the first employee of the Norfolk Rede velop ment and HOUSlDg Au thority when he was named Assistant Executive Director In 1941 he was promoted to Executive Director a position he held until his appoin tment as Assistant Secretary for Rene wal ana Housing Assistance in the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development in March 1 969 Since 1 970 Mr Cox has served as a housing and urban development consu ltant at the Federal state and local levels working wit h s u c h organ izations as the Departmen t of Housing and Urban Development the Virginia General Assembly the Virginia Di vision of Plan ning and Com m u nity Affalfs the Portland (Oregon) Deve lopment Com m ission the District of Colum 5ia Rede velopm ent Land Agency the Portsmouth (Virginia) Rede velopment and Housing Au thori ty and the Richmond (Virginia) Department of Planning and Com munity De velopment Since 1973 he has served as counsefor to the U S Con ference of Mayors for Policy and Legislative Matters
Mr Cox is also a member of the International Board of Governors for Physic ians of Peace a Norfolk based humanitarian organization that brings medical relie f to areas torn by war or disaster
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
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to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
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KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Association of Housing A uthorities held its Annual Spring Workshop in Canaan Valley March 14-15 1990 The conference was a great success with the highest num be r o f registered participants the Association has ever e xperienced at any Annual Workshop or Confe rence There were a total of 1 19 registered
The Association held a Housing Quality Standards training seminar at the office of the Charleston Housing Authority The sessions were held by representatives of NAHRO and once again the Association experienced tremendous participation with 98 indiViduals attending from all housing authorities throughout the State
During the Workshop in Canaan Valley Mr George Jones State Duector of the National Apprenticeship Program U S Department of Laoor presented a program on the National Apprenhceship and Trainlng Standards So much lDleest was genrateq by thiS presentation that a s]leclal meetlDg IS belDg held on Monday April 3Q for housing authorities to execute the contract With the Department of Labor for participation The nnual O)D ference will be held in Oglebay Prk In Wheehng November 26-29 to cOlDcide With the famous Festival of Lights which the City of Wheeling holds every year during the Chnstmas season
HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS PROCEDURES CHANGING
Tony Bazzle
A maj or chae in Section 8 Housing Quality Standards (HQ procedures may go into effect as soon as thiS f
Jerry Benoi Director of the Housing Voucher DiVision at tne U S Department of Housing and Urban Developments Washington D C headquarters sala Hud is consideflng allowing an accumulation of non- life threatening HQS violations before a Section 8 unit would receive a middotfail rating by a housing authority
Benoit said aU details of the proposal have not yet been worked out We are now making an analysis of whether it is feasible to change the standards in this manner without severely compromising the quality of the housing he said but pre(iicts the change will take place this year
As envisioned by Benoit new rules would allow an accumulation of what are now considered minor HQS violations be fore a unit is failed by a housing authority We havent firmly committed to a number yetmiddot Benoit said We are talking about allowing tliree or four or five what would now be conSidered fail items to accumulate before the unit would fail upon inspection The ost likely number however is an aggregate of five
Benoit said the change in procedures would work to the benefit of both owners and housing authorities
BasicaUy a cracked window would now fail a unit saul the Division Chief A lot of owners hllve complained saring they wuld rather be given the opportunity to repau a cracked window- - or something of that nature--whenever tey have to make other repairs rather than m1lIdng a special trip to a unit J ust to correct one mInor problem -
Housin authorities would also benefit from the chanlC he added since there would likely be fewer reinspections Using the same example of a cracked window
I Benoit said housing inspectors
are now requirea to make a follow-up inopection
26
to see i f the window was replaced within a speci fied time period I f an accumulation of minor items is permitted there would be no need for reinspections o just one minor failed item There would definitely be a cost savings to a
housing authority he remarked
As currently envisioned the program would basically work in this manner a housing auhority representative would inspect a rental unit ana might note three or four conditional pass items The housing authority would then contact the owner in writlDg detailing the items that need repaired No deaaline for the repairs would be imposed but should those items not be repaired by the time of the next annual inspection the unit would fail even i f there were no other Items noted at that time Therefore i f the discrerancies were not repaired by the time of the annua inspection the housing aU (boritr would terminate its contract with the owner 1 would be hrd for an ower to j usti fr tat he hasnt been 10 hiS rental unit for a year Sai d Benoit
Benoit gave examples of the types of discrepancis which may accum ulate1 lDcluding torn carpeting cracked wlDdows a Durner that doesnt work inadequate storage s]lace and an
oven that does not work properly middotWe feel like these types of things are relatively minor and should not be of as much concern as more lifeshythreatening findings he said Among the items he defined as maj or for which an accumulation could not occur are inadequate heating systems front doors or windows With no locks fack 0
pressure relief valves on hot water tanks and faulty traps for sewer systems
Basically he said middotwe will be redefining HQS items as either li fe-threatening or as potentially hazardous
Benoit said housing authorities will be well aware of the deficiencies which can be accumulated before the proposed change takes effect HUD will develop new inspecbon booklets in which conditional passes can be noted and will rewrite portions of the HUD manuals dealing with housing quality standards to incorporate any chanRes
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
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AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
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REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
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HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
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SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
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If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
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MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
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F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
SERVING AIDS VICTIMS
BY TINA AKERS-SHADE
FAIRMONT HOUS ING AUTHORITY
WEST VIRGINIA
As the number of Aids cases in America i ncreases questions will arise about possible exposure to the disease in the workplace including public housing
Applicants andor residents with AIDS or any of its related conditions have to be offered the same services for which they are eligible within approved guidelines as long as they are medically capable of independent liVlDg and do not post a danger to their own health and safety or the health and sa fety of other residents the staff or the commuDlty
AIDS victims are included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects the rights of the handicapped AIDS is a contagious disease and as such persons with AIDS are considered handicapped
In formation regarding an indi viduals health is pnyae and must be treated confidentially Individuals with AIDS m ust not be identi fied unless withholding such in formation would post a threat to the safety and health of others
Its important to start with the facts in order to dispel AIDS m yths
What e xactly is AIDS Who can get it How do you get it
A - stands for ACQUIRED this is it is not something you are born with
I - stands for IMMUNE or that system of your body which fights off diseases
D - stands for DEFICIENCY a breakdown or com promise in the immune system which allows the disease to e xist
S - stand for SYNDROME meaning a person With AIDS may have numerous symptoms or diseases as a result of imm une deficiency
27
AIDS is a virus that destroys the immune system leaving its victims j)rone to catch diseases such as uncommon cases 01 cancer and pneumonia
AIDS is NOT transmitted by casual contact such as daily living acti vities at home or at work
You cannot get AlliS from someone with the disease by USlDg then restrooms b y eating food prepared by someone with AIDSj by swimming in a pool where a person with A DS has been or giving blood
T here is so much m isunderstanding about AIDS that its victims are being discrim lDated against and unj ustly treated AIDS is spread by sexual contact (ma]e and female) drug use sharing a needle and less commonly th rough blood transfusIOns
Persons with AIDS are not a threat to the workplace They shou ld be allowed to work as long as they feef well enough and are able to do then work at no risk to themselves co- workers or the public
The most likely way a person working in public hOUSlDg would be susceptible to contracting the ADS virus would be through coming in contact With an lD fected needle ana then it would have to be almost immediately a fter the in fected person had used it A fter 30 minutes in the open the virus will die It is a very week virus which can be ki lled easi ly So when in dou bt throw some Clorox on items such as needles which you may not be sure of
If you would happen to get stuck by a needle that you feel was j ust used by an infected person youll peed tlt get tested right away for hepati tis The vnus wllf not show up for at least three Donths so youll av to wail tltgt get tested Even If the tel rtsults lDdlcate negative you should be retested 10 SIX months
The chances of contracting AIDS are slim but precautions should always be taken
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
REPORTS FROM SERe COMMITTEES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE
BY BILL BALLOU
The SERC L (g islati ve Com m ittee met recently in Tallahassee Flori da at which time Bob Pless agreed to assume the role of Vice Chairman of tlie Legislative Com mi ttee (Ed Note Bob Pless has now agreed to accept the position o f Chairmanship in v i e w of Bill Ballou s resignation )
T he Legislative Committee decided to have a luncheon meeting in Washington D C including the Congressional delegation staff members w ho are responsible for housing m atters in each Congressional delegates office The purpose o f this meeting is to establish and m aintain better comm unicatlODS with our Congressional delegations to more e ffecti vely comm un icate with their desi gnated h ousing staff representatives and to establish a working relationship with these staff members Plans wilr be in itiated and oordinated with President Gus Kuhn
The Comm ittee restated i ts concern about NAH ROs unil ateral preparation of Legislative position papers p resented at the ir Annual Legislati ve Con ference We insist that NAH RO sohcit and receive input on Legislati ve papers from the several regional housing organizations who in turn should develop position papers on the basis of input o f their mem ber states
The Legislative Com m i ttee is now planning to for m ulate a Legislative Position Statemen t and mem bers need to write down the various ideas for consideration at the next Com mittee meeting in Nash v i lle I t is believed that th is Com mIttee shou i d plan early to meet with the housing staff m e m bers from the offices of our Senators and Congressmen sometime during the NAH RO LegIslative Con ference next year
The Legislative Com mittee has under consideration two principal topics First the SER C An nual Workshop will be held this year in Hi lton Head at the Hyatt Hotel November 11 - 13 Two particular sessions are under consideration for prese n tation The first is called The Real Role of Comm issioner and was developed by Fra n k Chaver to be used in the Florida Con fe rence where i t was well received Second we are also consideri ng a p rogram Cond ucting An E ffecti ve Meeting It was the consensus of the Comm ittee that both of these programs should be used for presentation at the FaD Workshop A nother seSSlOn is also be i ng considered on com munications which should b e designed as a followup on the session held i n Louisville This presen tation will be called What Works in Communication
The second m ajor tOpic which was d iscussed at the Legislative Com mittee m eeti ng was the long range planning process which is now under way under the directIOn of Herbert M c B ride It was the view of the Comm ittee mem bers present tbat
SER C- NAHRO is now conducting very e f fective programs We u rge serious consideration o f ways to continue to provide the use ful k ind of i n formation which has been available in recent con ferences Further we feel that we should continue to examine the best way to provide SERC Certi fication programs at all levels in the authori ties Inasmuch as these programs are well under way for presentation the Committee will not meet until Sunday Novembe r 10 at 200 Oclock P M at Hilton Head
S I TE SELECTI ON
BY BETTY SMITH AND JOHN ACUFF
The Site Selection Committee reported that final arrangemen ts for our Ann ual Con ference for 1994 would be held in Nashville at the Stouffer Con vention Center In 1995 our Annual Con ference w ill be held at the Orlando Hyatt (Kissim mee) These decisions were made afte r five hotels were visited o f which the above two were found to be the best and would accomodate our An oual Con fcrence best of all the rest
ADMINI STRAT IVE PRACT ICES COMMITTEE
BY WILLIAM G BO P I ERCE
The Adm inistrati ve Practices Com m ittee is now work ing on presenting a p rogram for the SER C Annuar Workshop which woufd p rovid e a section on E ffectively Dealing With C n frontational Situations The Com m ittee was froud o f the article sub mitted by Reuben Bos wel on itA Drug shyFree Workplace which was pu blished in tlie Winter SERCulator The next arti cle to be p resented in the SERCulator was also su b m i tted by a member o f th is Committee Tina A kers shyShade and it add resses the p roblem o f AIDS and the role of the PHAs as social agencies
MEMBERSH I P COMMI TTEE
BY GEORGE SMITH
The Membership Com mittee is still directing all of its attention on a method b y which a Soullieas t Dire c tor y could be published for the convenience o f all oT the SERC members Many ideas are being submitted to accom plish this p roject and the Comm i ttee will make a fur ther report on this malLer at our next meeting in Nashville
The Membership Com m ittee bas j ust pu blished and distrib uted an excellcnt folder on Membership in SERC and an in vitat ion to j oin with all of the information necessary to conSider me mbersh ip in SERC An appli cation was also included with the brochu re and was distributed at our last Annual Con ference and is now being d istr i b u ted in all of the stale ann ual meelings
2 8
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
REPORTS ( ntlnued)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND SERCULATOR
COMMI TTEE
As everyone knows by this ti me1 Ed Jagnandan has resigned his position at tne Birm ingham Housing Authority and John Collier of Glasgow KentucKy has agreed to accept this very di fficult task He has notified all of the Committee Mem bers to beKin working to assist him with the Fall Issle al-d the Itm porary editor of the summer Issue IS now as kmg e veryone to cooperate with his request The Pu n1ic A ffairs Committee through Larry Shoe ma has been reviewing videos from GAHRO tAH RO and Louisville along with one from S ima Alabama The purpose of this video is to promote public housing and im prove the image in vie w of the recent negative publicity that has been distributed in many natIOnal newspapers This work has been encou raged and will conti nue with your support
The Public A f fairs Com m ittee of the Southeastern Regional Cou ncil of NAHRO has undertaken two vicfeo presentation projects to faciiitate the delivery of services for S E RC membership The 50th Annual Con fere nce held June 17 - 20 1990 was the testing ground for membership to view two sample videos 1 Pu blic Housing - - A di fferent Perspective 5 minutes) ana 2) Resident Orientation 30 m inutes) The Di fferent Perspecti ve video is a Public Relations tool In tended to p rovide a positi ve perspective of the bene fits Housing Autb orities con tribute to local c mmu nities The Resident Oreintation video is in tended to serve as an in formation dese m inat ion tool PHAs will be able to provide to incom ing resi dents as to their responsibil ities bene fits rules lease and house keeping requ ireme nts while residing ith the Authority Should the mem bership express the need to pursue the proposed video initial1ves full prod uction and mem be rship d istri bution avai labil i ty may be possible as earl y as ne t fall
PLAN BENEFI T BOARD BY ROBERT A
HANELINE EXECUTIVE SECRE TARY
This Committee reports that for 1990 there will be no in crease in hosp italization prem ium s this year for health insu ran ce There nave been no changes in long term d isabiHty With regard to the retirement plan six authorities have joined the plan since Decem ber 1 1989 and there is now 271 members from 23 states Total assets wee j ust under $90 million on Dctm ber 1 1989 which has now gone over $93 million You wid be pleased to know that the trust assets are in vested with six i nsurance companies and two com mercial banks The trustees are taking every precaution to make sure that trust fu nds are Invested with only insurance com panies that hold an A+ or better ratin g with the A M Best Rating Com pany or insured b y the FDIC
29
HOUS ING MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
BY DEAN S ROB INSON
The Com mitt e has j ust completed a tremendous e f fort in providing tIle An nual Con ference with a well rounded program for all the sessions for which i t was responsible The speakers were outstandi1g and the meetings were well attended A fter thiS tremendous tasK was com pleted the fIOUSllg Management Comm ittee is now critiquing Itself In order to Qrepare for the workshop in November to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head
HAINENANCE AND ClAP COMMITTEE
B GLEN FORD
The MaintenanceCIAP Commi ttee also assisted tremendously in rounding out the Annual Con ference topics which were presented I t is also now preparing for the November workshop sessions and conSidering some of the ongoing topics of concern to the Com m ittee
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITEE
BY LANELLE DAVIS
This Com mittee is now working on subje cts to be pcesented for the SERe Annual Fall Workshop in Hilton Head and most of their attention is concentrated on crime prevention homelessness and the figh aginst orugs in Plblic housing ThelT em plias ls Will be on promotlDg education neiKhborhood walch programs and alliances with local police departments wherever poss ible The Com mittee realizes that the small authorities do not have the tools of the larger authorities although the problems ex ist everywhere These are items DOW under consideration and will be discussed fu rther at the Nashville meeting
C R amp D COMMITTEE
BY BILL HAWKINS
This Com m ittee is in the process of preparing a list of Com mu nity Development BloclC G rantees and Subgrantees In their com mun ity This list could constitute the beginnings of a network within the SER C- NAH R O geographical area The Committee realizes the di fficulty of such an undertakin g since many of these agencies already participate In other organizations The Com mittee also considered itself with proposed legislation to be offered by the Senators 0 Amato and Dodd relative to tIll A ffordable Housing Act The Committee went on record opposin such action and obtained approval from tlie Executive Com mittee to pass a resolution opposing the proposed amendment (This resolution is printed e lsewhere in this issue of the SERCulator)
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
REPORTS (Continued)
PRODUCTION COMMITTEE
BY FRANK GOOCH
This Committee is now in the process of making a survey of all housing authorities to determine the housing needs i n the southeast for the purpose of Jlrepanng recommendations to be made to Congress to demonstrate the need for additional houslDg This should be an i nvaluable benefit depending u pon the results of the survey and wnethef it can be properly formulated for Igtresetation at the next Legislative Con ference i n WashlDgton
PROFESS IONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMI TTEE
BY PAUL A PI ERCE
The Pfofessional DeveloJlment Com mittee is tracking the development oT ethics training which is now being developed and will be made available to various regIOns and states To date NAHRO is the only allproved trainer relative to lead based paint ana such training will be starting soon An Environ 90 Con ference has now been announced to discuss all of the various hazardous materials now con fronting local housing authorities You should have received IlOtice by this time For those interested another computer exposition is being planned in Dallas in April 199 1 A ne w Certified Development Manager (CDM) program is movin forward and is likely to be ready for NAHROs use by 199 1 This Committee IS also preparing for the Annual SERC Workshop which will be lield at the Hyatt Hotel in Hilton Head South Carolina
HMI TRUSTEES REPORT
BY MIKE PROFFITT
Tbe HMI Trustees urge your state to consider sponsoring a PHM Stm lDar in your state Such a PHM TralOlDg Sem lOar wbula be provldlOg a service to your mem bership and would also earn e xtra income for your state association The next HMI-PHM Trai nlDg Seminar is scheduled for October 15 - 19 1990 in Virginia Beach Virginia The HMI Trustees are also requesting that your state consider sponsoring a Maintenance Management Training Session This program runs two and one hall days with tne minimum guarantee of 50 students at $ 120 each of which your state would receive fi fty six percent of the share of the net profits This program will be further e xplained if you wilr contact M ike Proffitt
30
SCHOLARSHIP COMMI TTEE
BY DORIS JEFFRIES
This Committee is carr ying on continuing discussions regarding additional funding for the SERC- NAHRO Scliolarship Program Through Grants A number of non- profit organizations have been contacted previously and more will be contracted in the future to support the Scholarship program Individual state scholarship awards were also discussed and everyone was reminded that each state chairman should forward certi fication request forms to Doris Jeffries Fayette Alabamal by July 15 1990 Everyone is being e ncouragea to publicize the Scholarship program to the Journal of Housing the SERCulator and each state newsletter The Committee agreed not to meet in September in Nashville Ten nessee
AD HOC COMMI TTEE ON
DISINSTITUTIONALI ZATION AND
HOMELESS BY SAMUEL A HIDER
This being the last report made by retiring Sam Hider he left a strong message for all of us to realize He pointed out that no one wants to be responsible for the problems of society and housing authorities are fast becom ing the catch shyall baSKet for society He states that those who cannot afford to pay rent are told to go to the housing authority Those who cannot live independently are told to go to the housing authority and those persons whose families no longer want the responsibility for caring for them are escorted to die housing authority He is encouraging thought on this matter and is hoping that this thlDking will become more serious in future com mittee meetings
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CRIME AND
DRUGS BY PAULA JONES
The A d Hoc Com mittee on Crime and Drugs was Jlroud to have an im portant part in our Annual Con ference and is hoping that this program will help all of us realize tliat our main mission i n housing i s to help create healthy communitiesj healthy families and healthy children who wit make produ ctive citizens The work of this Committee will continue and will emphasize the attention needed to combat the problem of crime and drugs in our society today
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
LIBERATE AMERICAS OTHER ECONOMY
by JACK KEMP
Reprinted with permiss ion from the WALL STREET JOURNAL - 6 - 1 2 -90
In 1984 Mario Cuomo o f Ne w York electri fied the Deinocratic Con vention with his tale of America as two cities one rich and one poorl permanently divided into two classes He talkea about the rich growing richer and the poor becom ing poorer with the conclusion that class con flict ir not warfare was the only result and redistri6ution of wealth the solution With all due respect to Governor Cuomo he got it wrong A merica is not dvided imm utably into wo static classes But It IS sparated or divided IOtO two economies One economy-our mainstream economy-is democratic and capitalist market- orien ted ano entrepreneurial It offers incentives for working families in labor and managem ent This malOstream econom y rewards work investment saving and productivity Incentives abound for proQuctive economic and social behavior
It was this ecoom y triggered by Presidelt R eagans supply-side revolution of tax cuts 10
1981 that generated 2 1 5 million new j obs more than four m illion new businesses relatively low in flation and higher standards of living for most people This econom y has created more jobs in the past decade than all of Europe Canada and Japan combined And according to the U S Treasury federal income taxes paia by the top 1 of taxpayers has surged by more than 80 to $92 billion in 1987 from $51 Dillion in 1981
POCKETS OF POVERTY
There is another econom y - - a second economy that is similar in respects to the East European or Third World socialist economies It functions in a fashion opposite to the mainstream capitalist econom y It predominates in the pockets of poverty througliout urgtan and ruraf America This economy has barners to productive human and social acti vity and a v irtual abence of economic i ncentives and rewards It deDles black Hispanic and other minority men and women entry into the mainstream This econom y works almost as e ffectively as did hiring notices 50 years ago that read No Blacks- - or Hispanics or Irish or wnatever- - Need Apply
The irony is that the se cond econom y was born o f desire to help the oor alleviate su ffering and provide a basIc social saiety net The results were a counterproductive economy Instead of independence the second economy led to dependence In an e f fort to minim ize econoic palO it maxim ized welfare bureaucracy and social costs
All around the world despite the resistance of the old guard freedom and free markets democracy and capitalism are increasingly on the mardi East Europe i s looking t o u s tor market- oriented answer but so is East Harlem East St Louis and East Los Angeles
32
If we are to present the example o f democratic capitalism and the rule of law to the rest of the world weve got to make it work for the lowshyincome people and distressed neighborhoods and com m uDlties right here in our own country Whether its called bleeding- heart conservatism capitalism with a social conscience or populist conservatism - - its the right thing to do tlie right time to do it an d were the rignt people to help lead it
Lets step away from our orthodox notions and examine this from afar What is you wanted to create poverty
What policies and principles would you use to destroy the economy of cities and make people dependent on overnment ow would you do it Let me offer some suggestion
Impose steeply graduated and progressive tax rates and then in flate the cu rrency to push people into even higher tax brackets
Reward wel fare and une m p loyment at a higher level than working and productivity
Tax the entrepreneur who succeeds in the legal system - - while permitting an underground u n taxed econom y
Reward people who stay in public housing more than tliose who want to move up and out into pri vate housing and nome ownership Reward the family that breaks up rather than the fam ily that stays together Encourage debt borr9wing and sQening rather than savlOg InvestlDg ana nsk shytaking
Weaken an in some cases destroy the l ink between effort and reward
The startling fact in America today is that the highest marginal tax rates are belDg paid not by the rich but by welfare mothers or unemployea fathers ho want to take a j ob In most Cities a welfare mother would have to earn $15000 to $18 000 in a private - sector j ob to earn the equvalent of the average tax- free welfare payment
According to a study by Christopher Jencks and Kathryn Edin in American Prospect magazlDe a mother with two children who is employed at about $5 an hour would take home about 45 cents an hour less than i f she were on welfare She loses nearly $4 a day after taking into account the loss of government bene fits taxes and such work related expenses as transportation and child care
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
The heavily regulated U S housing m arket is another exam lle o f government- created scarcity
Rent control 1 0 many major cities has crippled rental housinamp by making It unprofitable to be a landlord or IDvestor Rent controls do not help the poor because they cut apartment supply
Another glaring e xm ple of counterproducti ve government policy IS now the Department of Housing and U rban De velopment had been spending more than $1 300 per unit to subsidize vacant public housing- housing often used as crack houses for gangs and drug pushers The B ush admin istration has started a policy called Operation Occupancy under which only units will rece i ve public housing su bsidies
Let me outline some ideas for a national agenda to help low income people and our nation find the keys bat will u nlod the shackles of poverty and despair
f Cut the captal-gains tax to 15 Elimi nate i t in distressed l O ner cities and rural comm unities that we would designate as Enterprise Zones
Whe n the top capi tal -gains tax rate was reduced to 20 from 49 the num ber of small company start - ups m ore than doubled rising to 640000 and reat ing 15 illion jobs By drall atically redu cing tlie capltal-galDs tax rate agal D ana greenliDlng inner- city neighborhoods we can e x pand the econom y and p ut that enormous jobshycreating potential to work middot where i t is needed most
Expand resi dent management and urban homesteading in public h ousing to empower
resi dents to DUY their own homes and enjoy the dignity of ownership
Wi den use o f housing vouchers and certi ficates do give low income families greater choi ce of where to live while e x panding access to affordable housing for those m ost in need
Reform the jax system to remove low - income fam ilies from the tax rolls and dramatically increase the after tax income o f welfare mothers and unem ployed fathers who go to work
In 1948 at the median income a familY of fou r paid vi rtually no i ncome tax and only $30 a year In direct Social Security taxes (1) This year the same fami lys tax burden would be more than $6000 To reach a level com parable to 1948 the personal exemption the tax allowance for the cost of nurturing children would have to well o ver $6000 today Instead it is only $2000
EXPAND TAX CREDIT
Expand the earned income tax credit dram ati cally creating up to $6000 exem ption for children under f6
Help the homeless Congress should pass middot the adml nlstrattons new Shelter Plus Care program to e x pand comm unity based mental healtli facili ties drug abuse treatment job training and day care
Ths program will help them re- enter the mal Dstream econom y
Provide ducational opportunity by e x panding true chOtce and competttton through m agnel schools education voucliers or tuition ta x credits
Encourage Congress to pass President Bushs HOPE legislation including IRAs for first- time home bu yers the low income housing tax credit and Operation Bootstrap lin king bouslDg vou chers to strategies for gaining sel f su fficiency
A program l ike this wou ld make the 1990s the decade in which we win the war against poverty j ust as the decade of the 1980s was the one i n which w e won the Cold War against comm u n ism
Mr Kem p is Secretary of the Department of Housing and U rban Development
NEST VIRGINIA GEORGIA oZVWVgV1V raquo0_ o [ OtTj Pt VINIraquoIIA zMISSISSIPPlrtt7j lgtA)I)lUN3lItTj SOUTH CAROLINA
33
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
MEET YOUR NEW SERCULATOR EDITOR
John W Collier e ntered the housing field in 1975 He worked for the Housing Authority of Danville Kentucky as a security officer social worker and admiDlstrative assistant John late r went to work i n Georgetown Kentucky as DeQuty Director In 1 984 he acceted the position of Executive Director in Glasgow Kentucky where he remains today
John is Editor of the Kentucky State Associations Kentucky Progress which won the SERC Newsletter Awaro in 1987-88 He has served as Editor for five years John has taken a cou rse in Ne wsletter Editing from Clemson University
John serves on the Board of Kentucky Housing Association He has been a Board Member for six years He is acti ve on several comm ittees and se rves on the Scholarship Comm ittee for SER e
In addition to his regular em ployment John owns and operates a pliotograph y business You can see Jolin flashing (his came ra) all around our meetings
BEST WISHES TO JOHN AS HE STARTS HIS NEW ASS IGNMENT AS EDITOR OF OUR SERCULATOR
34
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
F R OM T H E E DITOR
( FOR THIS ISSUE ONLY)
Th i s i s t o announce once aga i n that John Col l ier E xecut ive D i rector o f Gl a s gow Kentucky wi l l be your new SERCu l ator E d i tor See oppos ite page for more i n format ion
Be i n g S E RC u l ator Ed itor i s not an e a s y ta s k so there fore each one o f you espec ia l ly the State Repre s entat ives s hou ld s e nd news i n forma t i on and p i c ture s of happenings in your s t ate to the E d itor s o that everyone can be i n formed and proud o f what you are do ing
The S E RCul ator c an be educ ationa l enl ightening and entert a i n i ng in accordanc e with your e f forts but only i f you make it so P l e a s e make s ure you keep our new Editor bu sy with new i n fo rmat ion Remember the pub l icat ion dead l i ne s for each i s s u e Your news wi l l be pri nted on t ime i f you send it i n on t ime
Dea d l i n e s are a s f o l lows
September 1 s t - Fa l l I s sue Dec ember 1 s t - Wi nter I s s ue March 1 s t - Spri ng I s sue June 1 s t - Summer I s sue
35
KU H N E ditor for Summer I s sue
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
A W GUSmiddot Kuhn Acting Edi tor SERCuJator Magazine Bessemer Housing Authority 1 1 00 Fifth AvenueJ North Bessemer AL 3S0l0
MAI L o
BULK RA1E t) S POSTAGE
PA I D Il EsSEvtrR A L 35020
PffivtIT NO 1 7 6 K E A N ADVERTlS LG
DIRECT vtA n
