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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-05-15 - Minutes - Archive• t • MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS The Housing Authority of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas met in Regular Session at 8:00 a.m., Wednesday May 15th, 2002 in the office of the Authority 111 North School Ave., Fayetteville, Arkansas. Janet Richardson, Chairperson, called the meeting to order. Commissioners Present: Richardson, Watson, Garton, Childress Commissioners Absent: Clinehens Others Present: Bromo Wilson, Fredia Sawin (with the Fayetteville Hous. Auth.), Nancy Robbins (with the Area Agency on Aging), Jane Johnson (District Administrator for Congressman John Boozman), Sherry Priestaf (with Sources) and Nancy Bowen (with EOA) The Minutes of the April 24th, 2002 Regular Meeting were approved by motion, seconded, and carried unanimously. • The April Financial Statement was approved by motion, seconded, and carried unanimously. • Mr. Bromo Wilson asked the four persons from the Housing Coalition to introduce themselves and asked each one, individually to describe their positions and what their job entails. Sherry Priestaf, with Sources, works with getting eligible persons out of the Nursing Homes and into accessible apartments that they can afford. We are running into a problem of getting housing without a four to eighteen month waiting list. We only have a year to work with them. The passages program finds persons who are bounced from one nursing home to another, they could be elderly or in their mid forties, we go and do an evaluation and send .it hack to the state for approval. Nancy Bowen, with EOA of Washington County, is also a founding member of Sage House and she has just received a lease on Seven Hills transitional housing on East 15th Street. We have a great concern of the amount of housing available. We are also concerned about the rule that two unrelated adults cannot share an apartment, which could help with their cost and socialization. The State has a certain amount of funds to help with the first months rent, furnishings and getting the utilities on. After this they are on their own and the cost of housing is a problem. .lane Johnson, is district administrator for Congressman John Boozman and a member of the Housing Coalition. She states, T hear what: the non-profit agencies are up against as far as the issue with housing. Bentonville housing, handled out of Siloam Springs, has a lot of Senior housing and they seen to be more creative at bringing in funding. • Page 2 Nancy Robbins, is with the Area Agency on Aging. She is also the housing manager for the new apartments, Wedington Place, located behind the Holiday Inn Express on Wedington drive. She is present, at this meeting, to see if and when their will be more rental assistance vouchers in the future that will be available for possible tenants of this new complex. Ms. Nancy Bowen explained that the Housing Coalition meets in Springdale on a monthly basis and was formed about a year and a half ago. We are presently concerned about the shortage of housing for, low income people. The Northwest Housing Coalition consists of persons from several non-profit agencies throughout the community who meet and go out and address the needs of their clients. Mr. Wilson responded to each person individually as they expressed their concerns. HUD goes to congress to ask for more housing vouchers and because of under utilization in some areas of the country, they are turned down. This is not the case here but we are affected by this under utilization. Ms. Janet Richardson asked if the members of the Housing Coalition were familiar with the Fayetteville Housing Authority • as an agency. Mr Wilson concluded, we handle 252 Public Housing units, 40 at Willow Heights, 40 at Lewis Plaza, 52 at Morgan Manor and 120 here at Hillcrest Towers. We have a Rental Assistance Program which services 402 Housing Choice Vouchers in the Washington County area, excluding Springdale. Ms. Richardson continued, we welcome your input, did not know about the N. W. Arkansas Housing Coalition. Representatives with Lifestyles came last month to our Board of commissioners meeting they also expressed the need for changes in our rules. We need to form a task group. We could get a volunteer from the Housing Authority Commissioners and get names and get on your mailing list. We need to get the Housing Coalition on our mailing list announcing our meeting dates. We need to be aware of the crucial issues that have to he addressed in our community. Mr. Wilson presented to the board the last item of business on the agenda which is to reopen discussion from the last meeting concerning the possible policy change in relation to the issues of which Lifestyles has brought to our attention. Mr. Wilson updated the board as to what has transpired with the investigation concerning this possible change of policy. We have talked with HUD and found that we would be subject to a discrimination lawsuit if we changed our rules to one group of individuals. Little Rock is the only public housing agency that we could find with this policy of two unrelated persons living together. They changed their policy to attract more people since they are having such a problem of keeping their housing full. Hot Springs had this policy in the past but changed it due to the volume of problems it caused. • • • Page 3 Ms. Fredia Sawin demonstrated to the board two possible scenarios as to the rent calculations for two disabled individuals living together and how it would effect them with regards to their medical deductions and their disabled deductions. It would not benefit them rent wise since you must count the gross combined income which in turn eliminates the amount of medical they can count and makes their rent amount higher than if they lived alone in their own apartment. Ms. Pat Watson reiterated the fact that here in the High Rise, each floor is a community they each help one another. It is a perfect location due to bus and trolley service. Mr. Gary Garton stated that he has received several phone calls from concerned people. We can do some further research and some leg work. I am new on the block but will need to get with Mr. Wilson and Fredia to learn what we can do or not do. We will need to invite Carol with Lifestyles back for more discussion. Ms. Richardson admitted that Carol realized there was some things that she did not know concerning rent calculations and rules with Public Housing. We will continue to look at it and we really would like people in the community at large to give us feed back. We will invite Carol, with Lifestyles, back after we have completed our investigation. Mr. Wilson brought the board up to date on the current capital funds and where we currently stand. We have advertised for bids these past two weeks. We will have a pre-bid conference and we will be attending the monthly residents meeting on May 21st so that Randy (with Ledford Engineering) can present the Fayetteville Housing Authority's Annual Plan. We should be able to have a bid to let a contract by our next Board Meeting. Ms. Richardson issued a thank you to the Housing Coalition members for coming. We will work with you and glad to know that you exist. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. ATTEST: THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS HAIRPERSON