------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Will You Find True Love? Will You Meet the One? Free Love Reading by phone! http://us.click.yahoo.com/Deo18C/zDLEAA/Ey.GAA/tOsolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: CPPH_Info-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There are 10 messages in this issue. Topics in this digest: 1. Supreme Court refuses preference for working families From: Grant 2. Housing for Blackfeet Indians moldy From: Grant 3. Miami will try to fill vacancies in public housing From: Grant 4. San Francisco housing bond moves forward From: Grant 5. New study of welfare in Iowa - by Mathematica From: Grant 6. Attitude of Government To Housing Crisis From: Grant 7. SRO's for homeless families in Chicago From: Grant 8. Chicago Firm Heads to Cleveland for HOPE VI Gold From: Grant 9. Rehabbing of senior public housing in Chicago From: Grant 10. Link to Article on "Moving To Opportunity" Program in Chicago From: Grant ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 1 Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 06:52:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Supreme Court refuses preference for working families (See second item in this "supreme court roundup") --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > AP Supreme Court News Stories > > Supreme Court | AP Supreme Court > > Court Rejects Consumer Privacy Case > Mon Jun 10,12:04 PM ET > By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer > > WASHINGTON (AP) - One of the nation's largest credit > reporting firms lost a > Supreme Court appeal Monday testing limits on how credit > agencies can use > information and the rights of consumers to keep some > details private. The > case was an appeal from Trans Union LLC, one of the > nation's three largest > credit reporting firms. The company claims its > free-speech rights are > violated by the Federal Trade Commission's interpretation > of a federal law > limiting some sale of consumer information. > > ***** > In other action Monday: > > The court refused to consider reviving New York City > public housing rules > that would give preferences to working families seeking a > place to live -- > rules opposed by some minorities. An appeals court > blocked them from being > used in some complexes because of a desegregation effort. > > New York City Housing Authority v. Davis, 01-1466. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 2 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 05:54:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Housing for Blackfeet Indians moldy --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > > For Blackfeet Indians, their homes turn out to be houses > of horrors Mold > grows as foundations deteriorate > In the Seattle Times , Monday June 3, 2002 > > Edition: Fourth , Section: ROP News , Page: A7 > > By Ron Selden; in Indian Country Today > > BROWNING, Mont. -- Jamie LaPier was already troubled by > the black mold > creeping up the walls of her home on the Blackfeet Indian > Reservation, but > the foot-high mushrooms growing out of the basement > carpet were the last > straw. > > "There was a bunch of them," says LaPier, who lives with > her husband and > three young children in a tribal housing project 30 miles > east of Browning. > "They were huge." > While the mushrooms pulled up easily, the mold, some of > which has proved to > be toxic, was harder to remove. LaPier says the growth > recently took over a > downstairs bedroom, where frost cakes the inside walls > much of the winter. > The mold, exacerbated by plumbing leaks, also engulfed an > adjacent > bathroom, which they've sealed off with duct tape and > blocked with a > bookcase to keep their children out. > > The LaPier family lives in one of 153 reservation homes > constructed with > wooden foundations in the late 1970s and early '80s. > Assembled with wood > pressure-treated with toxic chromated copper arsenate, > also known as CCA, > an undetermined number of the foundations leak, > contributing to mold and > mildew growth as well as structural problems. > > The homes were provided for the tribe by the U.S. > Department of Housing and > Urban Development (HUD), with funding distributed through > the Blackfeet > Housing Authority. Residents are purchasing most of the > houses through > HUD's "mutual self-help" program, which allows the homes > eventually to be > privately owned. > > Housing officials say that under the contracts, residents > are expected to > perform most of their own maintenance except for > repairing damage covered > by insurance. But those who live in many of the houses > contend that sloppy > oversight and planning when the structures were built are > at the root of > the issue, and that it's not their fault. > > HUD officials are now distancing themselves from the > problems, saying it's > up to the Blackfeet Tribe to come up with solutions. > > "These are tribal homes, not HUD homes," said an agency > spokeswoman in > Washington, D.C., who insisted that her name not be used > as a condition for > providing the comments. > > "These homes were essentially built by the tribe, and > maintenance was to be > handled by the tribe," she said. > > But tribal officials and resident activists think the > federal agency, which > holds the purse strings and provided oversight for the > two reservation > projects that included wooden foundations, should take > the lead. > > "HUD told them they were going to use wooden foundations, > and that was > that," says Great Falls attorney Steve Doherty, who > represents the housing > authority. "There's obviously a difference of opinion. > HUD has the money, > and we have to work with them. What the housing authority > is interested in > is fixing and addressing the problems, and that's going > to require people > to work together." > > Some of the wood foundations are rotting and pulling > apart, despite a > 50-year "guarantee" when the houses were built. Uneven > settling and > deterioration from the harsh northern Montana climate, as > well as repeated > water damage, have caused floors to buckle and sink, > walls to bow, windows > to pop out of their frames and doors to become > loose-fitting and drafty. > > Terry Gray, who lives in the same housing project as the > LaPier family, > says a housing-authority inspection last year turned up > numerous problems. > > "Our inspector said he didn't know what was holding our > house up," says > Gray, who has a litany of complaints about cracked walls, > frost-coated > bedrooms, rotting siding and sloping floors. > > Candace LaMott, who lives with several children and an > elderly uncle in one > of the worst homes, says she can't move the furniture in > her living room > because the floor is so unstable. The house, which > appears to be twisting > on its foundation, is barely insulated. A closet in one > icy bedroom has no > foundation under it at all. Electrical and plumbing > problems plague the > dwelling as well. > > "We've got to keep the heat up and going all the time," > she says. "As soon > as you put a light bulb in the living-room socket, it > blows out. When you > ask for help, they just give you the runaround." > > Leaders of the Glacier Homes Committee, organized last > year to address the > housing problems, are convinced the structures are making > some people sick, > even though tribal leaders and officials with the Indian > Health Service say > there's little evidence so far to back up their > contentions. > > Committee members point to the mold, the CCA > preservatives used on the > foundations and high radon readings in some of the > structures as the basis > for their concerns, as well as testimony from residents > who worry that > their homes are unhealthy. > > "There's a lot of sick people up here," says Gary Grant, > one of the > committee's leaders. "You get out of these houses for a > few hours and you > feel better. But we have to come back to our homes > because we have no other > place to go." > > > The Seattle Times > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 3 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:08:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Miami will try to fill vacancies in public housing --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > EXTRA WORKERS ARE HIRED TO HELP FILL VACANT PUBLIC > HOUSING IN DADE, > OFFICIAL SAYS > Miami Herald , Thursday, June 6, 2002 > by ANDREA ROBINSON, arobinson@herald.com > > Miami-Dade officials say they are hiring dozens of > workers to help fill > vacant public housing apartments - a process that would > put a small dent in > the numbers of people in need of subsidized housing. > > In a report to county commissioners, Miami-Dade Housing > Director Rene > Rodriguez said Tuesday night that his department would > spend $1.5 million > to hire 75 additional employees this year. He also said > the agency would > repair about 700 units that currently are uninhabitable. > MDHA also has another 600 units that are vacant and ready > for occupancy. > > To fill available units as quickly as possible, housing > officials said they > would use this process: Offer a unit to 10 nonblack > applicants on the > agency's waiting list and give them 48 hours to respond. > > If more than one wants the unit, it would be awarded on a > first-come, > first-served basis. If no one wants the unit, the agency > would offer it to > the next applicant on the list, regardless of race. > > Rodriguez estimated that with the increased staffing - > mostly clerical and > maintenance workers - MDHA would reduce the number of > vacancies to 480 by > year's end. > > To pay for the new plan, Rodriguez said, about $700,000 > would come from the > recent sale of a county-owned housing facility, Town > House Villas, in Carol > City. The remainder of funding would come from the sale > of mortgages that > the county owns, he said. > > Rodriguez's appearance before the commission came after > protests by > low-income housing advocates about some 1,350 vacancies - > about 13 percent > of MDHA's public housing stock. > > Advocates said those numbers were unacceptable for a > county that has almost > 64,000 persons waiting for subsidized housing. They > sought assistance from > Miami-Dade Commissioner Jimmy Morales, who demanded that > MDHA provide an > accounting of how those units would be filled. > > On Wednesday, Morales said the report was ``positive > news. At least what > we've got will be used. We obviously need more of it.'' > > There has been little public discussion over the state of > the county's > subsidized housing. Activists from two organizations, the > Miami Worker's > Center and Low-Income Families Fighting Together, or > LIFFT, complained > their concerns had been overlooked. > > ``Frankly, it's an issue that was under the radar > screen,'' Morales said. > ``It [became an issue] when LIFFT came forward.'' > > Housing officials blame the backlog on a 1998 federal > court settlement that > was intended to desegregate the county's public housing. > They say the > consent decree agreement, among other things, lengthened > the time it took > to process applications and to sign new tenants. > > The settlement, which is in place through 2008, stemmed > from a class-action > lawsuit by Overtown activist Ann Marie Adker and four > other women. They > charged that the county tended to put blacks in public > housing projects, > but gave preference to Hispanics and others for the more > coveted Section 8 > rental vouchers for privately owned homes. > > Under the consent decree, the county would give black > tenants preference > for the vouchers, while nonblacks would get first chance > at public housing > units. > > The Washington, D.C., attorneys who represent the tenants > in the suit said > the county was using the settlement as a scapegoat for > its own > inefficiencies. They said this week's report was more > housekeeping than > anything. > > Liberty City activists, meanwhile, cheered the changes. > > ``It's the first time in years they're actively filling > vacancies,'' said > Tony Romano, a leader with the Miami Worker's Center. > ``It goes a > significant way toward having zero vacancies.'' > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:10:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: San Francisco housing bond moves forward NOTE: For those interested in Chicago Public Housing there might be some value in comparing the bond issue in San Francisco and the proposed bond issue to fund Chicago's "Public Housing Transformation Plan" --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > HOUSING BOND MOVES FORWARD > San Francisco Chronicle , Friday, June 7, 2002 > Rachel Gordon > > > E-mail Rachel Gordon at rgordon@sfchronicle.com.< > > San Francisco - With the lack of affordable housing for > the city's poor and > middle-class residents remaining one of the biggest > problems in San > Francisco, Mayor Willie Brown and the Board of > Supervisors are moving > forward with plans for a $250 million bond to pay for > affordable-housing > projects and programs. The proposal is headed for the > November ballot and > will need at least a two-thirds majority to win. > > Nearly three-quarters of the bond money would go toward > the development of > rental housing for low-income residents. The remaining > money would be used > to fund construction of home-ownership housing and to > fund loans to help > low- income and moderate-income people with the down > payment on their first > homes. > > Voters approved a $100 million affordable-housing bond in > 1996. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:21:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: New study of welfare in Iowa - by Mathematica --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > Iowa welfare study finds job success, family life > failures > Cheryl Wetzstein > THE WASHINGTON TIMES > > Published 6/12/2002 > > A six-year study of 17,000 Iowa welfare families > shows work-based > welfare reform helped more people get jobs and make more > money. > However, it also appeared to lead to more domestic > chaos, with higher > rates of domestic violence, more breakups and fewer > marriages. > "This study has shown that policies aimed at moving > families from > welfare to work have succeeded and are helping them to > achieve a modest > level of economic improvement," said Thomas Fraker, lead > author of the > report, which was released yesterday by Mathematica > Policy Research Inc. > The unfavorable findings about family life, though, > should encourage > policy-makers "to focus on initiatives related to > improving family > stability," he said. > Deb Bingaman, welfare administrator at the Iowa > Department of Human > Services, said yesterday that the study showed that > Iowa's welfare reform > "accomplished its main goal — to make work pay, to nudge > able-bodied people > into the work force and help people experience the > benefits of > self-sufficiency." > The negative social consequences, she said, may be > due to family > turmoil caused by making the transition from welfare to > work. > "Parents must work diligently toward > self-sufficiency," said Miss > Bingaman. "For some families, this has caused increased > stress on household > dynamics." > Work and marriage are the hottest topics in the > ongoing welfare debate > in Congress, which must reauthorize the landmark 1996 law > before it expires > in September. > The House welfare bill, passed in May, sets higher > work standards and > requires 40 hours a week of work and other activities > from welfare > recipients. The House bill also provides up to $300 > million a year to > promote healthy marriages and $20 million a year for > responsible fatherhood > programs. > All these measures are expected to be debated in the > Senate, where the > Senate Finance Committee is still working on a bill. > The Iowa welfare study is one of the most ambitious > to date. > Beginning in 1993, Mathematica researchers compared > 7,418 families in > an old welfare program with 9,927 families in Iowa's > welfare-reform program > for five or six years. > They also analyzed background and lifestyle data > from 1,413 > control-group families and 813 of their children, and > 1,538 reform-group > families and 662 of their children. > The researchers found that welfare-reform families > were more likely to > go into job training, get jobs and earn higher incomes: > Monthly earnings > rose by 10 percent. > But family outcomes were largely negative, with > welfare reform linked > to higher incidents of domestic violence, more "doubling > up" of welfare > families in households, more breakups of couples, more > school tardiness > among children and more children entering foster care. > One important finding was that mothers in the reform > group were more > likely to stay single compared with control-group > mothers, leading > researchers to conclude that "some provisions of the > reforms discouraged > marriage." > "It's quite likely," said Miss Bingaman, "that some > women, newly > exposed to the work force and society, discovered that > they didn't have to > settle for an unhealthy relationship." This may explain > some of the > breakups, she said. > However, in a separate report also issued yesterday, > the Center on Law > and Social Policy said many of the family formation > measures in the House > bill were misguided and should be rejected by the Senate. > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 6 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:12:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Attitude of Government To Housing Crisis --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > > Washington DC Ignores The Housing Crisis > > BY DAVID BRODER > THE WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP > > June 9, 2002 > > WASHINGTON -- You could call it the forgotten issue, > except for the > fact that in almost every city I've visited this year, > from Sacramento to > Tallahassee to Boston, the shortage of affordable housing > is close to the > top of people's concerns. > > It's mainly in Washington, D.C. -- the federal > government, not the > local community -- that housing is a chronically > neglected subject. It has > been a dozen years since Congress passed a comprehensive > housing bill. > > When the congressionally mandated Millennial Housing > Commission > delivered its report on May 30, after 17 months of work, > "it landed in > Washington with a thud," as one commission staffer put > it. Not even the > secretary of housing and urban development issued a > reaction statement, and > news coverage was cursory. > > A week earlier, when the U.S. Conference of Mayors > held a housing > summit and produced its own action blueprint, the ripple > of interest was > even smaller. Conceding the obvious, Boston Mayor Thomas > Menino, the new > president of the conference, said, "The nation's > affordable housing crisis > should be on everyone's radar screen right now, but it is > not." > > One reason, clearly, is that housing has been, in > many respects, a > great American success story. Said Richard Ravitch, the > veteran New York > housing expert who was co-chairman of the commission: "We > have probably > accomplished more to provide housing . . . than any other > place in the > world. We have the greatest percentage of home ownership > . . . the greatest > housing finance system . . . [and] a series of government > programs aimed at > providing housing for the very poor and at making > mortgage credit available > to anyone." > > So what's to worry? Simply this: Not only are > millions of very poor > families still living in crowded, substandard conditions, > but more and more > working families are finding rents consuming most of > their income -- and > home ownership beyond their reach. > > "There is a pending crisis, that there is not enough > affordable housing > . . . for Americans everywhere," said former Rep. Susan > Molinari, the > commission's Republican co-chairman. The commission says > that more than 28 > million families -- one in four -- spend more on housing > than the 30 > percent of income the federal government considers > affordable. One in eight > low-income families, those working for the minimum wage, > spend more than > half their income on housing. > > That this is the case following a decade of > prosperity is explainable > by the old law of supply and demand. In the 1990s, fewer > than half as many > multifamily housing units were produced as in each of the > two previous > decades. With prosperity, builders moved to the upscale > market, prodded not > just by the pursuit of profits but by the NIMBY factor -- > not in my back > yard -- that made locating moderate-priced units > increasingly difficult. > Meantime, federal appropriations were insufficient for > proper maintenance > of subsidized units, so the supply of public housing > shrank. > > Both the mayors and the commission said that a > comprehensive approach > -- embracing home ownership incentives, subsidies for > rental units and more > public housing -- is needed. Otherwise, warns the > National Housing > Conference, a private, nonprofit group, more police, > firefighters, nurses, > janitors, sales clerks and their families will join the > millions of others > like them who cannot afford to live in the communities > where they work. > > At the mayors' meeting, leaders of public health, > education and senior > citizens' groups all commented on the central role that > adequate housing > plays in maintaining the social structure of a community. > Their support > could make housing more than a "poor people's issue." > > But Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a housing advocate, told > me, "The real need > is more production, and that is not getting the > attention" -- either from > most of his colleagues or from the Bush administration. > HUD Secretary Mel > Martinez, after bragging to the mayors that his > department got a 7 percent > increase in its budget this year, told them, "Housing > issues are > predominantly local issues. . . . The solution to meeting > the nation's > affordable housing needs will not come out of > Washington." > > When I asked Martinez last week for comment on the > commission report, > he recalled those words, and said he was pleased the > commission had not > endorsed a proposal, opposed by the Bush administration, > to create a > national housing trust fund, which would recycle receipts > from current > federal housing programs into subsidies for preserving, > rehabilitating and > building more units, rather than turning the money into > the Treasury. > > Taxes on gasoline and airline tickets are recycled > into transportation, > but this country has never given the same priority to > adequate housing for > all its people as it does to speeding travelers on their > way. > > Some day that may change, but not now. > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 7 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:29:11 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: SRO's for homeless families in Chicago Electronic Version of article on Chicago's Plan to build homless shelters instead of the needed housing. --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > Family-oriented SROs part of city housing push > By Jeanette Almada > Special to the Chicago Tribune > > June 9, 2002 > > City officials will spend $100 million over the next five > years building > housing for the homeless and near homeless. > > The city will use $18 million of that for development of > 90 family-oriented > affordable apartments. And, $2 million is earmarked for > two transition > centers for squatters who currently live in otherwise > vacated public > housing buildings. > > Mayor Richard Daley and Housing Commissioner John > Markowski announced the > housing initiative at the opening of the 81-unit Holland > Apartments in > Roseland late last month. The building, at 216-48 W. > 107th Pl., is a single > room occupancy (SRO) hotel, the type traditionally > regarded as a last > housing stop before homelessness. But eight of the > Holland's units are > family-sized -- four of them 800-square-foot two-bedrooms > and four > 900-square-foot three bedrooms. "Our focus in coming > years will be to find > an adaptive model of the single room occupancy hotel > (that is) suited to > families," said Jean Butzen, president of Lakefront SRO, > which rehabbed the > Roseland building. Markowski said the 90 affordable > family apartments "will > be built in three to six buildings with up to 30 units." > The locations > haven't been determined, he said in an interview last > week. > > The transition centers for squatters "will be developed > in a partnership > between the Housing Department and the Chicago Housing > Authority," > Markowski said. "One hundred and fifty families a year > are expected to stay > in the transitional housing provided in those centers, > each with 50 units." > He added that each family would stay at the center > between three and six > months, getting social services to help them stabilize > enough for > traditional housing. > > The largest portion of the budget, $60 million, will go > to construction of > new single room occupancy hotels. Markowski said five SRO > buildings will be > built. "We are looking at communities that are > underserved, where we have > never built these types of buildings before, like > Englewood, for example, > and in locations that compliment CHA redevelopment," he > said. > > SROs are often resented by surrounding residents for > their transient > tenants, who might suffer from any array of mental and > physical illnesses, > addictions and joblessness. However, Markowski says that > the SROs supported > by the city in this initiative will generally be > "service-enhanced" > buildings that link tenants to a menu of free > consultations and assistance. > > Lakefront SRO, which was founded in 1986 to stem the loss > of SRO housing in > the city, has built nine SROs in Chicago and Butzen said > in a recent > interview that it is building a 10th at 111th Street and > Wentworth Avenue. > Lakefront SRO links tenants with specific kinds of social > services, Butzen > said. "People use these services to get connected and to > deal with issues > that contributed to them becoming homeless," she said. > "We link tenants to > food pantries, health care, mental health care. If they > are seeking help > with their civic life, we might help them to get involved > in a local CAPS > program [Community Action Policing Program] or with a > local church or block > club." > > She says the vast majority of tenants who leave Lakefront > SRO buildings go > on to better housing situations. "Sixty-five percent of > the people who > leave our SROs . . . leave because they got married, went > to a CHA seniors > building, reunited with family or got a bigger > apartment." > > Such on-site tenant support is a model for SROs, > Markowski said, but the > city will also work with privately owned SROs that tend > not to have such > services. "They provide valuable housing and we respect > that. In those > cases we can link those owners to existing social service > providers. If > someone in their building has a substance abuse problem, > the owner knows > where to go for substance abuse counseling, or where to > go to get help with > job training or to link tenants to some benefits they may > be entitled to," > she said. > > Another $20 million of the $100 million will be spent > rehabbing units in > existing SROs such as the Holland in Roseland, according > to Markowski, who > said $18 million of that money will come from the > Community Investment > Corp. "They will provide refinancing loans that are hard > to find for owners > of [SROs]," Markowski said. The Housing Department had > budgeted $2 million > for rehab and will offer that money as matching grants up > to $100,000 for > SRO owners who rehab their properties. About two-thirds > of $10 million used > to rehab the Holland, previously a 110-unit retirement > home, came from the > city Housing Department, Butzen estimated. That money > came from an earlier > city housing initiative, launched in 1999, that brought > $53 million to > build 382 new SRO units and rehab 3,000 units in existing > buildings. > > Markowski said that about $50 million of the supportive > housing initiative > funds would come from the city and that the remainder > would come from > partners that include the Community Investment Corp., the > Illinois Housing > Development Authority, Federal Home Loan Bank and the > CHA. > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 8 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:25:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Chicago Firm Heads to Cleveland for HOPE VI Gold Note the loss of units of public housing in the plan for cleaveland public housing. --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > > CMHA picks Ohio City developers > > 06/07/02 > > Angela D. Chatman > Cleveland Plain Dealer Reporter > > The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority has selected > two developers for > $84 million in mixed-income housing for the Ohio City > neighborhood. > > LR Development of Chicago and Telesis Corp. of > Washington, D.C., will lead > the team that will finalize plans for the Riverview > project and raise money > for 440 housing units. > > LR Development is co-owner of the Arcade and the Hyatt > Regency Cleveland. > The firm is known for its residential renovation > projects. Telesis is known > for converting public-housing complexes into mixed-income > developments > under the federal HOPE VI program. > > In 1996, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban > Development awarded CMHA > $12.7 million in HOPE VI money for Riverview. The > authority spent $940,202 > to demolish the buildings in May 2000. > > The project focuses on the now vacant, 20-acre site off > West 25th Street > south of Detroit Avenue. > > Plans call for replacing the 135 low-rise units once > located there with 340 > units, including 45 public-housing, 67 affordable > for-sale housing, and 228 > market-rate units. > > > Contact Angela Chatman at: > > achatman@plaind.com, 216-999-4115 > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 9 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:31:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Rehabbing of senior public housing in Chicago --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > > Residents begin to see benefits of CHA rehab > By Jane Adler > Special to the Chicago Tribune > > June 9, 2002 > > Imagine relocating the residents of a town the size of > west suburban > Riverside and you get an idea of the scope of the job > being undertaken by > the Chicago Housing Authority at its 58 buildings for > seniors. > > The CHA is in the process of rehabbing all of its > seniors-only buildings, a > total of 9,480 units. The $350 million project, being > completed in phases, > involves moving thousands of residents floor-by-floor > into refinished > units. Along with the physical changes, new policies are > being put in place > with the hope that better management will keep the > buildings safe and nice > for seniors. > > "We wanted seniors to have a place to live that they > could be proud of," > said Donna Dixon, director of senior programs at the CHA. > "The apartments > had been neglected." > > The CHA is the city's biggest landlord of seniors > buildings. The buildings > have studio and one-bedroom apartments for those with low > or moderate > incomes. > > A great need exists for good affordable housing for > seniors, but the CHA > buildings have had their share of problems. Subsidized by > the federal > government, which makes the rules, buildings had allowed > young, disabled > people -- including alcoholics and drug addicts -- to > move in. The clash > between seniors and young people, some with big social > problems, could have > almost been predicted. "It was a major mistake," Dixon > said. In some cases, > she added, "seniors became prisoners in their own homes." > > To remedy the situation, the federal government granted a > waiver to the CHA > so its seniors apartments could be reserved only for > older people. Dixon > said young residents were given an incentive to move out. > Many took that > option. But, she added, young residents who are "lease > compliant" -- > meaning they follow the rules and pay their rent -- have > been allowed to > stay. Those who don't follow the rules are being evicted, > Dixon said. > > Also, age guidelines for new residents have been > modified. In the past, if > an apartment became available and no seniors were on the > waiting list, the > building would take someone as young as 18. Now the > cutoff age has been > raised to 50. The CHA will lease only to these "near" > seniors and seniors, > age 62 or over, Dixon said. > > So far, four CHA buildings are finished. The units in all > the buildings > will have new floors and kitchens. New bathroom fixtures > and cabinets are > being installed, along with new doors, windows and > lighting. Common areas > in the buildings are being improved, too. The buildings > have security > guards and more safety measures, such as cameras. > > So far, so good. "The building is beautiful now," said > Epitasia Sitinos, > 63, who lives in a finished building on Chicago's North > Side. Sitinos felt > so happy about her newly redone apartment that she > proudly explains she > took the time to redecorate her bedroom. > > Sitinos likes the fact the building is age-restricted. > "We sometimes had a > problem with the young people," she said. She hopes > residents will take > care of the building. > > The CHA's Dixon says she has already noticed a change > among residents in > the newly redone buildings. "We don't see anti-social > behavior," Dixon > said. "I think people are taking pride in the buildings." > > Work is under way on 37 buildings. By the end of 2003, > all 58 seniors > buildings should be finished. > > Along with a new apartment, seniors receive some social > support, too. > Assessments of seniors are done to see what they need -- > anything from > delivered meals to new bed linens. > > Furniture for residents is being provided by the > non-profit group HOME > (Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly). > The Chicago-based > non-profit group collects used furniture in good > condition and donates it > to seniors in CHA apartments. The greatest need is for > beds and sofas, > according to HOME Executive Director Bobbi Steiner. But > the group is also > looking for kitchen tables, chairs, pictures, linens and > housewares. Three > trucks pick up items in the city and suburbs. (To donate, > call > 773-921-3200.) > > HOME also assists the most frail seniors on moving day. > Someone stays with > the elderly person on the day of the move. "We make sure > they take their > medicine or get a meal," said Steiner, who explained it's > upsetting for a > senior to have six movers in the apartment. "We also make > sure the senior's > things are sorted out and put in the proper place." > > The CHA has just started to take applications for new > residents. First > priority will go to seniors in the CHA family buildings > scheduled to be > demolished, Dixon said. "People need to get on the > waiting list now," she > emphasized. > > In order to qualify for a CHA apartment, single seniors > cannot have an > annual income of more than $31,700. A two-person > household can earn no more > than $36,250 a year. Rent is about one-third of a > senior's income. Seniors > can get an application for an apartment at the management > office at a CHA > seniors building. Or they can apply for an apartment at > the CHA Occupancy > Department, 4700 S. State St., or call 312-791-8528. > > ---------- > > Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you > have questions or > information to share regarding housing for senior > citizens, write to Senior > Housing, c/o Chicago Tribune Real Estate Section, 435 N. > Michigan Ave., > Chicago, IL 60611. Or, e-mail realestate@tribune.com > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Message: 10 Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 06:40:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Grant Subject: Link to Article on "Moving To Opportunity" Program in Chicago --- Wayne Sherwood wrote: > > To housing folks. The following is a notice about > something I missed > previously: > > An excellent article on the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) > demonstration in > Chicago. > > In the regional review of the Federal Reserve Bank of > Boston, Q4 2001. > "The Geography of Life's Chances," by Miriam Wasserman. > > Available on line at: > http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/nerr/rr2001/q4/chances.htm > > > > Wayne __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/