Webinar on HUD's Proposal to Raise Rents, February 28

http://nlihc.org/article/webinar-huds-proposal-raise-rents-february-28-0

AND NOW A WORD FROM THOSE MOST AFFECTED

If you would like to read an interesting little magazine put out by the National Low Income Housing Coalition called TENANT TALK.

REGISTER TO LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING ACT

March 14, 2018

BASICS OF FAIR HOUSING - WEBNAR PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A WEBINAR PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A WEBINAR Seattle, WA 98104 PLEASE NOTE - This is a Webinar & All Times are Pacific Time. Housing owners, property managers, renters, housing advocates - learn the basics of the Federal Fair Housing Act, with more in depth discussion on issues such as disability, family status, sexual orientation and domestic violence. This knowledge is not only critical to prevent costly violations, it's also good business! This training will be held as a Live Webinar, with the video presentation conducted online and audio conducted using a telephone conference line. Log-in and call-in information will be emailed to registrants the day prior to the training date. The times listed are PACIFIC time. Training is Free. Questions? Contact Kristina Miller at 206-220-5328 or Kristina.Miller@hud.gov For more information visit  Contact Info:  Kristina Miller (206) 220-5328 Kristina.Miller@hud.gov Registration closes on : March 12, 2018

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HUD IS INVESTING $35 MILLION FOR SERVICE COORDINATORS IN PUBLIC HOUSING

HUD No. 18-015 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685

FOR RELEASE Tuesday February 20, 2018

HUD AWARDS $35 MILLION TO PROMOTE JOBS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS

WASHINGTON - In an effort to help low-income residents become self-sufficient, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $34.9 million to public housing authorities, public housing resident associations, Native American tribes, and non-profit organizations across the nation to hire or retain service coordinators to help them find jobs, educational opportunities, and achieve economic and housing independence (see list below).

The funding, provided through HUD’s Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency – Service Coordinators Program (ROSS-SC) helps grantees hire or retain "service coordinators" who work directly with residents to assess their needs and connect them with education, job training and placement programs, and/or computer and financial literacy services available in their community to promote self-sufficiency.

“It’s part of our mission to help connect public housing residents to better, higher paying jobs and critical services as a means of helping them move beyond public assistance and toward self-sufficiency,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “This funding gives our local partners resources they can use to help residents become economically independent and achieve the dreams they have for themselves and their children.”

The purpose of HUD’s ROSS-SC program is to encourage innovative and locally driven strategies that link public housing assistance with public and private resources to enable HUD-assisted families to increase earned income; reduce or eliminate their need for welfare assistance; and promote economic independence and housing self-sufficiency. These grants provide funding to hire and retain Service Coordinators who will assess the needs of residents of conventional Public Housing or Indian housing and coordinate available resources in the community to meet those needs. In addition, ROSS-SC grants help improve living conditions for seniors, enabling them to age-in-place.

Fiscal Year 2017 ROSS-Service Coordinator Grants

STATE	GRANTEE NAME	AWARD AMOUNT	STATE TOTAL
Arizona	Pinal County Housing Department	$204,000
		Arizona Total:	$204,000
California	The Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles	$738,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Sacramento	$436,230
	Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the County of Fresno	$230,660
	Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura	$246,000
	Chico Rancheria Housing Corporation & HA County of Butte	$245,000
	Madera, City of	$233,382
	Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura (AHA)	$228,500
		California Total:	$2,603,772
Colorado	Walsh Manor Local Resident Council	$215,918
	Westridge Local Resident Council	$240,556
	Westwood Local Resident Council	$215,918
	City of Englewood Housing Authority	$207,429
		Colorado Total:	$879,821
Connecticut	Ansonia Housing Authority	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the Town of Greenwich	$246,000
	Bristol Housing Authority	$246,000
		Connecticut Total:	$738,000
Florida	Sarasota Housing Authority	$233,460
	Housing Authority of the City of Titusville	$208,832
	The Housing Authority of the County of Flagler	$246,000
	The Lee County Housing Authority	$246,000
	Palatka Housing Authority	$246,000
	Punta Gorda Housing Authority	$240,000
		Florida Total:	$1,420,292
Georgia	Thomaston Housing Authority Resident Council Inc.	$246,000
	Northwest Georgia Housing Authority	$230,000
	Housing Authority of Newnan	$246,000
		Georgia Total:	$722,000
Iowa	City of Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency	$246,000
	Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority	$246,000
		Iowa Total	$492,000
Idaho	Nampa Housing Authority	$241,219
	Nez Perce Tribal Housing Authority	$246,000
		Idaho Total:	$487,219
Illinois	Decatur Housing Authority	$240,725
	Rock Island Housing Authority	$216,000
	Macoupin County Housing Authority	$151,772
	The Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington	$244,500
	Rockford Housing Authority	$492,000
	Oak Park Housing Authority	$246,000
		Illinois Total	$1,590,997
Indiana	Housing Authority of the City of Kokomo	$190,395
	New Albany Housing Authority	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington	$184,391
		Indiana Total:	$620,786
Kansas	Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas Housing Authority	$142,190
		Kansas Total:	$142,190
Kentucky	Bryant Way Resident Council	$178,827
	Gordon Avenue/Summit View Resident Council	$173,021
	Louisville Metro Housing Authority	$721,800
	Housing Authority of Covington	$231,000
	Housing Authority of Floyd County	$179,109
		Kentucky Total:	$1,483,757
Massachusetts	Fall River Housing Joint Tenant Council	$186,000
	New Bedford Housing Authority	$423,762
	Norwood Housing Authority	$246,000
	Quincy Housing Authority	$246,000
	Falmouth Housing Authority	$246,000
		Massachusetts Total:	$1,347,762
Maryland	Resident Services, Incorporated	$738,000
		Maryland Total:	$738,000
Maine	Portland Housing Authority	$240,756
	Lewiston Housing Authority	$213,539
		Maine Total:	$454,295
Minnesota	Northwest Minnesota Multi-County HRA	$246,000
	Moorhead Public Housing Agency	$246,000
		Minnesota Total:	$492,000
Missouri	Independence Housing Authority	$246,000
		Missouri Total:	$246,000
Mississippi	Laurel Housing Authority Beacon Homes Resident Council LLC	$246,000
	Arco Lane Site Based Resident Council, LLC	$246,000
		Mississippi Total:	$492,000
Montana	Public Housing Authority of Butte's Resident Council	$129,652
	Missoula Housing Authority	$246,000
		Montana Total:	$375,652
North Carolina	Greensboro Housing Authority	$230,415
	Housing Authority of the City of High Point	$492,000
	Lenoir Housing Authority	$246,000
		North Carolina Total:	$968,415
North Dakota	Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority	$246,000
		North Dakota Total:	$246,000
New Jersey	Housing Authority of the City of Jersey City	$492,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Paterson	$442,349
	Phillipsburg Housing Authority	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Rahway	$246,000
	New Jersey Institute for Disabilities	$246,000
		New Jersey Total:	$1,672,349
New Mexico	Housing Authority of the City of Truth or Consequences	$246,000
	Santa Fe County Housing Authority	$246,000
	Albuquerque Housing Authority	$220,598
		New Mexico Total:	$712,598
New York	Citywide Council of Syracuse Low Income Housing Residents	$492,000
	Ocean Bay Community Development Corporation, Inc.	$738,000
	Albany Housing Authority	$492,000
	Rochester Housing Authority	$492,000
	Niagara Falls Housing Authority	$243,350
	Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc.	$246,000
		New York Total:	$2,703,350
Ohio	Jurisdiction-Wide Resident Advisory Board	$738,000
	Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority	$679,331
	Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority	$702,816
	Zanesville Metropolitan Housing Authority	$246,000
		Ohio Total:	$2,366,147
Oregon	Housing Authority of Clackamas County	$246,000
	Home Forward	$492,000
	Housing Authority of Lincoln County	$246,000
		Oregon Total:	$984,000
Pennsylvania	Allegheny County Housing Authority	$682,732
	Harrisburg Housing Authority	$384,000
	Westmoreland County Housing Authority	$336,997
	Family Service Association of Bucks County	$245,449
		Pennsylvania Total	$1,649,178
Rhode Island	Chestnut Court Tenants Association	$246,000
	The Housing Authority of the City of Providence	$738,000
	Johnston Housing Authority	$220,500
	Housing Authority of the City of Pawtucket	$82,000
		Rhode Island Total:	$1,286,500
South Carolina	Housing Authority of the City of Columbia, SC	$384,255
	Housing Authority of Greenville	$246,000
		South Carolina Total:	$630,255
South Dakota	Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority	$177,000
		South Dakota Total:	$177,000
Tennessee	Johnson City Public Housing Authority	$246,000
	Morristown Housing Authority	$180,300
	Columbia Housing & Redevelopment Authority	$246,000
	The Crossville Housing Development Corporation	$160,722
		Tennessee Total:	$833,022
Texas	Housing Authority of the City of Fort Worth	$242,000
	San Marcos Housing Authority	$225,405
	Houston Housing Authority	$628,605
		Texas Total:	$1,096,010
Virginia	Can I Live, Inc	$738,000
	Can I Live, Incorporated	$202,033
	Cardinal Village Tenant Association, Inc.	$231,000
	Pleasant View Tenant Association, Inc.	$231,000
	Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority	$231,000
	Chesapeake Redevelopment & Housing Authority	$246,000
	Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority	$176,400
	Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority	$246,000
		Virginia Total:	$2,301,433
Washington	The Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Tacoma	$246,000
	Nisqually Indian Tribe	$228,600
	Housing Authority of Kittitas County	$208,286
		Washington Total:	$928,886
Wisconsin	S.E.T. Ministry Inc	$239,733
		Wisconsin Total:	$239,733
West Virginia	Charleston-Kanawha	$457,209
	The Huntington Housing Authority	$190,404
		West Virginia Total:	$647,613
		TOTAL	$34,973,032

Nothing More To Lose

There comes a time in some people's lives, when fear paralyzes their every move, dominates their every thought and leads them into a place of complacency and conformity and that is ok. When fear around my housing situation first gripped me back when I was a young divorced, mother of two I just put my head down worked hard, followed all the rules and was very great full my two kids had a roof over their heads.

Until recently, if your income increased anywhere from $20 to $200 dollars you had to tell them and your rent went up accordingly. Now, I hear rumors of those who utilize Federal Housing Programs may find that some of them will be paying 35% of their income or perhaps their Home Choice Voucher like mine, is on the chopping block (click here to learn more). My rent has already gone up allegedly because of a mistake that was made, but it is funny the correction took me to 35% of my income for rent.

Affordablehousingonline.com has a very interesting take on what could become a reality in the world of government housing waiting lists. " However, it is impossible to know exactly what Trump plans to do as he has not mentioned Section 8 or other housing programs specifically. We hold out hope that he realizes that these programs are not being abused and help keep millions of hard working American families out of homelessness." The article goes on to say.

Hope, what is that? Anymore in my mind hope is just another fantasy just like waiting for my knight in shining armor to come and save me; at least where being a recipient of government housing is concerned.

"Families in every state could face rent increases that could total $300 a year or more (see Appendix 1)." The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities article brings a suspicion of truth to some of the rumors I have been hearing about people's rent are possibly going up to 50% of their income. The thought of this not only squashes any hope I might have coned myself into holding on to; confirming it would be cheaper and more reliable if I bought a

camper to live in. The loan payments would then be 25% of my income.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition reminds us, "Research shows that when people have a stable home that they can afford, they are better able to find employment, achieve economic mobility, age in place, perform better in school, and maintain improved health." 

The tenants in the United States are not the only ones facing the surge in rents; the BBC reports "While containing the cost to taxpayers, it leaves housing benefit vulnerable to becoming increasingly irrelevant with respect to its purpose - maintaining the affordability of adequate housing for those on low incomes."

When you have nothing to lose, fear is no longer a problem. Fear has become a motivator. I was afraid to speak up because I live on the crack of the floorboards that President Trump is prying up because he can just feel there is a quarter under there. The more he pries pulls and tugs the wider that crack gets and more people will find themselves falling through the cracks regardless of whether they speak up or not.

So before we all go free-falling here, Call your members of Congress and urge them to SUPPORT full funding for affordable housing programs and OPPOSE any proposals that increase rents and impose arbitrary, administratively burdensome and wasteful work requirements on federal housing assistance programs.

TO AFRAID TO PARTICIPATE

There are a few reasons why I have not been working on this blog or participating in low-income housing activities for over a year now. Mostly because I am afraid. No seriously, I am afraid that I am going to lose my housing and without a way to make money, well you know the saying.

In the last three years, I have also been dealing with family issues that have taken a considerable amount of time and finances, which leaves me looking desperately for a job any job. Who will hire a disabled, over 50-year-old person without a college degree?

When I read all the negative things in low-income housing, I start to have panic attacks and look for used campers for sale because I am positive that is what I will end up living in. With talk of low-income rents going up maybe 50% of our incomes, I am just beside myself.

Here I play by your rules for years. Thinking that I would at least have a roof over my head and some food to put in my belly after some jerk shook me out like a rag doll and put me on the disabled roaster. How disappointing it has been. I have spent 16 years on disability doing everything that those in power, to help people like me, tell me to do only to find myself further in debt and it has been a hell of a crawl out.

If I am to pay more for my rent, 50% of my income, I have no problem with that what so ever. How are you going to convince the Landlords that this is acceptable when they want you to have three times the income of the rent of the unit? If I can pay 50% of my income for a rental unit, will it include a garden space so that I can grow some of my own food? Will it include all utilities as the electric heat here in Montana runs around $269 a month for about 400 sq feet maybe less footage but the price is high?

How am I to pay for electricity? How am I to pay for shampoo, toilet paper? Gas to get to whatever type of job I can scrounge up? By the way, for the last 16 years, I have walked up and down the highways of Montana collecting all the cans everyone is throwing out their car windows to supplement my income. I was not able to find a job that was compatible with my disability for 15 years so I had to do something to make sure I could still participate in family functions like the births of my grandchildren.

Here is another thing that keeps me up at night, if I were to buy life insurance at some point that will count as income and I will have to choose between housing or making sure my kids have the money to dispose of my body other than taking me to the mountains for the bears to have.

Society and the government would not let me live in a camper as that would be cheaper than paying rent.  I can buy a camper, self-contained for under 20 grand to live in, but that would trigger welfare checks, police visits; because it is not normal to live in a camper in the winter in Montana, stretching those resources even further than they are now. Most those folks drive over to Arizona where it warm, not below zero.

I don't understand it.  I worked hard all my life, spent my money raising two kids, paid into the social security system under the belief that everything would be ok if the sky fell. What a lie, our system is broken.

Don't get me wrong, I have empathy for those on DACA, I understand the need for helping others, but I don't understand how a person can slip through the cracks because they are $1.75 away from being considered self-sustaining even though not all factors and expenses of life are considered at today's rate, but rather two years prior.

How can you be considered self-sustaining when you can not pay the Real Market Rents of today's rental units?  When presenting the Government's Fair Market Rents, most landlords laugh and say, " Are you kidding?  I can get three times that much from someone else."

I am afraid to participate in the conversation around housing as I see that this issue is going to go nowhere. To live in these buildings under the draconian treatment from some of the property managers and the government's ignorance of what it actually takes to sustain life on the inappropriate wages, unfair return on money's paid into the system like social security; take control over what we can and can not afford to pay and what we can and can not do to help ourselves financially.

You put us here! Yes you, you business owner paying women 20 cents on the dollar! Yes you Big Brother, taking money out of our paychecks every week and telling us it will be there when we are old or disabled, but giving back exactly what you took and never paying us for the privilege of using our money to fund your drunken trips to Cavo.

Take a cut out of your pay Big Brother, one day of your pay would probably pay my rent for a couple of months I am sure.  Cut your pay Government Employes who make over $15 an hour and I bet you could find the money to save our housing, fund medical help, fund infrastructure that is beyond condemned and improve all our lives. But no Big Brother needs his mattress stuffed with brand new thousand dollar bills every two to three weeks so just keep slaving away little sister and I will let you know when you deserve to not sleep in the dumpster and fight the farel cats and dogs for the scraps.

There are more people in poverty than there are controlling this country. When will the majority be heard on this issue? Are we going to continue to allow those in control pay us far less than our sweat, sacrifices - missed first steps, family funerals, and time are worth? When will the government pay the interest that accumulated on the funds taken from our paychecks for when we grew old and disabled so we can live in today's world?

I say go ahead and bite the proverbial hand that feeds us. The hand is feeding us S***, and I for one am not going to buy it anymore. It is time, the Emperor is told he has no clothes!