1992-1993 Reading Housing Authority Annual Report

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SING4 1963 y 1' ell 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive • Reading, MA 01867 - 2399.617 -944 -6755 1992 -1993 ANNUAL REPORT The Reading Housing Authority continues its successful operation of low- income housing with 80 units of elderly /handicapped housing at Frank D. Tanner Drive; 10 units of family housing: 6 at Waverly/Oakland Roads and 4 at Parker /Pleasant Streets; 8 units of Housing for People with Special Needs at Bancroft Avenue; 114 units of rental assistance located in private residence throughout the community and supported by contracts with HUD's Section 8 Program and the new program operated by the State, called the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). The Reading Housing Authority is a member of a 5 -Town consortium comprised of Melrose, Reading, Saugus, Wakefield and Winchester Housing Authorities and HUD has recently awarded 100 vouchers to these communities for the new "Family Self- Sufficiency (FSS) Program ". This new program is designed to coordinate housing and the necessary social service components which would enable families to be free of all governmental subsidy within 5 -7 years. There is a Program Coordinating Committee with members from the five communities which will provide the necessary education, job training, counseling, parenting and other social services necessary for the head of the household to become fully employed end eventually self- sufficient. Ms. Barbara Zenn Rediker, LICSW, is the new Program Coordinator. Ms. Rediker will schedule an 8 -step pro ram for each participating family and will coordinate the program wit each housing authority Executive Director. It is an exciting opportunity for families to obtain skills, job training and employment. The rrovision for the establishment of an escrow account will allow a portion of the family's increased rent to be set aside an to be used as an eventual downpayment on a dwelling of their own. The orientation meeting for families from the current waiting list of the 5 -Town consortium w'll be held in early 1993 and will commence the program. The news of the FSS Program is exciting, but there were several problems due to the deflated State economy and the revamping of the former State 707 rental certificate program to the new MRVP voucher system. The State has tried to provide a "safety net" to those participants who lost their housing assistance because of the lower qualifying income levels. The Reading Housing Authority lost 2 certificates initially; 1 of which was reissued when the State established rev sed income limits to qualify for the MRVP voucher. Along with the es ablishment of the MRVP, the State has increased the percentage of income tha current conventional housing tenants pay for rent. This was in a two step process, which helped to alleviate the impact of the inc ease. The new rent calculation is based on 30% of net income for rent where the tenant does not pay for utilities, and 27% of income where the tenant pays for their utilities. This brings the State guideline more in line with the Federal assistance programs. Equal Housing Opportunity TDD 617 -944 -9710