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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-03-27 Reading Housing Authority MinutesREADING HORSING AUTHORITY Minutes of the Special Meeting - March 27, 1984 The Reading Housing Authority met in Special Session at 7 :30 P.M. on Tuesday, March 27, 1984 at 22 Prank D. Tanner Drive in the Town of Reading, Massachusetts. Proper notice was posted by the Executive Director in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 39 of the General Laws as amended. The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. Dempster. Those members also present were Mrs. Swain, Mr. Rand, Mr. Westra and Mr. White, forming a quorum. Mrs. Pierce, the Executive Director, was also present. The meeting was also attended by the following: Ms. Jane Gallahue, Health Director for the Reading Board of Health Ms. Carole Ryan, RN, Geriatric Outreach Team of Melrose Ms. Rosaleen Boylan, Cash Manager, Dept. of Mental Health At this time, a motion was made by Mr. Rand and seconded by Mr. White, and (Wanimously: VOTED: That the meeting go into Executive Session The Chairman thereupon declared said motion carried and said vote in effect. Discussion at this time concerned an elderly applicant for housing. A motion was 'then made by Mr. Westra and seconded by Mrs. min, and unanimously: VOTED: That the meeting return to regular session. The Chairman thereupon declared said motion carried and said vote in effect. Mr. Dempster then thanked the above -named persons for attending the meeting, and said that they Board would review the situation at their next regular meeting, and r6port back to them. There being no further business to come before the meeting, and upon a motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting, and' (W the Chairman thereupon declared said motion carried, and the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 P.M. Respectfully submitted, )Janet Pierce, Executive Director and Secretary A MW �t q- a g s ; n J3 i n Ya D 6 � c y r (W PRIORITY CATEGORIES The Regulations Prescribing Standards and Procedures for Tenant Selection and Tenant Transfer, promulgated May 5, 1976, set forth a system of chronolog- ical order selection within priority categories. Vancancies are offered to the applicant having the lowest control number in the him lori.or rity category on the Waiting List for the appropriate number %of bedrooms. .. Once an applicant has been determined eligible for housing, he /she is as- signed to a priority selection category. Assignment to a priority category is based on information provided by the applicant and verified by the LHA staff. The first priority is given to appli- cants displaced by fire, flood, or other natural disaster. This category cannot be used if the displaced appli- cant is currently living in housing suitable for his /her household size and income. / The second priority is given to appli- cants who are being displaced by public improvements such as highway construc- tion or urban renewal. The displace- ment must have occurred within three years of the date of application. This category is also used for appli- cants displaced by termination of tenancy due to enforcement of or com- pliance with Article II of the State Sanitary Code. The third priority is given to current residents whom the LHA must relocate under either of two sets of circum- stances. One, to transfer residents (W living in a unit which is substandard or seriously defective into another unit within the LHA's housing stock. Two, to transfer residents displaced from an LHA rental assistance unit through no fault of his /her own. 14 TENANT SELECTION REGULATION ASSIGNMENT TO CATEGORY DISPLACED BY NATURAL FORCES DISPLACED BY PUBLIC ACTION DISPLACED UNDER LHA LEASE COMMITMENTS The forth priority shall be given to current tenants whom the LHA determines to be either overhoused or underhoused according to the Bedroom Size Assignment Policy (Appendix C of the Tenant Selec- tion Regulation) or where a documented medical problem necessitates, a move to a more appropriate unit. Resident . households occuping a unit too large for their family size shall be required to move to a smaller unit if .there are overcrowded families on the transfer Waiting List. For further explanation of this lcategory, see Tenant Transfer, p.3.. TRANSFERS FOR GOOD CAUSE All other applicants not appropriate .STANDARD APPLICANT ..for a higher priority category are placed.in the fifth priority category, standard applicants. Standard applicants includes handicapped persons eligible for conventional Ch. 667 units. Handicapped -applicants needing a specially modified unit are placed on the Waiting List for those particular units. Exceptional case is not a .priority category.. It is not a Waiting List. It is not -'an exception to the require- ments for eligibility. Rather, it is a discretionary waiver to be used by the LHA as an exception to standard waiting list procedure.in order to provide immediate housing in those rare instances where an eligible appli- cant's current housing situation is so dire that it presents a clear and pre- sent-danger to the life of.the appli- cant or other household member. The LHA staff must exercise careful judgment in. evaluating requests for this discretionary waiver. The burden of proof is on the applicant.to docu- ment the.facts of his /her case and alternative solutions explored. The LHA must balance the need of an indi- vidual with the right of all the other applicants to a unit offer within a reasonable time. EXCEPTIONAL CASES 15 (W The LHA must fully document each case it deems to be an exceptional case. The record for each case shall document all facts of. the situation and all other housing alternatives explored by the applicant in order to prove that providing immediate housing is, in fact, the only possible solution to the dire circumstances threatening the applicant. All placements made by use of this discretionary waiver shall be reported to EOCD on a quarterly basis. An applicant denied exceptional case status has the right to appeal the decision to the Authority within thirty (30) days receipt of notification. XX J EXCEPTIONAL CASES CONTINUED 16 James W. Oien Area Director EASTERN MIDDLESEX AREA OFFICE 727 -9550 LOWELL ROAD No. READING, MASSACHUSETTS 01 864 April 5, 1984 Ms. Janet Pierce, Director of Housing Reading Housing Authority Frank Tanner Drive Reading, Mass. 01867 Dear Ms. Pierce, I am writing to inform you of the psychiatric support services that are available to Ms. Violet Weston and her daughter, Lois, while they. live at the Tanner Apartments. The case manager, Carol Ryan, (662 -6808) will visit Ms. Violet Weston weekly for the first two months, and if all (W goes well, every other week thereafter. A day program is also available to her to provide her with increased daily structure and support. Lois' is also followed by a case manager, Rosaleen Boylan, who can be contacted at 727 -9550, extension 678. If any problems develop, I would encourage you to contact the case managers early on, before a crisis develops. The Eastern Middlesex Crisis Team can be called if they (the case managers) are inaccessible or if imme- diate intervention is needed. The Crisis Team is available 24 hours a 'ay and has mobile outreach capacity. Their number is 246 -4351. Should Lois require hospitalization, the Crisis Team can be conta#ed for evaluation and assistance in transferring her to the pre - screening li services of the New England Memorial Hospital. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, James W. Oien Area Director JWO /NM:ctj cc: Carol Ryan, Geriatric Outreach Team Rosaleen Boylan, Case Manager Dale Dydo, Case Management Supervisor Mary Connors, Crisis Team JUDITH A. PIANI, B.A.C.C.A., CHM. SANDRA J. TRAINOR, R.N., M.S.N. JAMES J. NUGENT, JR., R.S., C.H.O. TOWN OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS 01867 BOARD OF HEALTH Mrs. Janet Pierce Executive Director Reading Housing Authority 22 Tanner Drive Reading, MA., 01867 52 Sanborn Street, Room 12A Tel. 942 -0500 - Ext. 31, 32, 39 March 23, 1984 M. JANE GALLAHUE, M.P.H., C.M.O. Health Director. MAgY POLYCHRONES Secretary Dear Mrs. Pierce: This letter is to advise you that the Reading Board of Health will be faced with a very serious health problem relative to Article 2 of the Mass. State Sanitary Code: "Minimum Standards of Fitness for Human Habitation ". At present, there is a person currently living at 309B Haven Street in the first floor apartment in the name of Violet P. Weston. Mrs. Weston is cur - ,n rently required to use a bathroom.in the cellar which consists of a water' closet only. The shower is not. in working condition. The .bathroom is not he: ated and free from chronic dampness. At the last inspection on 3/16/84, there ',was no hot water, although Mrs. Weston was able to heat water in a kettle. Mrs. Weston's landlord will be totally remodelling this apartment in order to provide the.necessary facilities in accordance with the State Sanitary Code. The landlord will be curtailing the services for this dwelling for an extended period of time. When this condition arises, Mrs. Weston's apartment will be unfit for human habitation in that state. The interior of the apartment is in need of extra.service repairs: The ceiling in the living room is flaking and peeling and in the danger of falling once renovations begin. The same condi- tion exists within.the bedroom.- The windows are not airtight and free from chronic dampness. I feel that when the renovating is due to start, Mrs. Weston's dwelling will be unfit for human habitation. Mrs. Weston is 76 years old and will be in need of housing within the near future. Very truly yours, JJT:P J JOSEPH J. TABBI, R.S. HEALTH INSPECTOR Eastern Middlesex Mental Xealtb Clinic and the Eastern Middlesex Mental Xealtb Association, Inc. Green Street Center for Geriatric Care 179 Green Street Melrose, Mass. 02176 Telephone 665 -9154 Serving: Melrose North Reading Reading Stoneham Wakefield An affiliate of the National and Massa - chusettsMental Health 4ssociations in partner- ship with theMassa- chusetts Department of Mental Health April 5, 1984 To: Janet Pierce Director, Reading Housing Authority Tanner Drive Reading,.MA.. 01867 Re: Violet Weston I. As a follow -up to our meeting with the Board on Match 27, I offer the following information regarding my efforts to find suitable housing for Mrs. Weston: II. In considering housing options, several alternatives had to be explored. Who is in need of housing: Mrs. Weston, alone, or Mrs. Weston and daughter, Lois; was it temporary or permanent? If Lois were to live with her mother, how could Mrs. Weston afford a $x+50. /month apartment (not subsidized) if Lois were hospitalized and not receiving SSI payments? And Mrs. Weston is adamant that she will not consider moving without Lois going with her. (Mrs. Weston is also Lois' legal guardian.) III. (1) Mrs. Weston has a Section 8 Housing Certificate for a one - bedroom apartment. This certificate expires May'l, 1984, and has been extended twice; (2) She is calling ads in the paper with no results; (3) Ruth Turnquist, outreach worker for the Reading Council, is also looking for her; (4) Her name is on the list with Ted Watson, Green St. Apts., but no apartments are available; (5) She placed an ad in the Chronicle for a one - bedroom] apart- ment, with no results; (6) She is first on the Section 8 two - bedroom list; (7) I have contacted all the Councils on Aging inquirinjg if they know of any apartments in their areas -no results; (8) I called several YMCA's looking for a room. They want $40.- 60. /week per person, and have no kitchen facilities; (9) Mrs. Weston (and her daughter) are not eligible fo either Peter Sanborn or Cedar Glen apartments because (a) 'their situation is not considered a priority, (b) the waiting list at Cedar Glen is 3 -5 years, (c) Peter Sanborn cannon take the daughter, Lois; (10) Mrs. Weston's only relative is a sister -in -law who 'is unable to provide shelter for Mrs. Weston; (11) Temporary shelter was also considered. The only facility Mrs. Weston could afford is Well Spring House, Gloucester. This is time limited (approximately 1 month). However, there is a problem with a temporary placement while repairs are being done. On Mrs. Weston's return to the house on Haven St., her rent would be increased to $425. /month. Failure to pay this increase (she currently pays $71. /month) would result in eviction within two weeks.