HomeMy WebLinkAbout1982 Reading Housing Authority Annual ReportREADING HOUSING AUTHORITY
ANNUAL REPORT - 1982
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Following is a report of the management activities of the Reading
Authority for the year 1982.
The Reading Housing Authority consists of a five - member Board, four e
by the Town and one State - Appointed member. They meet on the second Monday
each month, with the Annual Meeting in April. The Board is currently compo .
of the following members:
Chairman Richard S. Dempster
633 Summer Avenue
Vice - Chairman Frank J. Johnson, Jr.
15 Pratt Street
Treasurer William F. Rand, Jr.
104 Belmont Street
Asst. Treasurer Leonard F. Westra
11 Copeland Avenue
Asst. Secretary Philip R. White, Jr.
97 Prospect Street
Term Expires 1984
Term Expires 1986
Re- appointment due
May 1986
Term Expires 1983
Tern Expires 1985
At the Annual Meeting in April bf-1982, the above members were elected to
heir respective positions on the Board. Mrs. Pierce was re- appointed Executive
hector and therefore Secretary of the Authority, in accordance with the By-Laws.
Currently under the jurisdiction of the Housing Authority is an 80 -unit
Housing for the Elderly Project, #667 -C, at Frank D. Tanner Drive which was
completed in 1970 and is funded through�the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To
be eligible, a person must be 65 years of age or older, or in the case of a
couple, one party must be at least 65. Also, the net income limit for a singl
person is $12,180 and for a couple it is $13,920. The asset limit is $15,000.
The Authority also provides rental assistance with federal funds through
the HUD Section 8 Program to 36 families and 24 elderly in scattered apartments,,
throughout the Town. This Program has been in effect since 1975 and the Authority,
received five additional allocations in 1982 to assist those on the waiting list.
The, ,Aathor tar AUp, participates in the Section 8 Mobility Program with 75 other'
communities, whereby each honors the certificate of another through a reciprocal
arrangement, giving an applicant more flexibility in finding suitable housing.
In order to be eligible for this Program, the gross annual incomes of families
cannot exceed the following:
One Person Two Persons Three Persons Four Persons Five Persons Six P
$15,250 $17,400 $19,550 $ 21, 750 $ 23,100 $ 24,
There is no asset limit for this Program, but the interest on any savin
must be added to the income of a participant, and that figure cannot exceed the
ncome level requirement. Financial statements showing the assets and liabili
f each of the above named Programs are available for inspection at the Housing
Authority office.
Mrs. Patricia Renzello is the Administrator of this Program under the super-
vision of the Executive Director and the Housing Authority.
In July, the Authority was notified by the Executive Office of Communities
and Development (E.O.C.D.) that they had approved a grant in the amount of
$176,000.00 under the State's Chapter 689 Program. This money would be used to
purchase a home in Reading to be renovated and used as a Community Residence for
eight retarded adults with supervision by personnel from East Middlesex Associa on
for Retarded Citizens (EMARC).
Subsequently, a Purchase and Sale Agreement was signed between the Authority
and the owners of a residence at 74 Bancroft Avenue to be used in this Program. At
this time, steps are being taken to finalize this purchase, and applications from
Architects have been solicited and are under review. Thus, the Authority is addres-
sing another housing need in the Town which is often overlooked.
Modernization funds were also made available to the Authority from E.O.C.D.
for continued improvements at the Housing for the Elderly Project at Frank D. Tanner
Drive. For the safety of the tenants, contracts were entered into for the inst41la-
tion of never, more sensitive smoke detectors in the older 40 units of the Proj t.
At the same time, an electrical hook -up was made between the smoke detectors and
the Emergency Call System to identify and permit access into the apartment in which
the alarm was activated.
The Recreation Hall at 'Tannerville" is utilized often.by the tenants for
their many social activities, and is made available to the Council on Aging for
the various recreational classes for the elderly citizens in the Town.
tw The Reading Housing Authority feels that 1982 has been another year of
in meeting the Town's varied housing needs.
Respectfully submitted,
Janet Pierce, Executive
and Se
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