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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 Annual Report - Housing AuthorityREADING HOUSING AUTHORITY "Equal Housing Opportunity" From the Chair: It is with great pleasure that I share with you the activities and accomplishments of the Reading Housing Authority over the past year. The start of the New Year has seen a continued decline in our economy and we remain cautious during this somewhat unstable time. The pressure on the real estate market has continued to create a critical challenge for poor and lower income families to find, keep and maintain their housing. As the real estate values escalated over the past few years, it was certainly felt most dramatically at the low-income levels. Rental units had been at a greater premium in this area; however, we continue to see an increase in availability. Previously, landlords had been able to ask for and receive high rents which historically prices the poor and lower income families out of the rental market. Again, we are beginning to see a change in the rental market area with increase inquiries from landlords who are experiencing more difficulty renting units. The Reading Housing Authority (Authority) strives to assist these families to seek and obtain housing that is decent, safe and sanitary. In an effort to ameliorate this impact, the Authority will continue its efforts to develop new units and purchase affordable units when the opportunity arises. The Authority recently attained an additional site to ready for use in their family program in the upcoming year. Plans are presently underway to best develop that location. We continue to support private developers and the Town in their efforts to set aside units for low/moderate income families in their proposed developments. We reach out to owners of multi- family units who would like to work with us to serve our clients. As always, the Authority goes beyond the bricks and mortar and provides assistance to families, elderly and handicapped persons to obtain the services they need. We work closely with Mystic Valley Elder Services and other home care agencies to meet the needs of the elderly residents as they strive to remain independent and age in place. With budget cuts affecting all of us, we strive to maintain our programs, work with other supportive agencies and still offer a safe and decent place for our seniors, disabled and families in need. On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Executive Director Lyn Whyte and her, staff for their continued dedication, commitment and service to the Reading Housing Authority. We look forward to working with them as we meet the new challenges that lie ahead. Respectfully submitted, Karen L. Flammia, Chair 135 Reading Housing Authority Organization Organized in 1963 to address the housing needs of the Town's low and moderate, income residents, the Reading Housing Authority (Authority) is "a public body politic and corporate " duly organized and authorized by Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), Chapter 121B, s.3. The Authority receives it funds from the State and Federal government to assist our clients with their housing needs. Although the Authority does not receive any local funding, five unpaid Reading residents compose the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Selectmen appoints four of these board members and one is the Governor's appointee. Each member serves for a five-year term. The Board is responsible for the overall operation of the Authority. The day to day responsibility is delegated to the Executive Director. The Board meets regularly and has scheduled their monthly meetings for the first Monday of each month. The Annual Meeting of the Board is currently scheduled for the month after the Selectmen makes their.annual appointment of a Board member. Currently, the Board Members and their term of office are as follows: Karen L. Flammia 19 Vista Avenue . Diane Cohen 51 Redgate Lane Timothy J. Kelley 84 Woburn Street Kevin Mulvey 67 Whittier Road Mary Connors 52 Sanborn Street, #103 Lyn E. Whyte 41 Shore Road, Saugus Chair and Tenant Representative Term expires 6/27/2010 Vice-Chair and State Appointment Term expires 5/03/2011 Treasurer Term expires 6/30/2014 Assistant Treasurer Term expires 6/30/2013 Member and Tenant Representative Term expires 6/30/2012 Secretary and Executive Director Administrative. Staff: The Board contracts an Executive Director who manages the day-to-day operations of the Authority. Within State and Federal guidelines and other budgetary limits, the Executive Director hires the supporting staff necessary to achieve the goals and responsibilities of the Authority's programs. The Executive Director Lyn Whyte is in a five-year contract that expires August 29, 2010. Administration: Lyn E. Whyte Secretary and Executive Director Catherine Sutherland Office Manager Kathleen Rolli Federal Program Coordinator and Assistant Executive Director Michelle'Hudzik State Program Coordinator Gail Donovan Part-time Program Assistant 136 Reading Housing Authority Maintenance: Frank Veglia Joseph Costello Kevin Boyle Supportive Services' Affiliations: Home Care Jacqueline Carson Daniel J. O'Leary Dawn Folopoulos Financial Institutions: Reading Cooperative Bank Eastern Bank Maintenance Supervisor Maintenance Staff Maintenance Staff Sanborn Home Care Director Director, Mystic Valley Elder Services Town of Reading Elder Services Administrator BankNorth Mass. Municipal Depository Trust - Boston, MA Affiliations National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Massachusetts Chapter of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (MassNAHRO) New England Regional Council of National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NERC/NAHRO) Section 8 Administrators Association North Shore Housing Executive Directors' Association (NSHEDA) Adult Literacy Committee of Reading/Wakefield YMCA Consultants: Accountants: Fenton, Ewald & Associates Legal: Charles Houghton, Esq. & DHCD Legal Counsel, Lori McBride Contractors Hiltz Waste Disposal Avon Plumbing Supply. Hodson S M Co Inc Roberto Bros. Landscaping Automatic Laundry Maintenance: Bennett Construction John's Sewer & Pipe Cleaning Powers Plowing Service Atlas Alarm Home Depot We do it all - from the beautiful paint job to the new appointments before you move into your new apartment. The maintenance staff meets the challenges on every occasion, and has done an excellent job. With the four seasons here in New England, maintenance has to be ready to take it all in stride. They do the Spring clean-up and plantings; the Summer mowing, watering, weeding and trimming; the Fall leaf pick-up and Winter's snow and ice removal. The maintenance staff works tirelessly to keep our developments looking beautiful. We have been lucky enough to have the assistance of the Work Release Program from the Middlesex Sheriff's Department. 137 Reading Housing Authority They have been exceptional in the work that they have done with our landscaping and painting projects. These programs are cost effective and have become a critical component to maintaining our properties. During the course of this past year, this program enabled us to maintain the grounds of our properties with a Fall and Spring clean up. This project changed the look of these properties and it greatly enhanced their appearances. Additionally, with the assistance of this program, we painted three large family residences this year. The properties needed a facelift and the Work Release Program afforded us the opportunity to enhance the appearance of those homes. The Authority is responsible for 108 individual units located on 10 different sites. It is no easy task to keep each one looking in its top form. The maintenance staff is also responsible for the daily work orders and any emergency work that has to be done. The Authority has an extensive preventative maintenance program for all major components, and has a cyclical paint schedule for all units. 2009 Grants Received: Each year, the Authority applies for several grants to improve our properties and better serve our residents and the community. Included in this year's awards were: Modernization of State Housing Funding of $2,300 for Low Flow Toilets as part of a Low-Income Multi Family Energy Retrofit Grant Program was awarded to the RHA. Supportive Services Grant - HUD No funding available since we no longer administer an FSS Program. Supportive Services Grant - State Funding of Resident Service Coordinator to address elderly/non-elderly needs for Frank D. Tanner Drive residents was approved; however, it is now categorized as an administrative expense. Audits: The Authority has a Single Audit of all programs by an independent auditor each year. Walsh and Associates, PC of Concord, MA were engaged to perform the latest review of the Authority's programs for fiscal year end June 2009. The audit was completed in December 2009, and final submissions expected to be completed as soon as. possible. The Authority had no findings or additional recommendations as a result of this latest audit. The Authority's financial position is adequate to meet the needs of the operation and development of the programs, and we are fortunate to maintain a retained revenue agency status. A compliance audit was previously conducted by the Commonwealth of Mass. State Auditors Office in October 2007 and completed in November 2007 with no findings. The Commonwealth of Mass: conducts this audit every two years. Our next compliance audit for FYE June 2008 and June 2009 has been scheduled to begin on February 3, 2010. 138 Reading Housing Authority Management Review: The Authority has had a current Management Review done of all State programs. The Asset Managers from the State's Department of Housing and Community Development reviewed all the operations of the State programs to insure compliance in the daily operation of the Authority's budget, occupancy, administration, maintenance, services and tenant participation. The Authority received an excellent review with minor comments. In regard to our federal program, the Authority submitted its annual Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) reports for fiscal year end June 2009 to HUD for review and subsequent scoring. The purpose of SEMAP is to measure public housing authority performance in key areas of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program management. It is a tool used by HUD to effectively monitor and assist FHA's. It is our pleasure to report that the Reading Housing Authority received an overall score of 100 percent for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. As a result of this score, HUD designates the Authority as a "high performer" with credit going to Section 8 Program Coordinator Kathy Rolli for her continued efforts in administering an ever-changing federal program. We will not submit additional SEMAP reports until fiscal year June 2011. These assessments are now performed every two years for an agency of our size per latest HUD changes. State Programs: The Authority currently manages the three programs under the State's Department of Housing and Community Development: 667 Housing (elderly/handicapped housing), 705 Housing (Family housing), 689 Housing (Special Needs Housing). All of our wait lists are open at the present time. We encourage applicants to apply for our elderly/handicapped (667) housing and our State family developments by contacting the Housing Authority at (781) 944-6755. Housin,a for Elderly/Handicapped Persons (667 80 units Frank D. Tanner Drive Complex Eligibility: 60 years of age or disabled Income: 1 person - $46,300 2 persons - $52,950 Housing for Families (705) 6 units Waverly and Oakland Road (six 3BR units) 4 units Pleasant and Parker Street (two 2BR units; two 3BR unit } Eligibility: Family of 2 or more depending on Bedroom size Income: 2 persons - $52,950 3 persons - $59,550 4 persons - $66,150 5 persons - $71,450 6 persons - $76,750 7 persons -$82,050 8 persons - $87,350 139 Reading Housing Authority Federal Prollrams: The Authority manages 125 subsidies for persons of very low income under the Federal Section 8 Program. Currently, the RHA participates in a centralized waiting list administered by the MASSNAHRO organization. Applications for this wait list are available at the administration office building at 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive, Reading. The income limits are: Section 8 Rental Assistance Income limits: 1 person - $31,550 2 persons - $36,100 3 persons - $40,600 4 persons - $45,100 5 persons - $48,700 6 persons - $52,300 7 persons - $55,900 8 persons - $59,550 RHA-Owned Properties The Authority presently owns and manages 16 family units located in various locations throughout the Town of Reading. We have recently acquired one additional property for potential use as an affordable home; however, the building is not leased as of 2009 year end. We continue to pursue opportunities to expand low income housing units within the Town whenever possible. Applications Elderly/Handicapped Housine (667) The Authority manages 80 one-bedroom units of housing for elderly/handicapped persons at our Frank D. Tanner Drive complex in Reading. To qualify for this housing, a single person or couple must meet the eligibility guidelines and be 60 years of age or older or handicapped. The Authority sets aside 13.5% of these units for non-elderly handicapped persons. The wait list is currently open for all seniors 60 years of age and older. We encourage Reading residents to apply and are making special outreach efforts to elderly of minority representation. The .13.5% non-elderly handicapped requirement has been fulfilled but applications are still being accepted for our wait list. Non-elderly applicants will be served after the Authority has placed all qualified applicants if the 13.5% requirement has been met. You. may obtain an application at the office of the Authority, 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive, Reading, MA 01867. Family Housing - State (705) The Authority operates the State's Family Housing Program with two different developments. The first family housing development that was built by the Authority is located at Oakland and Waverly Roads and is called Waverly Oaks. There are six three-bedroom units. Our wait list is currently open; however, wait times are quite long. Our second State family development is near the center of Town and is referred to as our Pleasant/Parker location. There are only four units available at this site. 140 Reading Housing Authority Section 8 Federal Housing Assistance Program Currently, the wait list for our Section 8 Program is open. We now participate in the centralized wait list program initiated in December 2002 and administered by Mass NAHRO. Applications are available at our administrative office or online at www.mnahro.org. An . application can be downloaded from that site and submitted to any agency participating in the centralized wait list program. There are currently over 85 member agencies taking part in that joint process. At present, there are almost 100,000 families on this waitlist with waiting times for assistance quite long. The State maintains a wait list for its programs through the Metropolitan Boston Housing Program (MBHP). Anyone seeking an emergency application should contact MBHP at (800) 272-0990 to obtain an application. The local area service agency for emergency applicants is Community Service Network. You may contact them at (781) 438-1977. Summit Village First Time Homebuyers Program The Authority continues to oversee the maintenance of the wait list for qualified and eligible applicants for the affordable units at Summit Village through the First Time Homebuyers Program. We presently have nine potential buyers on our waitlist. During the past year, no affordable unit was made available and subsequently sold at an affordable price to a family on our wait list. The "affordable" owners must have a fair market appraisal done; the Authority reviews the appraisal and, if accepted, provides the owner with the maximum resale price for the affordable unit. If the owner has a friend who would be eligible and income-qualified, then the Authority reviews. their qualifications and provides them with an "Eligible Purchaser Certificate." If the owner wishes to select an applicant from the wait list, the Authority would send the next available and eligible buyer's name to the owner to negotiate the sale. Interested applicants may pick up applications packets at the Town Clerk's Office -in Town Hall, at the Reference Desk at the Reading Public Library, or at the office of the Reading Housing Authority, 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive. When making an application, a $10.00 fee made payable to the "Reading Housing Authority" must be included along with all pertinent documentation. If the family applying for the affordable unit is headed by two persons, both parties must execute the application as applicant and co-applicant. Income from all family members age 18+ is included in family income for eligibility. However, if the income of one of these persons is from a dependent (not spouse) who is a full-time student, then a deduction for out of pocket expenses for books, tuition, fees and/or travel is allowed. Documentation from the school must be provided and verification for employment and expenses must be provided with the application. All persons must sign a "Release of Information" to have their documentation verified by the Authority. Highlights of the program are: First Time Homebuyer Cannot have owned a home within the last three years; divorced persons cannot currently own home but three year restriction is excused. Maximum Family Income Currently, the maximum family income cannot exceed 80% of FY 2009 Medium Family Income presently set at $90,200 (effective 3/19/09) for all persons in the family from all sources (wages, interest, dividends, etc.) 141 Reading Housing Authority Family Housing The two bedroom units must have a minimum family size of two persons. The maximum number of persons who can qualify for a two bedroom unit would be four persons. The three bedroom units must have a minimum of three persons with two being minor children living in the household. The maximum number of persons who would qualify for a three bedroom unit would be six persons. Affordable Price The affordable price is based on a 20% discount from the current fair market appraisal of the unit which must be verified by the Authority. Deed Restriction Anyone wishing to purchase an "affordable" unit should be aware that a permanent deed restriction would be recorded with their deed. This restriction states that the unit must be sold to a qualified and eligible purchaser at a 20% discount from the fair market value as approved by the Reading Housing Authority. Single Persons Applications are accepted from single family households but persons on the single person wait list will be chosen only after all the eligible family applicants have been served. Local Preference ra"0lnsinn- Applicants from the Town of Reading are given preference over other applicants if their application is made on the same day. This local preference is given if a person is employed in the Town of Reading, has a business or enterprise in Reading which has been established for one or more years, if they are parents of a school child in Reading; persons who were residents of Reading for five or more years. The Reading Housing Authority is proud to provide this information to you. Anyone interested in obtaining an application for any of our Housing Programs: Elderly/Handicapped Housing, State Family or the Federal Section 8 Rental Assistance Program should contact the 1 Authority at 22 Frank D. Tanner Drive or by calling the office at 781-944-6755. 142