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shunsfederallifelinesBy Jack Lambertjlambertt^apgaznews.comTwo major federal programs helped bring millions of dollars into the redevelopment of public housing sincethe 1990s.But not in Annapolis.The city missed out on the first program and now* needs to catch up if it wants to be in the second.In the early 1990s. HOPE VI was an attempt atrehabilitating aging public housing. The federal program was created under President Bill Clinton. Housing authorities across the country applied for federal funding to build “mixed-finance” neighborhoods.The federal program no longer required one-for-one replacement of public housing after 1998; however, many cities did replace all units. HOPE VI also required the creation of “community and supportive services residents.Critics accused the program of eliminating low-income housing in an attempt at gentrification. In 2007, a US. Department of Housing and Urban Development official estimated the agency provided relocation services to 63,885 households under HOPE VI.HUD awarded more than $6.7 billion in HOPE VI grants from 1993 to 2010, Projects in Maryland were awarded $209.8 million in revitalization grants.Annapolis never applied for HOPE VI funding. Former housing authorin' Executive Director Pat Croslan-jHr, i/~-attempted to apply for the federal grant program and met with residents about the plan in 1998.ftftIV»aidResidents at the time compared HOPE VI to “urban renewal*’ in Annapolis during the 1970s. During urban renewal, historically African-American neighborhoods in downtown Annapolis were demolished and replaced by office buildings and a parking garage.“They have taken enough from black people, Tanya Booth, a resident of College Creek Terrace, said at the time. “Just let us keep the little that we got.In a recent interview, Croslan declined to comment on why the agency' backed down. She resigned as executive director of the city housing authorin' in 2003.Trudy Me Fall, chairwoman of the housing authority’s board of commissioners from 2004 to 2009, said tfc agencv did not reconsider HOPE VI after Croslan left We generally didn’t meet the type cMe Fail, who dewribed thv housing authority as poorlyrun at the time. The agency* was more focused at the time, she said, on opening recreation centers and using itsSection 8 vouchersCities comparable to Annapolis were awarded HOPEVI revitalization grants. The Hagerstown Housing Authority had U80 units in 2001 before it was awarded a $27.4 million grant The Frederick Housing Authorityhad 458 units when it was awarded a $15.9 million grantin 2002.In 200L the Annapolis agency* oversaw U04 units. Today, it owns and manages 790 units. If the housing authority continues seeking private redevelopment of its units, that number will likely continue to decrease.The housing authority turned to private funding for the redevelopment of Obery Court and AnnapolisGardens. Annapolis Gardens was redeveloped in 2010 and is generally considered safe, even if isolated from other city neighborhoods The third and final phase of redevelopment of Obery Court is scheduled for January.See HOPE VI, poet A7SERIES AT \ GIjVNCETODAY :Q'..............Money $hbitwiifl hiA silver bullet? Th# f#have not out sued -THURSDAYSolutions: FW ,;al- ■ i'.V::I1IP■fe •PHOTOS BY PAUL W. GILLESPIE, STAFFTaevyon Stansbury, 9, rides his bike in front of Ruby Johnson along Medgar Evers Street in Eastport Terrace.LESSFrom page A1The government’s housing-choice voucher program remains well funded while money for public housingshrinks, said Tamar Greenspan, director of policy and program development at National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.The reason is simple. Section 8 vouchers require only money. HUD pays the contract of the tenant, making up the difference in rental costs. The government does not own the property and is not charge of maintenance, as it is in public housing.Annapolis, so far, has resisted the switch to voucher-based housing. Tax~lt;yedit units and housing-choice vouchers were included as part of the deals to redevelop Obery Court and Annapolis Gardens. However in 2012, the agency's board of commissioners passed a resolution seeking replacement with all traditional public housing units.Carl Snowden, former chairman of the housing authority, said the resolution was a response to residents’ criticism that Annapolis was disposing of public housing. Snowden believes the resolution is now seemingly unfeasible due to federal funding cuts.“Public housing has traditionally been the housing that’s housed the poorest of the poor, Snow den said “These tax-credit, public-private partnerships do leave out certainpeopi e because you do have a certain kind of income, a certain kind of backgroundbecause of declines in federal funding.“Every year it’s change — how to do more with less,” said Mary Grace Folwell, an Annapolis resident and public housing attorney for the Washington, DC., law' firm Ballard Spahr. Folwell does not work for the housing authority.Shrinking incomeexj4rediW Sw. 4.ir* t]he Ihousing authority received 100 percent of it, lt;, * .ft |%|* til* . L * -1 , - * » • , : ■» , VI | \ iSalaries and sen icesThe housing authority can generally spend its money how it wants. Only 10 percent of capital funding can be spent on management expenses, and operating funding cannot be spent on costs not directly associated with a public housing project.Vince Leggett, executive director of the housing authority, says the agency's central office staff is “running pretty lean. Agency financial records show the housing authority is spending about the same amount on upper management salaries as it did five years ago.Central office staff made $495,734 in fiscal 2OIL In fiscal 2015, they are scheduled to make $461,776, according to the agency's operating budget.Leggett and Johnson are the agency's highest-ranking employees. Johnson heads day-to-day operations, maintenance and security, while Leggett largely focuses on redevelopment.Leggett made $100,189 last year. Johnson, who will retire in January', made $85,000.Property managers saw- a 32 percent jump in payroll over the last five wars, increasing $605,077 in fiscal 2015.Annapolis historically was unable to keep property'managers or supply staff, Johnson said, and hopes increasing salaries will improve staff retention.HUD officials say there is no defined rule for number of employees, but that a » should have one maintenancetely every 50 units. Annapolis has 19 responsible for 790 units, a ratio ofmain t enanee workersrunFederal operating subsidy decreased by more than $1■ I IIIirtiesthan $66,million m the last four years, according to housing authority records. The agency' reported a financial deficit of more0 for most of fiscal 2014 before finishing theyear with a $353 surplus.The housing authority dipped into reserve accounts last year to make up for the deficit. It also accounted for developer fees from the impending third phase of Obery Court, a deal expected to close in January.1 capital funding ranged between $15 million and3n for Annapolis between fiscal 2010 and fiscalcovers repairs to features like roofs, gas es, said Joe Johnson, chief of staff for theone worxer tor every 41 units, iw'o vears ago, tne agencv had 29 maintenance staff for 1104 units.Sixty-four employees made a combined $2i million at the beginning of 2014, according to information obtained under the Maryland Public Information Act. The numbervaneForexcample, the well-regarded Newport Housing Authority, which manages 715 units and more than 500vouchers in Rhode Island, has 32 employees. TheAuthority, with 970 units and 884ruinuciifrtiHagerstowm Housin vouchers, has 81 employees “(Staffing) really depenc iniL said Ted Shaiikle. Hairservices you're provid-s executive director,monev$18 mil2014 111lines and sewer line housing authority'.Housing officialsB 1/UmapmV 1\C£ irhiv thes summer 200.000 idaft? momnotHithfr school programs ording to financialestimatedcost of repairs needed at New towne 20 alone isWandaUMprompt disputes$4 millionf _ _» -**-» a .u a» sew afw s.dte-b whriilsMUt eiSeragrams Annapolisin son saidto TimAhousing mm.If the agency u^ed all its capital Ending for Newfwtte 20 we couldn't put light bulbs in, JobTenant rent, the agency’s other main source of income,has increased since 2011, according to agency's projectedpayroll records. But income continues shrinking, largelyrecords.da Stansbury made an annual salary of $61923 as the ithority's health and human services directorwhose position was eliminated in rganized the annual “Pathw ays to Opporl vent which cost more than $100,000 laries, printing and administrative costs.StansbunnAugust,•nities’Vxpo, anMONEY, payi A?An example to followisland, got public houtig Tight✓yINIawXmVIONLINES#t cap11* de. i iaveragemm tSERIES STAFFReporter: lack LambertPhotographer Paul Gli eDesigner: Greg NucfforaCopy editors .Gerald P*$lt; Jonathan Foaa Photo editor; j Henson Online editor: Dave ManSeries editors: Sttv* GuRob Hiaasen Share your opinion with i capi#tts#capgazntws.clt; Other comments Reachmoca.*$gunA housing authority work crew cleans uplandscaping infrontboarded-upunit in theDOft. of ai.Ttr race neighborhoodV-PUBLIC HOUSING FACT OR FICTION?What b flu average income iibpttby nt c ttv and Lunik *i/e in the homing authority?In# average fainijy income for housing tHiUdiiucs* are subject to cil authorm residents is according to areport from the agency* The average familysi^e is slMitiy more than two peopleI m 5*Lie si ildinjlftlHI iiJNjkIt ifLi b- I I I)rtpi#itUKl*OI| tif 11|Z9B|s vear.Sen!111fitMl 1 st'atimmSUPijecmiiiinot1 MI0,ffngrrntf' ' • n '__Xtea tinavoirmitfkit41 - t y %11*.fI dtiil 1.a e- -miti \fini .........jp1 -■ I \A J I t I I 11 f| * t* f \ J.i I** JLiS tfe 11 ftf m5 i,.* we * 4. ■ V #. I a i *. 1 I II MIH ill si af 11 r' Clt\11 *team report stec®ho1 .HA £?-■ A-Jr# Iip !general s omcQiM^tian; Vn public housing units Kental property owners are required to Former hoA. ;■ j,. iVtSJ: S i !unonmr-tsi v v wtv ClHIrtmm i.ji i
Newspaper Details
Capital Gazette
Annapolis, Maryland, US
Wed, Dec 03, 2014
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Joe D.
MD, USA 29 Nov 2022
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