Housing Authority continues discussions about renovations to housing units - Columbia Missourian

 Blogger's Note:

Once again we have My Pryor protesting what he obviously does not understand and Mr Steinhaus plainly stating the facts about the misinformation because those residents in those effected areas will not keep up on the latest things going on with CHA and appointing for themselves true representatives who will help educate them on all of the issues.
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Proposed renovations to public housing units on Lincoln Drive and Unity Drive were discussed during a presentation and a Q-and-A session Wednesday at the Columbia Labor Temple. The plan calls for renovations to the 50-year-old townhouses on Lincoln Drive and Unity Drive through a cooperative effort between the Columbia Housing Authority, ND Consulting Group, Tim Person & Associates, LLC and Capital Consultants Inc.

Residents of nearby Oak Towers and the Lincoln Drive and Unity Drive townhouses listened to presentations by Tim Person of Tim Person & Associates, Michele Duffe, representative with NC Consulting Group, and Phil Steinhaus, Columbia Housing Authority CEO.
Steinhaus began by outlining some of the key questions from tenants, including if and when renovations might occur and how such construction might affect rent at the properties.

*"What about my petition? Is that going to go unnoticed, or what?" said Michael Pryor, president of the Downtown Residents Association, about a petition presented to the board Tuesday.* All I get out of this is what about me and what I can get. Noticed he used the word "my" instead of "the or the resident's petition".

*The petition contained more than 120 signatures, 41 of which were from Lincoln Drive and Unity Drive residents, and requested renovations to the structures without relocating the tenants.*Once again how can signatures of anybody not living under CHA jurisdiction and or a lease with CHA have any say in this issue. In reality they cannot.

*"What I got from (the petition) is that I think there is probably a lot of misinformation out there," Steinhaus said. *Absolutely 100% correct!

Person outlined conditions at the units with descriptions and photographs. Some of the issues were structural and foundational, including deteriorating plumbing, sinking floors and lack of fire escapes from second-story windows.

Ken Nuernberger of ND Consulting Group has previously estimated that renovations could cost $80,000 per unit.

 The Columbia Housing Authority plans to submit an application by September to the Missouri Housing Development Commission, with funding provided by tax credits. By December funding might be approved, and initial work would begin nine months later, after the Missouri Housing Development Commission ensures codes and energy efficiency goals are met for the renovations, Steinhaus said.

According to the Uniform Acquisition and Relocation Act handouts presented, tenants of the Lincoln Drive and Unity Drive homes would be provided with relocation assistance, including: payment of moving expenses to a new location and back to renovated locations and payment of utility hookups, deposits and transportation. *Mr Steinhaus plainly stated CHA is going to help these residents with their moving costs and needs and they still have complaints?

Renovations to the homes amount to a complete revamp of the interiors. Layouts would remain similar but provide increased storage, modern electrical systems and new plumbing.
The basic outer structures of the homes are in good shape, Person said.

However, not all residents shared this assessment of conditions at the properties. 

*"It's great. It needs a touch-up, but it's not in dire condition," Pryor said. "(Lincoln and Unity drive) residents are not ready to be displaced." *Is this guy some kind of a General Contractor or Housing/Building inspector of some kind? I highly doubt it. 

Mr Pryor needs to just sit down and enjoy his "Entitlement" home that is going to be reconstructed all brand new for him and all of the others on the tax payer dollar with no real strings attached but to pay his rent on time and report any maintenance issues with his new unit.

Public Housing should not be a way of life or a forever housing fix but should be a stepping stone back into the real world that it was originally designed to be. HUD along with all of their Public Housing Authorities need to come up with a much better plan to put HUD back on track in this issue. I can understand the Disabled,Elderly and some other who really need Public Housing but at some point you must be the one to be willing to step through that door back into the real world when it does open and not look back once you step through. That is what I have done by the grace of God.

Housing Authority continues discussions about renovations to housing units - Columbia Missourian

Carpe Diem(Seize the day) and Peace from Northern California.