HOUSING

Looking for accessible housing?? Do you want to apply for low cost housing, Section 8 - or do you want to know more about Fair Housing or Home Modifications?? Well...you have arrived at the right place! The facilitator bio, pic and contact information will be posted soon - so check back often!!

How about some great tips on Home Safety?

The Housing Assistance Council's APPLYING FOR HUD RURAL HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (RHED) IN 2006 training is now available free for download at http://www.ruralhome.org/events.php?id=187". We apologize for the delay due to technical problems.

Under RESOURCES click on: Applying for RHED in 2006, Audio-Web Training Presentation, 3/30/2006 (Windows Media Audio-Video File).

There is no charge for accessing the Windows Media Audio-Video file. PowerPoint slides are also available for free download. A couple of additional items:

• SUBSCRIBE TO HAC NEWS! HAC NEWS keeps you up to date on rural housing. Sign up at http://www.ruralhome.org/signup.php.

- UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Building Green in Rural America: Affordable and Sustainable Housing, April 25-26, Atlanta;
  
• Preserving Rural Rental Housing: A Practitioner's Conference, May 24-26, Seattle;
  
• National Rural Housing Conference: Building Communities, Celebrating Partnerships, December 6-8, Washington, D.C.
  

More information is always available on http://www.ruralhome.org

Thank you!
Sincerely,

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC)

HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL, CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF BUILDING RURAL COMMUNITIES, 1971-2006

Message distributed to APRIL members at the request of Linda Gonzales, by:

Who Are We?

The Arizona Fair Housing Center (AFHC) is a private, independent, 501 C (3), non-profit fair housing agency. AFHC was originally incorporated in 1987 and began staffed operations in October of 1989 as the Metropolitan Phoenix Fair Housing Center; the first fair housing agency in the state of Arizona. In 1994 the agency changed its name from the Metropolitan Phoenix Fair Housing Center to the Arizona Fair Housing Center when its operations and activities went statewide under a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant.

The AFHC focuses on eliminating housing discrimination based on federal, state and local fair housing laws. En espanol.

Who We Work With and For:

The AFHC works with tenants, landlords, homeowners, real estate professionals, loan officers, housing counselors, social service agencies and community service organizations. Click here to view AFHC brochure.

Join "Friends of the Arizona Fair Housing Center" TODAY!

Funding for this website provided by HUD.

The Arizona Department of Housing

Check out this site! Here you will find answers to housing questions as well as explanations regarding the many programs available. There's tons of information! Downloadable forms are available.

Wheelchair Accessibility Guide for Single-Family Homes

The Right Space is an easy-to-use resource for designing or remodeling a safe, attractive home for the entire family.

This book’s 236 pages and 300+ 3-D drawings illustrate accessible sidewalks and bathrooms and kitchens. The illustrations make this guide an ideal resource for both consumers and professionals in the building industry.

How Is Your Housing Authority Doing with Accessible Public Housing Units?

Information Bulletin # 112 (5/06)

One Public Housing Authority and one Center for Independent Living have recently reached a terrific written agreement to increase the number of accessible public housing units. As many of you know, since 1988 HUD has required each Housing Authority to have "a minimum" of five percent of its total units fully accessible for persons with mobility and physical impairments (i.e., in compliance with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards) and another one percent accessible for hearing impairments and for visual impairments.

Specifically, after more than two years of negotiating, Access Center for Independent Living and the Dayton (Ohio) Public Housing Authority have reached a written agreement and entered a "partnership." In it, the HA agreed :

Congratulations ACIL! If you want to know how ACIL accomplished this, you can telephone Alan Cochran, E.D., 937-341-5202.

How many of your Housing Authorities are in compliance with the minimum "5%/2%" Section 504 civil rights mandate? We now have data available from the Census Report "Americans with Disabilities: 2002" and HUD's CHAS website that shows the need for accessible public housing units well above "5%/2%" minimum!!! Have any of you requested this increase?

Listed below by State are a list of the larger Housing Authorities (primarily those with more than 1000 total units). We calculated the approximate number of their total housing units that should be accessible, meet the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards and should have persons residing in them who require the accessibility features.

QUESTIONS FOR DISABILITY ADVOCATES:

• How is your HA doing?
• Does your HA have the required number of UFAS accessible units?
• Do you know where the UFAS accessible units are located by street address?
• Do you know if people with disabilities reside in these UFAS accessible units?

Without answers to these questions, you cannot know if the Rehabilitation Act's Section 504 civil rights for persons with disabilities are implemented.

Number of Accessible Units By State and Local HA

AK- Anchorage 67 UFAS Accessible Units

AL - Birmingham 289 UFAS Accessible Units; Mobile 203 UFAS Accessible Units; Anniston 69; Montgomery 163

AR - North Little Rock 54; Little Rock 64,/p>

AZ - Phoenix 131; Tucson 77

CA - San Francisco 320; Monterey Park 148; Oakland 166; Los Angeles 371; Sacramento City 104; Sacramento County 53; Fresno 47; Martinez 53; Belmont 57; San Bernardino 87; Fresno 50; San Diego 68

CO - Denver 192; Pueblo 48

CT- Bridgeport 124; Norwalk 41; Hartford 72; New Haven 154; New Britain 40; Stamford 44

DE- Wilmington 102;Dover 26

FL- Jacksonville 135; Tampa 187; Orlando 72

GA- Augusta 134; Savannah 121; Athens 68; Columbus 83; Atlanta 523; Macon 104; Albany 61

HI - Honolulu 275

IL- East St. Louis 107; Chicago 1399; Peoria 67; Springfield 55; Decatur 55; Ottawa 48; Rockford 104; Joliet 57; Cook County 104; Belleville 51

IN- Gary 116; New Albany 41; Evansville 54; Indianapolis 91; Terre Haute 43; East Chicago 40

LA- New Orleans - unknown at present.

KS- Kansas City 103; Topeka 32; Wichita 29

KY- Louisville 269; Lexington 68; Paducah 44

LA- Shreveport 52; Baton Rouge 55; Monroe 77; Lake Charles 42,

MA- Lowell 82; Boston 592; Cambridge 98; Fall River 78; New Bedford 82; Lawrence 53, Worcester 109; Malden 46; Brockton 62

MD- Annapolis 55; Baltimore 726; Kensington 78; Hagerstown 54

ME- Portland 57

MI- Detroit 208; Flint 62; Inkster 41

MN- St Paul 213; Minneapolis 348; Duluth 55

MO- St Louis 205; Kansas City 107

MS- Meridian 54; Corinth 60; Gulfport 80

NC- Wilmington 64; Raleigh 80; Charlotte 178; Kinston 40; High Point 56; Ashville 77; Fayetteville 52; Greensboro 115; Winston-Salem 96; Durham 98; Goldsboro 61; Salisbury 52

ND- Fargo 29; Bismarck 16

NE- Omaha 141

NH- Manchester 58; Nashua 33

NJ- Newark 425; Elizabethtown 60; North Bergen 49; Jersey City 98; Camden 91; Bayonne 68; Atlantic City 85; Hoboken 68; Paterson 90

NM- Albuquerque 58

NV- Las Vegas 48; Reno 38

NY- Syracuse 117; Buffalo 215; Yonkers 130; New York City 8,025; Utica 49; Albany 82; Troy 64; Schenectady 52; Rochester 125; Uniondale 65; Plainview 46

OH- Columbus 189; Youngstown 79; Cleveland 506; Cincinnati 311' Dayton 185; Toledo 158; Akron 231; Warren 69; Portsmouth 44; Loraine 73; Steubenville 40; Hamilton 66; Canton 128

OK- Oklahoma City 157

OR- Portland 117

PA- Pittsburgh 360; Philadelphia 839; Scranton 66; Allentown 72; McKeesport 53; Allegheny County 196; Harrisburg 88; Erie 93; Bethlehem 73; Reading 81; Uniontown 79; Beaver 90; Greensburg 97; Johnstown 83; York 55; New Castle 45; Dunmore 57

RI- Providence 130; Pawtucket 56; Woonsocket 65; Newport 44

SC- Charlestown 69; Columbia 86; Spartanburg 59; Greenville 48; Laurens 69

TN- Memphis 231; Johnson City 38; Knoxville 188; Chattanooga 164; Nashville 265; Jackson 43; LaFollette 58

TX- Austin 96; El Paso 301; Fort Worth 113; Houston 331; Brownsville 50; Corpus Christi 92; Dallas 233; Waco 45; Laredo 48; Galveston 49

UT- Salt Lake City 32

VA- Portsmouth 57; Newport News 108; Alexandria 45; Norfolk 179; Richmond 212; Roanoke 69; Fairfax 53;

WA- Seattle 264; King County 150; Bremerton 30; Tacoma 62

WI- Milwaukee 220; Madison 38

WV- Charleston 68; Huntington 46

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues-

Distributed to APRIL members at the request of Linda Gonzales, by:

Reasonable Accommodations and Federally-funded Housing.

Two recent HUD actions deserve the attention of disability advocates: 1. On July 7, 2006, HUD obtained a $12,000 settlement for a resident of the St. Louis City Housing Authority (SLCHA, i.e., public housing), who alleged the SLCHA violated the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in refusing to transfer her to an accessible unit. Yvette Acon, a resident with a degenerative spinal disc disease, requested a transfer to a first-floor unit because her condition made it difficult to walk and climb stairs. Ms.Acon claimed that the SLCHA denied her request for a transfer even though she had provided medical documentation to support her need for an accessible apartment. [We all know of these cases!]

Under the Fair Housing Act and Section 504, housing providers are required to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities by changing their rules, policies, practices, or services so that a person with a disability will have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling unit or common space.

Ms. Acon and SLCHA resolved the complaint by entering into a conciliation agreement. Under the agreement, SLCHA will pay Ms.Acon a monetary settlement of $12,000 and will allow her to transfer to the first available apartment that meets her needs. [Unfortunately, we have also all heard of these situations.]

HUD Issues Corrective Action Order to Gainesville, FL Housing Authority. HUD Settles Reasonable Accommodation Complaint

On July 18, 2006, HUD issued a Corrective Action Order (CAO) to the Housing Authority of the City of Gainesville, Florida (GHA) to remedy its noncompliance with fair housing laws and regulations. During 2005, HUD found GHA to be in noncompliance with fair housing laws and regulations in several program areas.

Previously, HUD had issued letters of findings of noncompliance in GHA's Public Housing and Multifamily Housing programs with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and had charged GHA with violating the Fair Housing Act by failing to make a reasonable accommodation for a married couple with disabilities. GHA has not entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA) or undertaken the necessary steps to remedy the noncompliance. [In Information Bulletin #111, May 18, 2006, we provided a list of VCAs by Housing Authority. If your HA has an outstanding VCA and its' still violating its terms, this Gaineville complaint could be pursed.]

The CAO restricts GHA's access to all Capital Fund Program (CFP) funds not already obligated or under contract to expenditures necessary to cure the civil rights noncompliance and to remedy emergency situations. The CAO also requires GHA to obtain HUD approval for all obligations and expenditures of CFP funds. The restriction is in effect until GHA implements a HUD-approved Voluntary Compliance Agreement to remedy its fair housing deficiencies. HUD may take further enforcement actions if GHA fails to execute and implement a VCA in a timely manner.

What Disability Advocates Could Do:

While historically individual complaints filed with HUD received mixed action and results, the above two actions suggest disability advocates should file more individual complaints. The two remedies - one money for the person discriminated against and the other restricting the Housing Authority's expenditures of capital funds - may be available in other cities. Our experience is that each regional HUD office is quite different. It's quite easy; a letter to your regional HUD office on behalf of the person with disability. We suggest you also send a copy of the complaint to national HUD to Kim Kendrick, FHEO, HUD,451 7th St, S.W. Wash, D.C., 20410.

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects.

To contact Steve Gold directly, write to http://www.stevegoldada.com or call 215-627-7100.





Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST is an initiative designed to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. The program offers comprehensive and detailed instruction programs, useful online web resources, and a toll-free information line for technical guidance and support. Go to www.fairhousingfirst.org to view the site.

HAC News:Information on rural low-income housing issues

ELECTION WILL SHIFT CONGRESSIONAL HOUSING LEADERSHIP. With Democrats winning control of both the House and the Senate on November 7, a new cast will emerge in the 110th Congress for USDA rural housing and HUD programs. Sens. Christopher Dodd (Conn.) and Jack Reed (R.I.) are in line to chair the Senate Banking Committee and its Housing Subcommittee. On the Senate Appropriations Committee, Robert Byrd (W.Va.), Patty Murray (Wash.), and Herb Kohl (Wisc.) will likely chair the full panel and the Transportation-Treasury-HUD and Agriculture Subcommittees. In the House Reps. Barney Frank (Mass.) and Maxine Waters (Calif.) are in line to chair the full Financial Services Committee and its Housing Subcommittee. On House Appropriations, Rep. David Obey (Wisc.) will be full committee chair, while Reps. John Olver (Mass.) and Rosa DeLauro (Conn.) are in line to head the T-THUD and Agriculture Subcommittees. Also being mentioned is the possibility that the T-THUD panel, thought by some to be unwieldy, might be reorganized into a new subcommittee structure. If this happens the subcommittees’ leadership might change. Subcommittee chairs are also subject to change based on members’ seniority.

APPROPRIATIONS STILL PENDING.Congress returned November 13 for a lame duck session with HUD, agriculture and most other FY 2007 appropriations bills not yet passed. This week the lawmakers will pass another continuing resolution through December 8. The full Senate may pass its USDA appropriations bill this week also. It remains unclear whether there will be further CRs or an omnibus bill to combine appropriations measures. A final across-the-board cut of at least 1% is very likely. Check HAC’s site, http://www.ruralhome.org,for updates.

RURAL RENTAL HOUSING PRESERVATION TRENDS CONTINUE. USDA data provided to HAC show that in FY 2006 the loans on 2,189 Section 515 units were prepaid, while only 486 new units were constructed. Restrictions will keep 1,009 of the prepaid units affordable; this is 45% of the total, compared to 47% in FY 2005 and 72% in 2004. Owners of 1,096 units received incentives (equity loans and/or new Rental Assistance) and agreed not to prepay. Most Section 515 funds ($61.8 million of the $99 million available) and the new Multi-Family Housing Preservation and Revitalization Restructuring (MPR) Demonstration repaired or rehabilitated 4,001 and 2,263 units, respectively. Some prepaid units may remain affordable without restrictions, and some properties may be revitalized using other sources of funds. Contact Leslie Strauss, HAC, leslie@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

HOUSING LEADERS HONORED, FACTS UPDATED FOR NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. Throughout November, the National American Indian Housing Council’s website, http://www.naihc.net, will highlight Native housing leaders. An updated factsheet on the site describes demographics, housing needs, and some resources.

EVENTS PLANNED TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF HOMELESSNESS. November 12-18 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, cosponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homelessness. Visit http://www.nationalhomeless.org or contact NCH, 202-462-4822. NCH and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council are sponsoring National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on December 21. Details are at http://www.nhchc.org/memorialday.html, or contact NCH.

PRIMARY CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS IS SHORTAGE OF FEDERAL FUNDING, REPORT SAYS. A new study from the Western Regional Advocacy Project concludes that a new federal commitment to the preservation and production of affordable housing in both urban and rural areas is essential. Without Housing: Decades of Federal Housing Cutbacks, Massive Homelessness, and Policy Failures is free at http://www.wraphome.org.

AARP FINDS SENIORS LIST AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOURTH AMONG COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. AARP studied urban and rural residents age 60 and older. Rural seniors were more likely than urban (68% and 38%) to be “very satisfied” with their counties. Aging, Migration, and Local Communities: The Views of 60+ Residents and Community Leaders is free at http://www.aarp.org/research/press-center/presscurrentnews (select October 27 press release).

RURAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRESS SUMMARIZED. A brief from the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities describes how the latest federal transportation act helps rural people with disabilities. Visit http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Trn/Policy.htm or contact RTC, 888-268-2743, rural@ruralinstitute.umt.edu

RURAL LEARNING NETWORK OFFERS DEGREES. Rural community builders and activists may earn a certificate or academic degree through independent study, project implementation, and participation in a month-long institute. A sponsoring organization contribution is required for tuition. January 15 is the deadline for next spring’s Institute. Rural Development Leadership Network, www.ruraldevelopment.org, 212-777-9137, rdln@ruraldevelopment

THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR HAC’S NATIONAL RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE 2006! For details visit http://www.ruralhome.org or contact HAC staff, 202-842-8600 ext. 108, HACconference2006@ruralhome.org.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE COUNCIL, CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF BUILDING RURAL COMMUNITIES, 1971-2006

This comes to us from Steve Gold at The Disability Odyssey www.stevegoldada.com

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online with a searchable archive arranged by subject. To contact Steve Gold , write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.

November 21, 2006

A Housing Victory - Information Bulletin # 184 (11/06)

On November 20, 2006, after four years of struggle, the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Center for Independent Living and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh entered a Court approved class action Settlement Agreement.

This victory follows several losses in court and shows what can be accomplished when local disability advocates vigorously fight for accessible, affordable, integrated housing and when they are truly committed to enforce the civil rights in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The Settlement Agreement requires substantial number of UFAS (Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards) public housing units to be developed by the Housing Authority. Specifically, 321UFAS accessible units will be developed from the Housing Authority's existing housing inventory. These will reflect the full range of both bedroom sizes and geographical locations. These will also result in 10% of the public housing for seniors and 5% for families be fully UFAS accessible.

It also requires private developers in Mixed-Income Communities receiving public housing subsidies have 10% of their existing units UFAS accessible.

Further, HA's planned new housing shall have 10% of the units UFAS accessible, thus increasing the overall public housing inventory to above 8% UFAS accessible.

Regarding the Housing Authority's obligations to "maximize the occupancy of UFAS accessible units" by individuals needing these units, the Settlement Agreement goes beyond the federal regulations. For example, it provides that persons who need accessible units may apply for the "first available" accessible unit in any of HA's projects and be placed on all waiting lists, and information regarding all of the accessible units will be made available.

The Settlement Agreement puts the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living at the table with the HA and any private developers. For example, if the HA has an accessible unit and does not know of a person who needs it, the HA shall notify TRCIL "before leasing such unit" to a nondisabled person "in order to allow TRCIL to locate a person who needs and qualifies for such a unit."

The HA agreed to work with TRCIL to assure that residents in nursing homes with disabilities are afforded equal access to accessible units.

Disability Advocates:

There are many, many public housing authorities throughout the country that violate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act because they do not have at least 5% of their units UFAS accessible and have not maximized occupancy of accessible units. The question is why other Centers for Independent Living and other disability advocates have not accomplished or even tried to achieve these results for persons with disabilities in their communities, especially since HUD in the spring, 2006 allocated $2.2 billion for capital improvements. See HUD Allocates Capital Funds and Accessible Units, Information Bulletin #163.

"Power concedes nothing without a struggle."

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues...

SAVE THE DATE!!

“FAIR HOUSING IN THE TRENCHES”

A must-attend fair housing seminar designed for real estate agents, HOA boards and managers, and rental property owners, managers and leasing staff. Learn how to identify and prevent housing discrimination.

Hear a victim’s real-life experience with housing discrimination Vignettes based upon actual Arizona fair housing cases with analysis by a panel of industry and government experts and audience discussion; Assistive animal presentation and demonstration

*The Arizona Fair Housing Partnership is a statewide coalition of real estate and rental housing trade associations, government agencies, social service organizations and housing advocates who support and promote fair housing.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting Monica Schulik at: (602) 248-7787. Requests should be made as early as possible to arrange the accommodation.