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Oakland Housing Authority ducks question of public housing privatization
A Senior Communications Manager for the Oakland Housing Authority becomes quarrelsome when questioned about the scheme to dispose of around 1,600 conventional public housing units in Oakland!
Oakland Housing Authority ducks question of public housing privatization
By Lynda Carson -- May 5, 2010
Oakland -- After more than 30 years with the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA), Executive Director Jon Gresley declined to renew his contract with the OHA after it expired on April 30, 2010, but will remain on the job until he is replaced, sometime soon.
Under the direction of OHA's Executive Director Jon Gresley, the agency is currently in the process of privatizing and disposing of around 1,615 public housing units, out of a total of 3,308 conventional public housing units.
The public housing units being disposed of include 197 two bedroom units, 1,336 three bedroom units, and 82 units with four or more bedrooms in them, in around 255 scattered sites throughout Oakland.
Around 1,554 public housing units were occupied at the time the OHA's draft "disposition plan" became available for public viewing, on July 1, 2008.
The draft "disposition plan" became available for public viewing barely less than 7 months after OHA's Executive Director Gresley signed an agreement to settle a lawsuit that was filed against the OHA by the City of Oakland during February of 2007, over poor conditions at around 256 scattered sites, involving around 1,600 public housing units.
With around 3,885 individuals, including children being affected by the OHA's public housing disposal scheme, the estimated relocation costs, moving expenses, plus counseling and advisory services for the many families facing displacement from their public housing units are around $2,072,000, as was mentioned in the July 2008, draft disposition plan. Oakland's plan to dispose of over 1,600 public housing units, is expected to occur over a period of several years, after it was approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
As recent as March 19, 2010, the OHA trotted out a press release listing Marcus Walton as the media contact person regarding the announcement that Gresley is retiring after 32 years of employment with the OHA, and is expected to leave the agency sometime this summer.
The March 19, press release failed to mention that Gresley and the OHA are in the process of disposing of around 1,600 public housing units, and to the contrary it was mentioned, "During his tenure as executive director, Gresley has led a surge of new OHA-affiliated public and affordable rental homes. By the time he steps away, OHA or its affiliates will have built more than 1,100 additional affordable units, even during difficult economic times."
Since the press release completely omitted the fact that the OHA is in the process of privatizing and disposing of around half of it's 3,308 conventional public housing units, with Marcus Walton being listed as the one to contact regarding any questions about the release, I contacted him to seek further clarification about the dubious announcement.
On the afternoon of Tuesday May 4, 2010, during a heated 5 to 10 minute interview of Marcus Walton, Senior Communications Manager for the OHA, Walton ducked and dodged my questions about his press release and declined to talk about the OHA's scheme to dispose of around 1,600 public housing units.
When it became apparent that Walton would not discuss the loss of so many public housing units occurring in Oakland, I directly asked him why his press release failed to mention how many of Oakland's public housing units were being disposed of and privatized, even though his press release mentioned the 1,100 OHA-affiliated public and affordable rental homes being built.
"I want to talk about the various Hope V Projects such as Lion Creek Crossings that have been built in partnership with the OHA's affiliates," said Walton, "and I will not go on record talking about the plan to dispose of Oakland's public housing units."
I then pointed out that his press release lacked clarity because he omitted the fact that around 1,600 public housing units were being disposed of under Gresley's leadership, and mentioned that his release invited questions from the media regarding his announcement.
At that point, Walton did everything possible to belittle me and tried to pretend that I was wasting his time with my questions about the March 19, press release and scheme to privatize around 1,600 of Oakland's public housing units.
As Walton scrambled and did everything possible at that point to duck and dodge any more direct questions about his press release, and Gresley's scheme to privatize around half of Oakland's conventional public housing units, he suddenly stated that he just received a call from a real reporter, and hung up on me.
As recent as April 23, 2010, OHA's Executive Director Gresley made an appearance at a Special Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA) Commission meeting, along with some high priced consultants from ICF International, EJP Consulting Group, Praxis Consulting Group, and Overland, Pacific and Cutler, in the push against Berkeley's public housing residents that are opposed to the scheme to privatize their 75 mostly occupied public housing units.
Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com
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RE: re: Oakland Housing Authority ducks question of public housing privatizationWednesday, May 5, 2010 3:47 PM
From: "Marcus Walton" Add sender to Contacts
To: "Lynda Carson"
Ms. Carson,
There is no quarrel. The quote is fabricated and I would like it retracted from the article. Pretty simple and standard request when the quote is inaccurate. So please, retract the quote.
Best regards,
Marcus Walton
---------------------------------------------
Marcus Walton
Sr. Communications Manager
Oakland Housing Authority
1619 Harrison St .
Oakland, CA 94612
T: 510.874.1563
M: 510.290.9961
F: 510.874.1674
mwalton [at] oakha.org
http://www.oakha.org
From: Lynda Carson [mailto:tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 3:47 PM
To: Marcus Walton
Subject: Fw: re: Oakland Housing Authority ducks question of public housing privatization
From: Lynda Carson 510/-763-1085
To: Mr Walton - Senior Communications Manager, Oakland Housing Authority
May 5, 2010
Dear Mr. Walton
I stand by my story, and do not wish to quarrel with you.
Sincerely,
Lynda Carson
--- On Wed, 5/5/10, Marcus Walton wrote:
From: Marcus Walton
Subject: re: Oakland Housing Authority ducks question of public housing privatization
To: tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 9:16 AM
Ms.Carson,
The quote you print in the story is fabricated. Please retract the quote from your article.
Best regards,
Marcus Walton
Marcus E. Walton
Sr. Communications Manager
1619 Harrison St . , Oakland , CA 94612
T: 510.874.1563 M: 510.290.9961 F: 510.874.1674
E: mwalton [at] oakha.org W: http://www.oakha.org
Public housing residents face privatization & Section 8 funding problems
May 6, 2010
The corporate consultant's involved in the scheme to privatize public housing in Oakland and Berkeley, are depending on their ability to grab as much funding as is possible from the poor in the federal Section 8 program, to fund their public housing privatization projects, in both cities.
The profiteers involved in the scheme who are planning to grab funding from the poor in the Section 8 program to fund their projects, also plan to use long-term funding contracts through the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program to leverage even more financing from lending institutions, to follow through with their public housing privatization schemes.
Those involved as partners in the scheme include corporate consultants, housing agencies, lending institutions, and the local housing agencies so-called nonprofit housing developer affiliates.
In a nut shell, the above mentioned corporate profiteers involved in the scheme to take public housing away from the low-income households in Oakland and Berkeley, plan on grabbing as much funding as is possible from the poor in the Section 8 program, to finance their scheme to privatize public housing.
See more below...
Lynda Carson
510/763-1085
>>>>>>>>>
(OHA Document)
OHA disposition plan FAQ's update October of 2009
Creation Date of FAQ: 10/5/2009 2:46:00 PM
6. How will the disposition affect families on the waitlist for Section 8 Vouchers?
OHA received new Section 8 vouchers for the families in the scattered sites so
that families on the Section 8 wait list retain their positions on the list and will be
offered a Section 8 voucher when one becomes available through the exit of a
current participant. (Currently, the Section 8 program is at over-capacity and no
new vouchers are being issued until the program comes back down to its
authorized level.)
Creation Date: 10/5/2009 2:46:00 PM
Last Printed On: 10/6/2009 4:14:00 PM
Click below for more...
http://www.oakha.org/OhaNews/Fall2009FAQs.pdf
Disposition is a HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
process to remove the “Public Housing” designation from a property. In the case
of the Oakland Housing Authority’s scattered sites, the properties will be placed
in the HUD Section 8 program.
The process requires a change in control of the properties. In the case of the
Oakland Housing Authority’s properties, which are scattered throughout the City
and are often referred to as “scattered sites,” the properties will be a leased to a
non-profit affiliate under a long-term lease and will be operated as project-based
Section 8 housing.
8. When will my unit be moved to Section 8?
We are currently starting to meet with every scattered site household one-onone,
moving through OHA’s portfolio property by property. We anticipate the
process will go on through April, 2010. Each resident will be receiving a letter
when we get to their property, inviting them to an orientation and a one-on-one
counseling meeting. Please be patient.
Again, click below for more...
http://www.oakha.org/OhaNews/Fall2009FAQs.pdf
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
(The Section 8 Program News)
(Indy Bay News Wire)
$100 million for Section 8 housing crisis falls short
by Lynda Carson
Monday Aug 24th, 2009 10:02 PM
Click below for full story...
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/08/24/18619041.php
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
Section 8 funding crisis
by Lynda Carson -- September 9, 2009
Click below...
http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/section-8-funding-crisis/
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
BROOKLYN RESIDENTS FEAR LOSS OF HOUSING VOUCHERS
Thu, Apr 15, 2010
Olga Ovanesyan, 53, is a Russian immigrant and single mom from Brooklyn. As a student studying to be a physician’s assistant, she has no job or income and lives mostly off disability payments she receives as a result of injuries she sustained in 9/11. After living in a Manhattan shelter for several years, she finally received a Section 8 housing assistant voucher in September 2008. With her teenage daughter, she moved into a one-bedroom apartment on Ocean Parkway and Oceanview Avenue in Brighton Beach, and has lived there ever since.
But Ovanesyan may soon find herself on the street. Thanks to a $45 million deficit faced by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), thousands of low-income residents may have their housing vouchers revoked, potentially leaving them homeless.
The voucher covers 30 percent of Ovanesyan’s monthly rent, sent directly each month to her landlord. “I’m really worried,” she said. “All I want to do is finish my courses, and my daughter needs to graduate high school. I don’t know what’s going to happen now and I want to find out.”
Click below for full story...
http://tinyurl.com/3abbw94
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
A Reprieve for Some Who Receive Housing Aid
By CARA BUCKLEY
Published: April 15, 2010
Some of the 10,000 low-income families in danger of losing the rental assistance they get through a voucher program will probably keep receiving it, thanks to $23.5 million that the New York City Housing Authority is to receive from the federal government, officials said Thursday.
The money, from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, will help bridge a $45 million budget gap in the authority’s rental-voucher assistance program.
The housing authority had said it might have to cut assistance for up to 10,000 lower-income families in the program, known as Section 8, because of the budget gap. The authority did not estimate on Thursday how many families could still lose their vouchers if no additional financing came through.
In a statement, John B. Rhea, the housing authority’s chairman, described the allocation as “an enormous help,” but he said the problem was still severe.
“We still must find other sources of money to reduce the $21 million-plus deficit that remains, and we are aggressively pursuing other options to financially stabilize the program,” Mr. Rhea said.
The HUD money is coming from $150 million that Congress set aside to assist housing authorities with their voucher programs. New York City’s housing authority, the country’s largest, got the most money, said Sandra Henriquez, an assistant secretary at HUD. She said the City of Los Angeles received $10 million, the second largest amount.
Click below for full story...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/nyregion/16vouchers.html
May 6, 2010
The corporate consultant's involved in the scheme to privatize public housing in Oakland and Berkeley, are depending on their ability to grab as much funding as is possible from the poor in the federal Section 8 program, to fund their public housing privatization projects, in both cities.
The profiteers involved in the scheme who are planning to grab funding from the poor in the Section 8 program to fund their projects, also plan to use long-term funding contracts through the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program to leverage even more financing from lending institutions, to follow through with their public housing privatization schemes.
Those involved as partners in the scheme include corporate consultants, housing agencies, lending institutions, and the local housing agencies so-called nonprofit housing developer affiliates.
In a nut shell, the above mentioned corporate profiteers involved in the scheme to take public housing away from the low-income households in Oakland and Berkeley, plan on grabbing as much funding as is possible from the poor in the Section 8 program, to finance their scheme to privatize public housing.
See more below...
Lynda Carson
510/763-1085
>>>>>>>>>
(OHA Document)
OHA disposition plan FAQ's update October of 2009
Creation Date of FAQ: 10/5/2009 2:46:00 PM
6. How will the disposition affect families on the waitlist for Section 8 Vouchers?
OHA received new Section 8 vouchers for the families in the scattered sites so
that families on the Section 8 wait list retain their positions on the list and will be
offered a Section 8 voucher when one becomes available through the exit of a
current participant. (Currently, the Section 8 program is at over-capacity and no
new vouchers are being issued until the program comes back down to its
authorized level.)
Creation Date: 10/5/2009 2:46:00 PM
Last Printed On: 10/6/2009 4:14:00 PM
Click below for more...
http://www.oakha.org/OhaNews/Fall2009FAQs.pdf
Disposition is a HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
process to remove the “Public Housing” designation from a property. In the case
of the Oakland Housing Authority’s scattered sites, the properties will be placed
in the HUD Section 8 program.
The process requires a change in control of the properties. In the case of the
Oakland Housing Authority’s properties, which are scattered throughout the City
and are often referred to as “scattered sites,” the properties will be a leased to a
non-profit affiliate under a long-term lease and will be operated as project-based
Section 8 housing.
8. When will my unit be moved to Section 8?
We are currently starting to meet with every scattered site household one-onone,
moving through OHA’s portfolio property by property. We anticipate the
process will go on through April, 2010. Each resident will be receiving a letter
when we get to their property, inviting them to an orientation and a one-on-one
counseling meeting. Please be patient.
Again, click below for more...
http://www.oakha.org/OhaNews/Fall2009FAQs.pdf
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
(The Section 8 Program News)
(Indy Bay News Wire)
$100 million for Section 8 housing crisis falls short
by Lynda Carson
Monday Aug 24th, 2009 10:02 PM
Click below for full story...
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/08/24/18619041.php
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
Section 8 funding crisis
by Lynda Carson -- September 9, 2009
Click below...
http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/section-8-funding-crisis/
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
BROOKLYN RESIDENTS FEAR LOSS OF HOUSING VOUCHERS
Thu, Apr 15, 2010
Olga Ovanesyan, 53, is a Russian immigrant and single mom from Brooklyn. As a student studying to be a physician’s assistant, she has no job or income and lives mostly off disability payments she receives as a result of injuries she sustained in 9/11. After living in a Manhattan shelter for several years, she finally received a Section 8 housing assistant voucher in September 2008. With her teenage daughter, she moved into a one-bedroom apartment on Ocean Parkway and Oceanview Avenue in Brighton Beach, and has lived there ever since.
But Ovanesyan may soon find herself on the street. Thanks to a $45 million deficit faced by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), thousands of low-income residents may have their housing vouchers revoked, potentially leaving them homeless.
The voucher covers 30 percent of Ovanesyan’s monthly rent, sent directly each month to her landlord. “I’m really worried,” she said. “All I want to do is finish my courses, and my daughter needs to graduate high school. I don’t know what’s going to happen now and I want to find out.”
Click below for full story...
http://tinyurl.com/3abbw94
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
A Reprieve for Some Who Receive Housing Aid
By CARA BUCKLEY
Published: April 15, 2010
Some of the 10,000 low-income families in danger of losing the rental assistance they get through a voucher program will probably keep receiving it, thanks to $23.5 million that the New York City Housing Authority is to receive from the federal government, officials said Thursday.
The money, from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, will help bridge a $45 million budget gap in the authority’s rental-voucher assistance program.
The housing authority had said it might have to cut assistance for up to 10,000 lower-income families in the program, known as Section 8, because of the budget gap. The authority did not estimate on Thursday how many families could still lose their vouchers if no additional financing came through.
In a statement, John B. Rhea, the housing authority’s chairman, described the allocation as “an enormous help,” but he said the problem was still severe.
“We still must find other sources of money to reduce the $21 million-plus deficit that remains, and we are aggressively pursuing other options to financially stabilize the program,” Mr. Rhea said.
The HUD money is coming from $150 million that Congress set aside to assist housing authorities with their voucher programs. New York City’s housing authority, the country’s largest, got the most money, said Sandra Henriquez, an assistant secretary at HUD. She said the City of Los Angeles received $10 million, the second largest amount.
Click below for full story...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/nyregion/16vouchers.html
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