Executive Director Judy Kosloski will meet Thursday with Verizon software representatives to finalize the content of the online application for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private market, she told the board at a meeting Tuesday.
“We were at a conference and ... most of the housing authorities we talked to said they put (the application) on their website and they advertised it would be strictly online application,” Kosloski said, noting that applicants will be able to fill out applications using a computer or smartphone.
“We’re going to put something in our (newspaper ad) and on our website that if they had a problem or difficulty filling out the application online, they should call the office and we’ll have other options and suggestions — whether they can use a family member, whether they can go to the library,” Kosloski said.
As a last resort, paper applications would be made available, she said.
Board member Vaughn Koter asked that computers be made available to applicants at the authority office, and board member Patricia Gazenski asked that information also be sent to TV stations.
Rent write-offs
In other business, the board voted to write off $34,371 in uncollected rents for 2021, which Kosloski said is 33% less than the write-off for 2020.
“Considering we’re in the middle of a pandemic, and with finances the way they are and still to be down 33%, that’s remarkable,” Koter said.
“It makes sense that that number is down,” board member Christine Jensen said. “It’s the lowest it’s been ... in the last 10 years because there was a lot of money available to help people who were having difficulties, so that’s a good thing.”
Kosloski noted that the authority was not allowed to evict anyone for nonpayment of rent during the coronavirus pandemic eviction moratorium. Instead of sending out lease cancellation notices, the authority sent out letters stating, “This is what your balance is, and we’ll work with you on setting up a repayment agreement,” she said.
The authority also provided information on how to contact Commission on Economic Opportunity for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which so far paid the authority $49,780 in back rent for 23 tenants who were in danger of eviction. Five other tenants have applications for back rent totaling $7,400 that are pending with CEO, Kosloski said.
“Now, they’re getting lease cancellation letters, but we’re also continuing to inform them about the ERAP,” she said of tenants behind on rent.
A collection agency will continue attempting to collect the $34,371 the board wrote off, and because housing authorities share debt information, someone who owes one housing authority back rent will not be able to rent through a different housing authority, she said.
Sprinklers coming
Board member and city fire chief Jay Delaney asked about progress on having fire suppression (sprinkler) systems installed at the high-rises.
Kosloski said she anticipates applying to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development within two months for permission to borrow funds to install sprinklers at all four high-rises as one project and pay back the loan using capital fund money.
If HUD approves the plan, the project likely can go out for bid this fall. If HUD does not, the authority will have to use capital funding as it becomes available, which would mean sprinklers would be installed at one high-rise at a time over a four- to five-year period.
Jensen said the board would have future meetings at the authority’s various properties after the weather breaks so more tenants can more easily attend.
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