Section 8 Housing

This is some information I asked the Executive Director of the DHA to prepare.

Danville Housing Authority – Talking Points – April 2006

Danville Housing Authority Mission
The mission of the Housing Authority of the City of Danville, Illinois is to assist low income families with safe, decent, sanitary and affordable housing; encourage active resident participation, and provide opportunities for self-improvement which may enhance the residents’ self-confidence and economic self-sufficiency. We shall operate in an effective, ethical and professional manner, and will create and maintain partnerships with its clients and appropriate community agencies to accomplish this mission.

Danville Housing Authority Statistics
The Housing Authority was formed by a request from the City of Danville in 1939 (via a Statement of Need) with the Approval of the State Housing Authority under the authority of the Federal government – Department of Housing and Urban Development. We are one of about 3,200 Housing Authorities in the country. The Danville Housing Authority is a municipal corporation.

We are primarily Federally Funded through an Annual Contributions Contract with approximately a $5.5MM Annual Budget for all programs. Currently for Public Housing, we have about a $1.6MM budget with about 80% subsidy and the balance in rent and other income. Section 8 has about a $2MM annual budget. Capital Fund, which is a formula based calculation, has an annual budget around $900M per year. We also are currently receiving two Department of Human Service grants. These two grants pay for the majority of our resident services that we provide and are focused on the children.

We do not receive any compensation from the City or the County for funding. Our agreement with the city is to provide the same services to the residents of Public Housing as they provide for all other residents of the community. We do pay the city about $3,600 per month for garbage to be picked up twice a week at each site. We do however have a contract for additional police protection for $50,000 per year paid out of Capital fund. The Mayor of the City of Danville appoints our Board of Commissioners with the approval of the City Council.

Families must meet HUD guidelines for occupancy. Families pay 30% of their adjusted income as rent. Income Verification, Full Criminal Back Ground Check (NCIC) & Credit References are preformed.[/color]

Public Housing stock: 537 Total Units

   Fair Oaks – 326 Units consisting of 1 to 5 bed room apartments - Family

   Beeler Terrace – 51 Units consisting of 1 to 4 bed room apartments – Family

   Churchill Towers – 50 Units 0 and 1 Bed room – Senior and Disabled

   Madison Court – 10 Units 0 & 1 Bed Room – Senior and Disabled

   Mer-Che Manor – 100 Units 0 to 2 Bed Room – Senior and Disabled

We also own the Carver Park property located on Williams and Section Streets. The 130 family units were razed in the late 1990’s after the flood of the early 1990’s. There is also another piece of property located in the old Elmwood School area just off of Griffin Street.

We currently have 11 of the 537 units programmed for resident services. Eight of those units are located in the Family Enrichment building on Belton which houses our three alternative education labs with Danville District #118, our Teen Reach Program, the Head Start Facility and other areas used for student and resident services. One unit located on Campbell is used by DACC for GED training and adult education tutoring. The Police substation unit is located on Fairchild and the last unit is located at Churchill Towers and is used for a weight room/exercise room for the residents. There is also an exercise/weight room located at Mer-Che Manor.

Beginning in April 2006, we have started the process to track expenditures for project based accounting. We have grouped the projects together as follows to comply with these regulations: Fair Oaks is actually 3 HUD projects and we are combining them as one; Beeler Terrace, Churchill Towers and Madison Court will be combined; and Mer-Che Manor will stand alone.

The Housing Authority has a “NO TRESPASS LIST” or more commonly called the Barred List. The individuals who find themselves on this list are no longer welcome on any Housing Authority Property and can be immediately arrested for trespassing. Placement on the “Barred” list is regulated by the Housing Authority but in conjunction with the Danville Police Department’s recommendations. Often times, the recommendation for inclusion on the list is made by the Police Department. A drug, violent action or weapons charge is an automatic three-year inclusion on the list. Removal from the list is reviewed periodically with Police Department input after a thorough background investigation.

All Evictions follow Illinois State Law and HUD regulations. If evicted for a non-violent/non-drug related incident, there is a six-month waiting period before an applicant may re-apply. If someone is currently serving probation or is on parole, they must be in compliance with the authorities for one-year prior with no additional problems to being eligible for housing. If there is a conviction for a violent crime or drugs, not including methamphetamine, there is a five-year waiting period after the conviction before they may apply for housing. For life-time registered sex offenders or a methamphetamine conviction, the applicant will not be eligible for life to receive housing. These admission restrictions apply to both the Public Housing Program and the Section 8 Program. These same regulations apply to current residents and if they find themselves in these situations, they will be evicted or terminated off the program.

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers:
We currently have the availability of leasing 620 Vouchers. Twenty-Five of these Vouchers are for the Family Unification Program. This program is through the Department of Children and Family Services and is able to reunite families whom would otherwise have separate living environments. The actual number of leases is regulated by the total Dollar Budget available each year and not actually 620 units. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to the landlord is based on the size of the unit and the income calculation of each tenant. We pay a percentage of their rent directly to the landlord. Section 8 is Rental assistance, and the Housing Authority is a conduit to the landlords. Vouchers are portable and the tenant could leave the area after a one-year stay.

The following are Section 8 Preferences which when added to an application will prioritize that application on the Section 8 wait list: Two parent families; Working families; Families who are paying more than 30% of their adjusted income for rent and utilities; Families who are paying more than 50% of their gross income for rent and utilities; Families who are graduates of or actively participating in educational or training programs designed to prepare for the job market; Families living in substandard housing; Families who are involuntarily displaced if by disaster, or by domestic violence, to avoid reprisal, or by hate crimes. Federally declared disaster victims will actually receive additional preference points.

All Section 8 properties are inspected by our staff at least on an annual basis and must comply with HUD’s Housing Quality Standards. We are currently working with the City to enhance our inspections to possibly assist the City with specific Code monitoring.

There are 1,800 Section 8 units in town according to the City’s Consolidated Plan – we have about 30%. The other is privately owned. The City Plan Chapter 4.05 lists the following as assisted/Section 8: Danville VA Apartments; Immanuel Senior Apartments; Vermilion House; Plaza Commons Apartments; Valleyview Apartments; Vermilion Garden Apartments and Wolford Apartments. These properties are considered Project Based Section 8 where the assistance is with the unit and not the tenant.

Rumor – Advertising for Section 8 – we are currently paying for commercials on Insight Cable TV in Vermilion County only for senior Public Housing apartments.
Annual Audit – as required by the Federal Single Audit Act

Programs Offered by the Danville Housing Authority

Teen REACH
This is a program through the Department of Human Services. This program is designed to promote academic achievement, community service, enhance life skills and promote social activity. Teen Reach is for youth ages 9-17. Referrals may be made to this program by your child’s school. Activities for participants include: tutoring, recreation, community services projects and many other activities. Hours for this program are Monday through Friday 3:00 to 6:00 PM during the school year and in the summer and the hours change to accommodate program activities.

Lake View School of Nursing/University of Illinois School of Nursing
Both of these nursing schools provide student mentors for our youth. They work with the Teen Reach program students and provide tutoring and mentoring.

After School Tutoring
This program is for youth in grades K-12. Students are assisted with school assignments and projects. This program is held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at 1029 Belton in our Family Enrichment Center.

Girls Scouts
For girls in grades 1 through 5. Held on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:45

Summer Food
The Illinois School Board of Education sponsors this program. Lunch meals are served for youth 18 and under, and to persons over the age of 18 years old who are enrolled in a state approved education program for the mentally of physically disabled. This Program is made available with the assistance of Danville School District #118.

School Based Prevention Education
This is a program through the Department of Human Services. The Botvin’s Life Skills is offered to all youth in grades 6-8 at South View Middle School. This program is during school hours. The program provides youth with tools needed to resist peer pressure and target the primary causes of substance use to prevent use by youth.

GED
Danville Housing Authority provides space to allow for GED classes on site in the Fair Oaks Housing complex. Sessions are normally held Monday through Thursday from noon – 2:00 PM. Please call 431-7072 for more information. The classes are taught through Danville Area Community College. Currently, DACC requires a minimum of 10 students to justify this off site location.

Alternative Education Classes/Truancy Education
These programs are collaborations with Danville District #118, Project Success and the Juvenile Justice Council. These programs allow students suspended from regular school classes or ordered to attend due to school truancy to continue to participate in a classroom setting and gain some of the credits they would otherwise lose. Students are given the option to participate in this program through the school district. Students utilize the NOVA Net computer-assisted education system to complete academic courses. This Program serves both Middle School and High School students. This is the only in-district Middle School Program offered by District #118.

Head Start Program
With the assistance of Community Action of East Central Illinois, an early childhood Head Start Program is housed in our Family Enrichment Center. This program services pre-kindergarten children to help prepare them for grade school.

District #118 Summer School Program
Danville School District #118 has held summer school session for youth in grades K-3. The students are referred to the program by their respective elementary school teachers so they will be allowed to participate in the program. Students are then notified before the end of the school year if they are eligible for the program

Onsite location of District #118 Staff
Meade Park Elementary School’s Principal has an office in our Family Enrichment Center to provide more direct contact with the parents of that school’s students. Our students are divided into two elementary buildings; Meade Park and Edison. From there they travel to their appropriate Middle School and then to the High School. Also the Director of Alternate Education with Danville District #118 has an office with in the Family Enrichment Center.

Danville Police Department
The Housing Authority has a contract with the City of Danville to provide special Police presence at the Housing Authority’s properties. They also maintain an office in the Fair Oaks Housing Complex located at 1611 Fairchild Street. With the aid of the recently purchased laptop computer and a wireless internet connection, the officers have the same computer capabilities as if they were located in the police station. Our officers also provide background security checks (NCIC) of all of our applications for housing and employment.