AGENDA#5d
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Report on Relocation of Public Housing Families During Comprehensive
Renovations
DATE: January 28, 2002
The purpose of this memorandum is to describe the procedures for relocating public housing families during comprehensive renovations in public housing apartments. This report responds to an inquiry from the Council on November 12, 2001. A Council member asked if something could be done to help families of school children who must change schools because of renovation work. A key point is that Housing staff maintains contact with families to inform them that they have a choice about relocating to an apartment in another public housing neighborhood.
Since 1993, comprehensive renovations have been completed in 133 apartments in four public housing neighborhoods. During the renovation process, 83 families were relocated. Of the families relocated, 65 families were relocated to other apartments in their current neighborhood. Eighteen families requested to be relocated to other public housing neighborhoods. Of these 18 families, 7 were relocated to a different elementary school district.
The comprehensive renovations process involves extensive renovation work that can only be completed in vacant apartments. Comprehensive renovations include the abatement of lead based paint and asbestos, the replacement of windows, the replacement of interior and exterior doors, interior and exterior painting, replacement of furnaces and water heaters, plumbing and electrical upgrades, replacement of bathtubs and bathroom fixtures, replacement of kitchen cabinets and countertops, and the replacement of floor tile.
DISCUSSION
Housing staff maintains contact with families throughout the renovation process to assure that they understand that they have a choice as to whether or not they are relocated to an apartment in another public housing neighborhood. Families are aware that if they choose to be relocated to another public housing neighborhood, their children may change elementary schools. Housing staff will inform families of potential changes in elementary school districts.
In addition to upgrading and improving the physical conditions of the public housing apartments, the comprehensive renovations process also provides an opportunity to address the following occupancy issues:
· “Right-sizing families” – Families are relocated to apartments that have the appropriate number of bedrooms for the number of persons in the family. Families in apartments that are too large for them would be relocated to a smaller apartment under a clause of the lease agreement. But they would be allowed to choose the neighborhood of relocation.
· Address health or handicap needs – Families are relocated to apartments that accommodate the needs of handicapped or physically ill family members.
The relocation procedures for public housing renovations are consistent with the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance (URA) Act of 1970 (please see Attachment 2). The Relocation Act defines required relocation procedures to be followed when federal funds are used for renovations. Because public housing renovations are funded under the federal Capital Fund Program, we must follow the requirements of the Act.
The comprehensive renovations relocation procedure is attached (please see Attachment 1). Key components of the relocation procedures include:
· Information about proposed renovations is distributed to all residents in the neighborhood scheduled to undergo comprehensive renovations.
· Families are informed that apartments must be vacant during renovation work and that families must be relocated to another apartment.
· Families are informed that they may choose to be relocated to another apartment in their current neighborhood or to another apartment in a different neighborhood.
· Families that choose to be relocated to apartments in other public housing neighborhoods are notified when vacant apartments become available in other neighborhoods.
· Families that choose to remain in their current neighborhood are relocated to renovated apartments as apartments are completed.
In accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act, the following relocation assistance is provided to public housing families.
· The provision of a professional moving company to move the family (includes packing and unpacking).
· Assistance with utility service transfers.
· Reimbursement for incidental costs associated with the move.
· A $50 relocation allowance.
Also, in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance Act, relocated families are not moved a second time. Therefore, families remain in the apartments to which they have chosen to be relocated and may not return to their original apartment.
Pritchard Park is the next public housing neighborhood scheduled to undergo comprehensive renovations. The following chart shows the current number of vacant apartments, the number of families that want to remain at Pritchard Park, and the number of families that want to relocate to apartments in other public housing neighborhoods.
|
Total # of Apartments |
# of Vacant Apartments |
# of Families Wanting To Remain At Pritchard Park |
# of Families Wanting To Move From Pritchard Park |
|
15 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Renovations in the 15 apartments in the Pritchard Park neighborhood are expected to begin in the spring of 2002.
Five Pritchard Park families have chosen to remain in the Pritchard Park neighborhood. Six families have chosen to be relocated to other public housing neighborhoods. Of the six families that want to be relocated to another public housing neighborhood, we have verified that 3 elementary school children would change school districts.
We would be pleased to provide any additional information the Council may request about the relocation process
ATTACHMENTS
1. Comprehensive Renovations Relocation Procedures (p. 4).
2. HUD Handbook 1378 Chapter 2–General Relocation Assistance Requirements (p. 6).
3. HUD Handbook 1378 Chapter 3–Relocation Payments–Families and Individuals (p. 20).
ATTACHMENT 1
CHAPEL HILL DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATIONS
RELOCATION PROCEDURES
This policy of the Chapel Hill Department of Housing describes procedures for relocating public housing families during comprehensive renovation work in public housing neighborhoods.
To accomplish comprehensive renovations, public housing families must be relocated to another public housing apartment. Although most families are relocated to another apartment in their current public housing neighborhood, some families are relocated to another apartment in another neighborhood.
Families affected by comprehensive relocations are relocated to another public housing apartment in accordance with the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance (URA) Act of 1970. The Uniform Relocation Assistance Act is applicable to all programs and projects funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
In accordance with the URA Act, the following relocation assistance is provided for public housing families.
· Professional services to move families (includes packing and unpacking).
Also, in accordance with the URA Act, because federal funds are used to move families, federal funds cannot be used to move the families a second time.
As required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development information about proposed renovations is distributed to all residences in the affected neighborhood. In addition, a community meeting is held with residents for the following purposes:
Other procedures include the following:
· Individual meetings are held the heads of households to discuss:
- whether or not the family want to be relocated to an apartment in another neighborhood or if the family want to be relocated to another apartment in their current neighborhood
- family composition
- utilities to be transferred (electricity, water/sewer, telephone, cablevision)
· Families that choose to be relocated to apartments in another public housing neighborhood are notified as vacant apartments in other neighborhoods become available.
· Vacant apartments that become available in other neighborhoods are offered to families that want to move to another neighborhood.
· Families that choose to remain in their current neighborhood are relocated to newly renovated apartments as they are completed.