Keeping In Touch

First Quarter 2008
March
Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers
Keeping In Touch
The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers Made History in 2008!
Special points of
interest:
•
Housing Authority
Made History!
•
Mistress of Ceremony Ms. Tyisha
Fernandes Fox 4
News
•
HOPE VI Update
•
Family SelfSufficiency Information
•
Employee Spotlight
•
Upcoming Inspections
•
HACFM Mission
Inside this issue:
Executive Director’s
Message
2
First Annual Banquet 3
Keynote Speaker
Michigan Neighbor4
hood Network Center
Senior Corner
5
Resident Services/
FSS
6
Housing Information
710
Housing Choice
Voucher Program
11
The Housing Authority of the City
of Fort Myers (HACFM) has been
in existence as a not-for-profit
government entity created over 45
years ago. The HACFM owns and
manages six public housing developments and one Section 8 project
based development. Our mission
is to serve the extremely low, moderately low and low-income residents. In addition, our goal is to
assist families in becoming economically self-sufficient, independent of government assistance.
and services are rendered through
partnering with other agencies and
organizations in the community it
has brought about changes in the
lives of our residents.
The Resident Services and HOPE
VI Departments collectively identified residents who are making
strides in successfully moving
toward self-sufficiency. Becoming
economically self-sufficient is a
struggle for most families in public
housing, however our job is to
educate them and ensure the famiThe HACFM has made history in
lies are aware of the resources and
2008. The Family Self-Sufficiency services available to them. The
program was a dream come true
HACFM held it’s First Annual
for the HACFM in 2003. The for- Recognition Award Banquet on
mer Director of Resident Services/ February 22, 2008 at the Pelican
Family Self-Sufficiency Coordina- Preserve, Magnolia Ball Room.
tor, Mrs. Marcia Davis ignited a
Fifth Third Bank was the Platinum
program regulated by the Housing Sponsor, while Norstar Developand Urban Development Office
ment USA, L. P., and TAG Asso(HUD). The program is designed
ciates Inc. was Gold Sponsors.
to assist families in becoming self- The Mistress of Ceremony was
sufficient. The grants awarded to
Ms. Tyisha Fernandes, Fox 4
HACFM in support of the FSS
News Reporter. The Keynote
participants has allowed public
Speaker, the former Senator of
housing families receive assistance Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Nadine Thoto attend a trade school to receive
mas stood at the podium and
Certified Nursing Assistant certifi- shared an inspirational message
cation, Childcare assistance, Fiwith the honorees. The Dunbar
nancial Literacy Education, GenHigh School Trio Band was star
eral Education Development and
performers, the music was outmany more services and resources. standing and accommodating to
Although some of the resources
the environment. It was an eve-
Ms. Tyisha Fernandes, Mistress of
Ceremony, Fox 4 News Reporter
ning to remember as the honorees
walked across the stage to receive
their awards. There was a total of
fourteen residents recognized for
their accomplishments; a mixed
combination of Housing Choice
Voucher and Public Housing Residents: Roderick Boston, Fransharlette Daniels, Mayra Delgado,
Tameacca Duncan, Stacey
Stephens-Gordon, Phonenicia
Grant, Robbe LeVatt Hampton,
Helene Harris, Pauline Hypolyte,
Belinda Jackson, Marisol Morales,
Rosa Murphy, Mamie Scrivens
and Candice Wicks. On behalf of
the Housing Authority of the City
of Fort Myers, the Board of Commissioners, Mr. Marcus Goodson,
and staff: thanks to our platinum
sponsor Fifth Third, the gold sponsors Norstar and TAG Associates ,
Story continues on page 3.
Keeping In Touch
The Executive Director’s Message
Greetings,
“As we prepare to close out
another fiscal year, we often
reflect on the successes as well
as disappointments that we
experienced during the current
year.” Mr. Marcus D. Goodson,
Executive Director.
“Either way this will
be a moment in
history that many said
would never come, at
least in their
lifetimes.”
It is hard to begin any conversation these days without talking
the monumental events that are
currently taking place within the
Democratic presidential primaries. The field has been narrowed
to Barack Obama, Senator from
Illinois and Hilary Rodham Clinton, Senator from New York
State. Senator Obama has surprised this nation with his showing thus far and currently has a
100 delegate lead as we approach the upcoming Ohio and
Texas primaries. Either way this
will be a moment in history that
many said would never come, at
least in their lifetimes. Just to be
living in this moment is something special which we all
should take a minute to appreciate regardless of the candidate
you support. Some believe we
could finally be living in an
America that our founding fathers envisioned when they
penned the Constitution of the
United States.
On a more concerning note, all
economic indicators point directly to a recession in this country. The rise in foreclosures has
been devastating to families that
are losing their homes, but for
public housing authorities with
Housing Choice Voucher Programs landlords are losing
homes that are housing choice
voucher holders, thus placing
these families in the unexpected
position of having to relocate
and find new housing. This is
particularly disturbing when you
consider that many of these land-
Page 2
lords are defaulting on their
mortgages while still collecting
payment from the housing
choice voucher program. We
remain committed to working
with these families to secure
quality housing while minimizing the stress associated with
relocating their families.
As we prepare to close out another fiscal year, we often reflect
on the successes as well as disappointments that we experienced during the current year.
Florida public housing authorities were very successful negotiating with the Florida Housing
Finance Corporation with respect to the 2008 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). The 2008
QAP will include favorable public housing language for proximity points and it also includes
a goal of funding one HOPE VI
project. The Housing Authority
of the City of Fort Myers
(HACFM) received the highest
score of all the SAIL applications submitted to FHFC; our
SAIL application was funded
$7.1 million, which will be used
as a funding source for the construction of our proposed elderly
project. We also applied for
$750,000 in Hurricane Mitigation funds through the State of
Florida Department of community Affairs, if approved these
funds will be used for the replacement of hurricane proof
windows and doors for Bonair
Towers, which is one of our two
elderly high-rise buildings.
By the end of March 2008, we
will have made the final transi-
tion to asset management as
mandated by the department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). I have never opposed this business model for
housing authorities based on my
belief that if we are to survive in
this changing world, we must
embrace creative thinking and
ideologies that challenge traditional policies. We choose to
view this change positively.
Additionally, we subscribe to the
belief that the public housing
world has become stagnant, not
solely because of decisions and
mandates from HUD, but primarily because we tend to
choose the predictable route as
opposed to the more creative but
perhaps more challenging route.
Take the challenge; stick your
toe in the water, you may find it
to be warm and inviting of a
much needed swim.
Sincerely,
Marcus D. Goodson
Executive Director
First Quarter 2008
Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers Made History in 2008!
and to all of the program participants, thank you for sharing your
time and talents at this special
event. Finally, to all of the honorees congratulations and best
wishes to all of you in your future Endeavour's! Mr. Goodson
said, “We are excited that
HACFM has made history in the
years of existence, the First Annual Recognition Award Banquet. I am looking forward to the
next one in 2009.”
Enjoy the pictures from the
event, a big thank you to Jessie
Dortch, the photographer who
made this a memorable occasion.
Sincerely,
Vivian L. Watkins
Director of Resident Services/
Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator
Dunbar High School Trio
Band
“The Housing
Authority of the City of
Fort Myers made
history in the forty five
years of existence, The
First Annual
Recognition Award
Banquet.”
Trophies and Gift Bags
presented to the Honorees.
Honoree, Stacey Gordon
receives a trophy and gift
bag, presented by HACFM
and Fifth Third Bank Platinum Sponsor.
Former Senator Nadine
Thomas.
Marisole Morales, honoree, Homeownership Voucher
Program Participant. First Time Homebuyer.
Page 3
Pauline Hypolyte received a trophy and gift
bag during the presentation ceremony.
Keeping In Touch
Employee Spotlight - Renee S. Gray
“She was and still is a
dedicated employee and
her diligence paid off as
she was later promoted
to Assistant Section 8
Coordinator.” Renee S.
Gray, Employee Spotlight.”
Michigan Court NNC hours of
operation Monday—Friday
10:00— 6:00 P.M.
Tuesday’s Job Club 9:30—
11:30 A.M.
Page 4
Renee became an employee of
the HACFM on October 1, 2006
as the result of the merger with
the Housing Choice Voucher
Program. Prior to the merger she
had been a dedicated employee
of the City of Fort Myers for 16
years. It has been a long road
traveled as she began working
only part-time as an office aide.
As time passed her desires grew
and she later became a Housing
Counselor for the Section 8 Program. She was and still is a dedi-
cated employee and her diligence paid off as she was later
promoted to Assistant Section 8
Coordinator. She has worked
with the HCV Program for
nearly 15 years.
Renee is responsible for handling the Section 8 Wait List,
and she is a very capable supervisor during the absence of the
HCV Director. She’s very
knowledgeable with regulations
and program procedures. Renee
is a patient and understanding
person who is always willing to
help out when needed by staff
or customers.
If you’ve ever visited her office
you will know that Renee enjoys
listening to music. The music
helps her to relax and focus on
her job. Renee is the proud parent of two beautiful, loving children; one boy, one girl.
Michigan Court Neighborhood Network
Center Operating; Hours 10:00 A.M. - 6:00
P.M. Daily, Tuesdays 9:30 A.M.— 6:00 P.M.
The Michigan Court Neighborhood Network Center (MC
NNC) is open and ready to assist
all residents of public housing.
Resources and services are available to meet human services
needs which includes, Financial
Literacy, Literacy (ESL), Basic
Computer training, and job career needs. Many resources and
services are available and ready
to be presented by Keith Jackson, the NNC Coordinator. The
programs are free, the residents
can enroll in the financial budgeting class (Financial Peace University). It helps the residents to
create a budget and learn how to
handle their finances and make
investments. We encourage our
public housing residents to take
advantage of these programs. It’s
an opportunity to become knowledgeable and prepare your families to work toward becoming
economically independent of
government assistance.
Lee Mental Health is in the process of hiring a new case manager
to assist our residents. The
Mommy & Me program will
continue to be a part of the services offered as well as new
programs to help families strive
to become self-sufficient.
The Sickle Cell Anemia Association of Lee County has a new
Outreach Coordinator, Mrs.
Priscilla Hardaway. The Association has an onsite staff member to provide case management,
supportive services, seminars
educational outreach, and healthcare information for residents of
public housing that have Sickle
Cell Disease. In addition, the
Outreach Coordinator, Mrs.
Hardaway provides these services in the community. Also,
the Sickle Cell outreach program
services both Lee and Collier
counties. To increase public
awareness of Sickle Cell Disease and Sickle Cell Trait, the
Outreach Coordinator presents
information throughout the community in both counties to individuals, families and organizations. For more information,
please contact Mrs. Hardaway at
(239) 461-5703.
Keith Jackson— Michigan Court
Neighborhood Network Center
Coordinator, 4224 Michigan
Avenue, Unit 530, Fort Myers,
FL 33916. (239) 461-7257 or
(239) 461-7255
Join us at the Michigan Court
NNC Open House to be held on
March 20, 2008 from 5:00—
7:00 P.M.
First Quarter 2008
Senior Corner
Happy New Year to Everyone!
The last quarter was filled with so
many wonderful holiday festivities from Thanksgiving feasts to
tree trimming celebrations. In this
quarter, now that the holiday season is behind us I have spoken
with several residents who are
encountering major transportation
issues? And it’s no wonder...due
to the increase of fuel, HACFM
can no longer provide residents
with individual transportation to
and from their doctor’s appointments. We may only provide two
group-outings for each senior
development. Good Wheels has
also cut their funding and has
denied transportation to residents
who were previously enrolled, and
furthermore, some residents may
not qualify for Lee Trans Passport
services. The application process
for this is very detailed and may
take one month or more to process. Therefore, in response to this
crisis, I have been actively searching the community to find alternate solutions for our residents
whom are most affected by these
changes. There is a great resource for information on transportation services called Transportation Disadvantaged
Helpline, their telephone number
is 1-800-983-2435. (Thank you
to the thoughtful resident at
Bonair Towers who posted this
information for all to read on the
bulletin board in the lobby). The
Helpline staff is available Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to
5:00 P.M. to assist callers with
transportation related concerns.
Florida is one of the few states in
the nation that has a statewide
Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) in every county.
To get help and find out who the
CTC is in your area call 1-800983-2435! In order to qualify
you must not be able to obtain
your own transportation because
of disability or income. Trips
are provided for medical appointments, shopping, employment, and includes educational
and recreational purposes for
elderly and disabled as well.
In addition to this resource, I
have spoken with the Senior
Companion Program Director
at Dr. Piper Center for Social
Services. Any resident who
has a vehicle and would like
to help out a neighbor, may
register with the Senior Companion Program and receive a
gas and mileage reimbursement for volunteering their
time to take an elderly or disabled person to and from
medical appointments. For
those of you who have a vehicle and are still very independent and capable, please
take some time to consider
helping a neighbor in need. If
you are interested in volunteering your time, please call
Dr. Piper Center at (239) 3325646 for more information.
Rena Flournoy has been with the
Housing Authority of the City of
Fort Myers for seven years and
serves as the right arm to the
Senior Services Coordinator. She
is always willing to help whenever and wherever she can, from
delivering holiday meals to
home-bound elderly residents, to
transporting them to and from
medical appointments. Recently,
at the Resident Council meeting
(senior developments) the residents were informed to utilize
other sources to obtain transportation to the doctor’s office.
Although we would love to be
able to provide transportation
however, our main focus is to
connect the seniors with the
appropriate agencies to obtain
transportation. Most of the time
Rena is available to assist with
our senior outings and she genuinely likes working with our
elderly residents. She is kind
and compassionate, she is hard
working, reliable and dedicated.
On behalf of myself and the
senior residents whom she has
assisted, we would like to thank
Rena for her kindness, her patience, and the sympathetic care
she gives to our senior residents. Rena’s efforts and assistance to our elderly residents
are exemplary, and serve as an
important reminder of how
fortunate we are to have her as
a member of our staff…Thank
you Rena for your dedication
and commitment to helping our
senior residents!
Page 5
Home Depot North donated Christmas Decorations and decorated the
Royal Palm Towers lobby and meeting areas.
Ed Janowski looking at the decorations completed by Home Depot
North, thank you Home Depot.
“Kindness is the Language
which the Deaf can hear, the
Blind can see and the Sick can
feel.” ~ Mark Twain
Senior Services Coordinator—
Jennifer Avin (239) 332-1239
“We would like to thank Rena
for her kindness, her patience,
and the sympathetic care she
gives to our senior residents.”
Keeping In Touch
H
PE VI
Community Cooperative Executive Partnership (CCEP)
“In order for our families
to attain their goals of
becoming self-sufficient
one of the first hurdles
they have to overcome
is gainful employment.”
“One isn’t necessarily
born with courage, but
one is born with
potential. Without
courage, we cannot
practice any other virtue
with consistency. We
can’t be kind, true,
merciful, generous, or
honest.” ~ Maya
Angelou~
“If we had no winter, the spring would
not be so pleasant. If we did not
sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
Anne Bradstreet (1612? - 1617)
Page 6
CSS staff has been working
diligently to improve the overall
self-sufficiency of each family
member to include children and
their parents. As part of our
Community Cooperative Executive Partnership (CCEP) we have
been successful in developing a
partnership that will allow
HOPE VI families to enroll directly into the Community Coordinated Child Care (4C’s) program without having to be on a
long waiting list.
As long as childcare remains a
prevailing concern for our residents it is imperative that we
continue to seek ways to offer
support. Therefore, as a result of
the efforts put forth by the CSS
staff we are now able to offer an
enrollment procedure that
streamlines former Michigan
residents the 4C’s daycare sub-
Community Supportive Services
sidy program. The first families
have already begun the enrollment process and we anticipate
being able to assist many more
families in the future.
Fort Myers Youthbuild
In order for our families to attain
their goals of becoming selfsufficient one of the first hurdles
they have to overcome is gainful
employment. Unfortunately, due
to the current conditions of the
housing market our residents
have experienced even more
difficulty getting hired and retaining work. Therefore, the CSS
staff has been partnering with
the Workforce Development
Board and Tri-County Apprenticeship Academy in a collaborative effort to enroll 30 youths
between the ages of 18 and 24
into the Youthbuild fellowship
program.
This program will provide
HACFM residents with the opportunity to learn a skilled trade
in the construction industry that
they will be able to use in the
future. This program offers an
opportunity for them to have onsite experience working with the
various minority subcontractors
during the redevelopment process of Michigan Court. Students
will be given a stipend with the
potential to earn additional bonuses for perfect attendance and
obtaining their GED. Classes are
scheduled to begin this Spring.
CSS Quote of the Quarter
"One isn't necessarily born with
courage, but one is born with
potential. Without courage, we
cannot practice any other virtue
with consistency. We can't be
kind, true, merciful, generous, or
honest." ~Maya Angelou~
Isaac Dozier—Community Supportive Services Coordinator
(239) 344-3241.
Resident Services - Family Self-Sufficiency Public Housing / Housing Choice
Voucher Programs
The Resident Services Department welcomes all families to
visit the Michigan Neighborhood
Network Center Computer lab.
We have created partnerships
with many agencies in the community that bring services and
resources directly to you. Transportation is a hindrance, however if you live in Southward
Village or Palmetto Court and
you would like to take advantage
of the resources and services at
the Michigan NNC you can receive a bus pass. Our main goal
is to assist families in becoming
economically self-sufficient.
Resident Services offers on a
volunteer basis, the opportunities
for families to enroll into the
Family Self-Sufficiency programs. There will be Life Skills
Education Sessions held April
28-29, 2008 at the Main Office
Boardroom, 5:30— 7:30 P.M.
These sessions give you an overview of the FSS programs and
other life skills such as Achieving Goals and Setting Goals,
Career Goals, and Money Management Budgeting information.
After attending these sessions
you can evaluate the information
and make an intelligent decision
if striving to become selfsufficient is something you and
your family would be interested
in accomplishing. The American
dream is to one day become a
homeowner. Recently, HACFM
received approval from HUD to
become a certified Housing
Counseling Agency. This is very
exciting news. We will continue
to provide homeownership
workshops however create a
more in-depth counseling program. If you are interested in
enrolling into the public housing
FSS program, please contact
Vivian Watkins at (239) 3443245 or Carolyn Duberry at
(239) 344-3233 for the Housing
Choice Voucher FSS Program.
First Quarter 2008
Public Housing
BONAIR TOWERS
Cynthia Rhodes would like to
extend a Special thank you to Pat
Delaney and Virginia Savage for
making the Christmas Dinners
donated from the Salvation Army
go so smoothly. We would like
to thank all residents for using
the rent payment drop box. This
has helped process your rents
much quicker and alleviate any
late charges to residents. Also,
Cynthia Rhodes, Bonair Manager
would like to wish all residents a
wonderful, healthy and Happy
New Year.
Reminders:
Front Door Area: Please keep
your front door area free of clutter and any trash. Wheel chairs
must have access at all times to
the walk ways. Plants and other
small items are permitted at the
front door area.
Unit Inspections: It is that time
of year again when we will be
conducting Annual Inspections
of your units. You must have
called in all of your maintenance
issues and have your apartment
clean. Now is the time to prepare
for our visit. We will be coming
into your units whether or not
you are home. We will be inspecting for maintenance damage
and housekeeping. You as a resident are REQUIRED to pass this
inspection per HUD regulations.
FLOSSIE RILEY
Please welcome Su Powers as
your new Asset Property Manager. Su will report to Les Moore
(Lead Asset Property Manager).
Page 7
Su will have regular office hours
at Flossie five (5) days per week
after she completes her training.
Su comes to you with a wealth of
knowledge and experience in
Resident Services, Section 8
Homeownership and Tax Credit
Management experience.
Reminders:
Maintenance – call your manager’s office phone number to
report any and all maintenance
issues so that a work order can
be generated. Do not tell any
maintenance workers you may
see on the grounds about the
work you need done in your
apartment as they may not remember to get a work order for
you. Maintenance Technicians
only work off work orders and
cannot randomly complete work
for residents. Remember, please
do NOT call the old maintenance number, the number is no
longer in use.
Walk Ways— Please keep your
front door area free of clutter and
any trash. Wheel chairs must
have access at all times to the
walk ways. Plants and other
small items are permitted at the
front door area but be mindful;
of those who may have difficulty
walking. Do no create a tripping
hazard for you or anyone who
may walk in front of your door.
Rent: We would like to Thank
all the residents for using the
rent payment drop box. This has
helped to process your rents
much quicker and alleviate any
late charges to residents.
Unit Inspections: It is that time
of year again when we will be
conducting Annual Inspections
of your units. You must have
called in all of your maintenance
issues and have your apartment
clean. Now is the time to prepare
for our visit. We will be coming
into your units whether or not
you are home. We will be inspecting for maintenance damage and housekeeping. You as a
resident are REQUIRED to pass
this inspection per HUD regulations.
SOUTHWARD VILLAGE
“Call your manager’s office
phone number to report
any and all maintenance
issues so that a work order
can be generated.”
Please welcome Uni Marin as
Southward Village’s new Assistant Manager. Uni will be available five (5) days a week once
he has finished his training.
Monthly-Get-Together—
Management will be holding
Monthly-Get-Together Meetings
for all of Southward Village
residents. You are encouraged to
attend. For the time being, the
meetings will be held outside in
front of the office. Once the
renovations are complete at the
Carrie Robinson Center the
Manager and Maintenance offices will be moved. We will
also have a room for meetings
once the move takes place. We
would like to thank all of the
residents who came to the first
get-together held in January, we
look forward to seeing you at all
the meetings. These meetings
give you the opportunity to hear
about any new things happening
on the development first hand
from the manager. It is also a
time to share your thoughts and
opinions.
Public Housing con’t on page 8
“It is that time of year
again when we will be
conducting Annual Inspections of your units.”
Keeping In Touch
Public Housing Information Continued:
SOUTHWARD VILLAGE:
Reminders:
“If you see anyone who
should not be on the
playground equipment
or is using the playground to display their
graffiti, please report
this to the to the office
immediately.
Remember all residents 18 years
of age and older are encouraged
to attend the Prepare for Success at Sabal Palm Apartments
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays from 9:00 A.M. to
2:00 P.M. hosted by Fort Myers
Police Department (FMPD). For
more information call your manager’s office.
Parking— All residents are
required to have a parking
sticker on their registered cars.
No parking on the grass. Park in
designated parking areas only.
FMPD will be patrolling the
parking lots daily to ensure compliance.
Grounds— We would like to
say thank you to all the residents
who have helped clean Southward Village. What a difference
resident participation can make.
The development is looking very
good, we are working toward
making it GREAT!!
“Anyone who has not completed their HUD Mandated
8 hours of Community
Service per month will
have their leases terminated at the end of your
lease term.”
Page 8
Community Service: Anyone
who has not completed their
HUD Mandated 8 hours of Community Service per month will
have their leases terminated at
the end of your lease term. Everyone has been notified and informed of the requirement and
HUD is now holding you all to
your obligation. Do not risk
loosing your unit, see your manager for information as to what
you can do to prevent lease termination.
Unit Inspections:
It is that time of year again when
we will be conducting Annual
Inspections of your units. You
must have called in all of your
maintenance issues and have
your apartment clean. Now is the
time to prepare for our visit. We
will be coming into your units
whether or not you are home.
We will be inspecting maintenance damage and housekeeping. You as a resident are REQUIRED to pass this inspection
per HUD regulations.
Lara on Maternity Leave—
Lara Chrisphonte will be on
maternity leave from January 21,
2008 thru April 21, 2008. Uni
Marin and Les Moore will be
covering for Lara during her
absence. Officer Jack Thompson
will be meeting daily with Uni
and Les to make sure the Parking
Policy is being followed. If you
need a parking sticker, please be
sure to make an appointment to
obtain one. Do not wait until it is
too late.
PALMETTO COURT
Please welcome Pam Benjamin
as Palmetto Court’s new Assistant Manager. Pam will be in the
office for your convenience on
Thursdays and Fridays, so stop
by and say hello.
Reminders:
Front Door/Back Door and
Patio Areas: Your patio, front
and back door areas are to be
free of trash and any other unauthorized items. You are permitted to keep some items on the
patio (refer to your signed lease agreement) but all of these items must be
neat, organized and clean at all times.
Unauthorized patio furniture on patios
or in the back yard will cause you to get
a Lease Violation. It is not only the responsibility of management but yours as
residents to help keep the development
looking nice at all times. If you receive a
Lease Violation, you will have a short
period of time to clean up your area or
risk Eviction.
Playgrounds:
The playgrounds are designed for children between the age of 5-12, not teenagers or grown adults. Management is
very disappointed to see the graffiti
written on something that was meant for
innocent children. All children should
be accompanied by their parent while
playing on any of the playground equipment. As concerned residents, if you see
anyone who should not be on the playground equipment or is using the playground to display their graffiti, please
report this to the office immediately.
We cannot continue to replace broken or
damaged playground equipment so as
parents and responsible residents help us
by making a stand in YOUR neighborhood.
Trash Cans:
You are to bring your trash cans out the
night before trash pick up and remove
them the day of pick up. We are finding
many filled trash cans left in the back
yard areas and not taken out on trash
day causing foul odors, bugs and a host
of other problems. Anyone found to be
violating this will be sited with a Lease
Violation which if not corrected can and
will lead to an Eviction. We want to
thank all of you
Con’t on page 9
First Quarter 2008
Public Housing and Sabal Palm Information
who go above and beyond by
sweeping and cleaning up after
trash pick up. We appreciate it
when YOU take PRIDE in where
you live.
Zero Tolerance:
Please be advised that there is a
Zero Tolerance in place in all
Public Housing with regards to
Drugs and Criminal Activity. If
you know of any illegal activity
going on in YOUR neighborhood,
you must report this information
to the police and your rental office. It is time to take back YOUR
neighborhood!!! Do you want
your children playing outside
where drugs are being sold and
gunshots are being fired? If not,
then get involved. Management
and police cannot solve these issues alone, they must have your
help. We applaud all of you who
have gotten involved and said
enough is enough. It is because of
you that we have seen a change in
the neighborhood, but we still
have a long way to go. Keep up
the good work Palmetto
Residents!!
Unit Inspections:
It is that time of year again when we
will be conducting Annual Inspections of your units. You must have
called in all of your maintenance
issues and have your apartment clean.
Now is the time to prepare for our
visit. We will be coming into your
units whether or not you are home.
We will be inspecting maintenance
damage and housekeeping. You as a
resident are REQUIRED to pass this
inspection per HUD regulations.
Royal Palm Tower
Reminders:
Page 9
Front Door Area: Please
keep your front door area free
of clutter and trash. Wheel
chairs must have access at all
times to the walk ways.
Plants and other small items
are permitted at the front
door area.
Maintenance— Call your manager’s office phone number to
report any and all maintenance
issues so that a work order can
be generated. Do not tell any
maintenance workers that you
may see on the grounds about
the work that you need done in
your apartment as they may not
remember to get a work order for
you. Maintenance Technicians
only work off work orders and
can not randomly complete work
for residents. Remember, DO
NOT call the old maintenance
number as this number is no
longer in use.
Unit Inspections:
It is that time of year again when
we will be conducting Annual
Inspections of your units. You
must have called in all of your
maintenance issues and have
your apartment clean. Now is the
time to prepare for our visit. We
will be coming into your units
whether or not you are home.
We will be inspecting maintenance damage and housekeeping. You as a resident are REQUIRED to pass this inspection
per HUD regulations.
Rent— We would like to thank
all the residents for using the
rent payment drop box. This has
helped process your rent much
quicker and alleviate any late
charges to residents.
Sabal Palm
Please welcome Les Moore as
your new Asset Property Manager. Les comes to Sabal Palm
with over ten (10) years in the
housing industry of which
eight (8) are in Public Housing. Les has the experience
necessary to successfully run
Sabal Palm and ensure that
HACFM is in compliance
with all program regulations
and the residents are in compliance with all their rules,
regulations and lease requirements.
“Management is very disappointed in the graffiti
written on something
meant for innocent children.”
Pam Benjamin will be assisting Les as the Assistant Manager.
Reminders:
Front Door Area/Walk
Ways: There are to be No
items at the front door area, no
trash, no furniture or toys.
This is a side walk and we
must ensure that all individuals have access to it including
wheelchairs. We have asked
on several occasions for all
items to be removed from the
side walk area. Please be advised that we will start removing the items and taking them
to the trash dumpster if anyone continues to be non compliant.
Zero Tolerance:
Please be advised that there is
a Zero Tolerance in place in
all Public Housing and Section 8 Housing with regards to
drugs and criminal activity. If
you know any illegal activity
going on in
Cont’d on page 10
“Do want your children playing outside
where drugs are being sold and gunshots
are being fired?”
Keeping In Touch
Sabal Palm and Maintenance Information
“DO NOT call the old
maintenance phone
number to report your
maintenance issues.
You are to call your
Property Manager’s
office number to report
the problems, it is available 24 hours a day.”
your neighborhood then you should
be reporting this information to the
police and your rental office. It is
time to take back YOUR neighborhood!!! Do you want your children
playing outside where drugs are
being sold and gunshots are being
fired? If not, then get involved.
Management and police cannot
solve these issues alone, they must
have your help. We applaud all of
you who have gotten involved and
said enough is enough. It is because
of you that we have seen a change
in the neighborhood, but we still
have a long way to go.
2.
HEAT - If the temperature
does not fall below 50 degrees, HEAT is NOT an
emergency. We will do our
very best to get to your heat
issue as fast as possible
especially for those with
medical issues. A/C - If the
temperature is not above 90
degrees A/C is not an emergency. Again, we will do
our very best to get to every
A/C call as fast as we can
first giving priority to medical issues.
3.
Cable Wire - With inspection time around the corner,
you are not permitted to
have cable wires running
across the floors. According
to HUD, this is a tripping
hazard and we must mark it
accordingly.
4.
Inspections - Please be
prepared for your unit to be
inspected. Call in all repairs
needed, make sure you do
not have a roach or rodent
problem. Clean your unit
daily so that you are assured to be in housekeeping
compliance. DO NOT have
any blocked windows or
doors. This is considered a
health and safety issue and
is cause for termination of
your lease.
Unit Inspections:
It is that time of year again when
we will be conducting Annual Inspections of your units. You must
have called in all of your maintenance issues and have your apartment clean. Now is the time to
prepare for our visit. We will be
coming into your units whether or
not you are home. We will be inspecting for maintenance damage
and housekeeping. You as a resident are REQUIRED to pass this
inspection per HUD regulations.
Maintenance Department
Reminders:
1.
Inspection time, required to
pass per HUD regulations.
Page 10
DO NOT call the old maintenance phone number to report
your maintenance issues. You
are to call your Property Manager’s office number to report
problems. They are available
24 hours a day. Maintenance
will respond only to emergency calls otherwise, non
emergency requests will be
handled in the order they are
called in.
5.
A/C Grills - You are NOT
to block your A/C grills.
You must leave at least 12
inches between the grill and
furniture to avoid A/C problems. If you block your grill
then you will be charged for
the A/C repairs.
6.
Washer hook ups - If you
have a washer hook up in
your unit, you are responsible for the wash hose and
the washer. Maintenance
will not respond to any calls
regarding your washer. You
are responsible for making
sure that the hoses are connected properly and are in
good condition. Any water
damage caused from your
washers will be charged to
your unit.
7.
Sabal Palm Residents - All
mini blinds will be removed
from the units. The cost to
replace them has become a
burden to Sabal Palm’s
budget so we are removing
them and replacing them
with a curtain rod. You will
be responsible for providing
your own window furnishings. Reminder: There is to
be NO tin foil or paper
covering any window. Anyone found to be in violation
will receive a lease violation with instructions to
have it removed.
8.
Final - Thank you to all the
residents who have taken
pride in where they live.
We have seen a major difference in the maintenance
calls and the after hours
calls. We appreciate when
you help us. YOU CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
Sherri Campanale—Director of
Housing Operations 4224 Michigan Avenue, Fort Myers, FL
33916 (239) 344-3247.
sherri@hacfm.com
First Quarter 2008
SECTION 8
Housing Choice Voucher
Lori Rosado
Section 8 Coordinator
1700 Medical Lane
Fort Myers, FL 33907
239-337-4111
The Section 8 department has
been concentrating throughout
this past fiscal year to utilize all
our current vouchers in order to
assist as many participants with
their rent. We currently have a
voucher size program of 1755.
Applicants that applied for the
wait list in November 2006 noticed that their names kept moving quickly to the top. While
many attended their new interview appointments, provided
much needed information, and
attended a lengthy briefing session before signing their vouchers, others failed to attend and
provide information. As a
Voucher holder, many families
located housing in units all over
Lee County, renting from private
landlords.
SECTION 8 WAIT LIST
CLOSED AT THIS TIME
The Section 8 department of the
Housing Authority of the City of
Fort Myers had open enrollment
during January 9-11 2008. In
order to accommodate individuals, we accepted applications
from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm in
six (6) different locations
throughout Lee County. We
covered the areas of Cape Coral,
Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, and
North Fort Myers. During these
3 days we received a total of
2,134 applications for the wait
list. As a result of a very successful application process, our
wait list is currently closed for a
while. If you are in need of housing assistance, please check our
website at www.hacfm.com for
more information. You may also
contact our Section 8 office at
239-337-4111 or the HACFM
main number at 239-344-3220
for additional details.
APPLYING FOR A VOUCHER
A person interested in receiving
a Section 8 voucher must begin
by applying for the wait list only
during the Open Enrollment
period. Section 8 applications
are not always available; therefore, an applicant must wait until
the list is open. Listed below are
some key points to remember
during the Open Enrollment
process:
•
Section 8 applicants must
meet the income limits for
their family size.
•
Section 8 applicants must
be 18 years or older.
•
Local Preferences are given
to elderly applicants, disabled households, working
families, and victims of a
Federally-declared disaster
area.
•
Section 8 applicants must
provide proof of legal
status, birth certificates and
social security cards.
•
If applicable, the following
court documents are
needed: marriage license,
divorce decree, and child
support court order.
Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
Lemuel Teal - Chairman
Bill Barnwell - Vice Chairman
Joseph D’Alessandro
Peter Routsis-Arroyo
Dionne Carter
E. Bruce Strayhorn
Page 11
“Section 8 Wait List
Closed At This Time.”
Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers
Our Mission
4224 Michigan Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33916
Phone: (239) 344-3220
We’re on the web www.hacfm.com
Marcus D. Goodson
Executive Director
Marcia Davis
Hope VI Coordinator
The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers (HACFM) - a professional housing
management governmental corporation—owns, manages, develops and administers
federal, state, local housing and social programs for low, very low, and moderate
income families while successfully implementing national housing policies incorporating family self-sufficiency as a main component for transitioning families from
welfare to work. The Authority’s focus is two-fold. It will work with the community to
administer successful Section 8 vouchers and project-based assisted housing programs. It will also work to change the face of public hosing by transforming the most
severely distressed public housing in Fort Myers from sources of urban blight to
engines of urban renewal creating paradigm shifts in public housing culture, values
and behavior through establishing positive incentives for resident self-sufficiency,
providing comprehensive services that empower residents, while lessening concentration of poverty, promoting mixed-income communities and assuring equal access to
safe quality housing for low, very low and moderate income families throughout the
community.
Sherri Campanale
Director of Housing/Maintenance
Vicki Collins
Director of Finance/Human Resources
Lori Rosado
Section 8 HCV Coordinator
Vivian L. Watkins
Director of Resident Services/FSS Coordinator
The City of Fort Myers
Mayor
Jim Humphrey
City Council
Warren Wright
Johnny Streets
Levon Simms
Michael Flanders
Randal Henderson
Thomas Leonardo
City Manager
William P. Mitchell