Cui Bono? Affordable Low-Income Housing in The Mosaic City

That's Latin for who benefits.

 





The South Bank Beacon

The March for a New, Improved Covington

"Outside Show is a poor substitute for Inner Worth." -Aesop

EastSide Neighborhood Association - Thursday March 25th: Special guest was Dennis Williams, Esq - Of counsel to & representing 824 Greenup LLC; the City's Preferred Developer for the Lincoln-Grant School. Also in attendance for his presentation was Commissioner Sherry Carran. Here are the plans which will be presented to City Commission (in "Executive Session" - which means Behind Closed Doors!) at their meeting this Tuesday:

 

NLIHC: Out of Reach, 2002
2002 Out of Reach Report is now available
source page: http://www.nlihc.org/oor2002/index.htm

Looking back over the first half of 2002, here on The South Bank; I combed through recent news articles, commission minutes, transcripts of an online conversation with the current commission candidates... I have distilled all these headlines, sound bites and quotes into this simple list of KeyWords:

WELCOME!! Michael W. Connett "The HIVe at Seminary Square MainStrasse"

Page Created: 03/30/2001. Revised/Updated: March 21, 2011

Greetings!

Well, I've been invested, infested and have myself begun nesting in my new neighborhood which is known as "Seminary Square". Since being a participant in the HUD Section 8 program upon being granted full Social Security Disability benefits, this will be my fifth location and attempt to make a "HOME". Since mother always said, 'If you can't say anything nice...'; the one nice thing that I can say about all four - both the properties and the owners - is that they all have truly been a Life Learning experience. The outcome is that I have now arrived at this point more committed than ever to Low-Income Housing Reform and Revitalization than ever before.

With the resources of The Trust, as part of the South Bank Beacon and The South Bank SlumLord Alert, I would like to foster the establishment of:

• The South Bank Tenants Advocacy Project - With the goal of revising and reissuing the current URLTA No. Ky. Handbook, supplementing it with tenants tips specific to the South Bank/No. Ky. area and the Housing Choice Voucher program across the counties.
• Our Neighbor's Closet: A network of neighborhood repositories for cast-off household furnishings for the benefit of a coalition of all agencies serving/having housing needs for clients. In addition to the agencies serving the Homeless and Low-Income client base, it would include AVNK and the No. Ky. HIV/AIDS Case Managers.
• My Neighbors Helpers: A corps of volunteer handypersons with a wide range of skills.

Best Regards,

Michael

 

From: Michael W. Connett,

Concerned Citizen & Renter

Coordinator, Central Lewisburg Neighborhood Watch

Member, Lewisburg Neighborhood Association

RE: The Slumlord Eradication Act - An Addendum to the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (KRS 383.500 - 383.715)

Authors note: While the focus of this proposal is aimed at and speaks to conditions in Covingtons residential rental property market; it is equally relevant to all cities, as well as agencies concerned, with residential rental property. For this reason, it is being widely distributed for your thoughtful consideration.

In the wake of the hoopla of the recent Covington Housing Fair - where the city attempted to put its best foot forward in an effort to convince people that it's a great place to live - it is imperative that I bring to light a major obstacle to an aspect of this effort that currently exists.

As 1 understand it; from the city's Housing Development Department, not only was the focus on home ownership but also on increasing the occupancy of the numerous residential rental units in the city. In Covington - as in most cities, renting residential property is a Business which requires a license. Unfortunately, all too often it is a business in which "the customer" is treated with little respect, much indifference and is seldom, if ever, right. This is especially true amongst low-income and uneducated tenants and the slum lords that prey on them. From my own recent experience with one of the city's slum lords, I learned that for tenants there is virtually no protection, warning, regulation or discipline against the unfair actions of such deceitful persons.

In the late 80's; a coalition of agencies which included the Legal Aid Society among others and was known as the Ky. Housing Coalition, established the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (URLTA) which was adopted by Covington and many other No. Ky. Cities. While that was a commendable attempt to end years of confusion and give both landlords and tenants equal standing in the eyes of the law; it would seem that once the act was established, adopted and a handbook published, the effort died and withered away. People - especially tenants - are not being made aware that these rights and the accompanying handbook exist. The slumlords know this and use this lack of awareness against their tenants to their own greedy advantage. As that particular handbook states: "... The law only works for people who understand how to use it. Tenants and landlords have to know enough to make sure (and, when needed, demand) that their rights are respected."

But before people can understand the law and how to use it, they must be made aware that it exists. The current promotion of URLTA and the availability Of, as well as access to, its handbook is severely lacking and needs to be improved significantly. As an example: I know that in the Housing Department office, these handbooks are stacked on a shelf under the counter out of sight rather than being on the counter in an accessible display rack. Every residential renter needs to be made aware of URLTA's existence and be provided broad access to FREE copies of its handbook. Likewise; in addition to being required to have a license, every landlord should be required to have read and understand the URLTA handbook.

There are other weaknesses of URLTA that need to be addressed. If a conscientious landlord operates in a professional manner and takes the time and care to check references, he can usually avoid the tenants from hell. Tenants don't have the same ability to weed out the slumlords. There needs to be a way to compile an accessible, public history of housing code violations, complaints and court actions against landlords that prospective tenants can check before they sign a lease. A 'Better Business Bureau' for the residential rental property industry, if you will.

There also needs to be a stronger solution to Security Deposit disputes. Currently, if a landlord tries to unfairly withhold a security deposit, the tenants only recourse is to sacrifice more of their hard earned money and file in small claims court. To make matters worse, Legal Aid won't even discuss or help with deposit disputes farther than telling you to go to small claims. Once a tenant receives a favorable judgment for the refund of their security deposit, they are left on their own to try and get the money. Should a slumlord try to ignore or drag out the payment of the judgment, there needs to be a way to help force payment as well as punish his actions.

In an attempt to address these issues I would like to put forth the following proposal for your consideration. Please bear in mind that I am neither a politician or lawyer and this is a basic rough idea written in plain English. http://www.mwcltonline.org/slumlords.html

I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. --- Eli Wiesel

 "The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another." -Thomas Merton

 

Monday, August 30, 2004

"Then said a rich man, speak to us of giving. And he answered; You give but little when you give of your possessions, it is when you give of yourself that you truly give. For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow...

There are those who give with joy and that joy is their reward. And there are those who give with pain and that pain is their baptism. And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue. They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space. Through the hands of such as these, God speaks. And from behind their eyes, He smiles upon the earth...

It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked through understanding...

See first that you, yourself, deserve to be a giver and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life, while you who deem yourself a giver are but a witness."

"The Prophet" - Kahlil Gibran

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Greetings!

“I can’t stand to Fly, I’m not that naïve

I’m just out to find The better part of me…”

Which is, perhaps, one of the biggest reasons that I never intended to move again when I landed in Wallace Woods back in 1998! In any case, there I went; leaving all my old baggage behind and starting anew with just the essential things in Life. Several months have now passed since that exodus and I'm now readying the HIVe for the oncoming winter. Since then, I have achieved my goal of establishing an internet domain at www.mwcltonline.org ... I've begun to think about a housewarming even though the last grand celebration I planned exploded in my face. When I walked away from The Holiday House in Wallace Woods - which was a matter of principle and to make a point, I left behind a lot of great "stuff". However,...:

The South Bank Beacon shines from

The HIVe at "Seminary Square"

Paying It Forward, Daily; “Think of an idea to Change The World, And put it Into ACTION…”

"C+V=G" My 2010 Version

The only promise I can safely make is: "That I will do my utmost to Live Up to My Mission and be Faithful to My Message and give it everything I've got... And then some!"

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Mission Statement
To use the rest of my life the best I can so that the people and places through which my journey leads me will remain a little bit better for me having passed their way...

Interests: Empowering the People...

 About Me: http://www.mwcltonline.org/curriculum_vitae.html

Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands...

"You can't be afraid of stepping on toes if you want to go dancing." - Lewis Freedman