The Greenburgh Town Board took a tour of Greenburgh Housing Authority sites on Sunday. The Housing Authority is independent of the the Town Board. However, the Town Board appoints commissioners.
We were advised that over 40 units of affordable housing have been left vacant for over 4 years. The Housing Authority had planned to renovate the units. Unfortunately, there were many, many delays. Over 20 units of affordable housing are currently vacant. This is sad. We have an affordable housing shortage. Leaving so many units vacant COST THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LOST REVENUE. people who desperately need housing were unable to move to Greenburgh.
The Board will be discussing other housing related problems and issues on
TUESDAY, DEC 11
3:45 PM
Greenburgh Town Hall
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43 comments:
So what this basically means is the properties in Ardsley and Dobbs proposed for affordable housing should be sold to the highest bidder. Having more of something than you are currently using and can't prove you actually need more of is wasteful. Unless there is a really good reason for creating more affordable housing when there are 40 units vacant is very unwise.
Or are we about to be Taxter Ridged again?
In which school district are the units located?
Dear Anonymous 12/11 5:11 AM,
Unfortunately one of the reasons that municipalities may be going forward with additional affordable housing plans comes from our county government. They have set targets for affordable housing in each community around the county and have quietly indicated that if communities don't make some efforts at meeting these targets that they (the county) will step in. That's something most communities don't want so they are in a defensive mode. Secondarily, these units that are available may not be in the locations that are needed. Does the GHA have a list of people who would want to live there? If so, shame on them for not taking action. Once again a government agency with no oversight, weak management but probably good pay and great benefits.
If you don't hire good people, you don't get good results or as someone once told me, pay bananas and get a bunch of monkeys.
Why re-appoint Cora when you have this big blunder??
paul - where have you been for the past 4 years? who on the board did you appoint or approve? have you asked for resignations? this is a disgrace. time to clean house. come to think of it, this is an outrage.
Here you have 40 units unoccupied for all that time,and you are looking to build more.
Why not start selling these apartments as co-ops.
Who has been overseeing this disgraceful happening.
I guess these people do not care how money is spent so long as it is spent.
What a waste of money.
Why do you keep these sites running as affordable .
This shows many of us that there are no poor people in Greenburgh.
Is this the way tax money is being spent.
Has this been reported to county and fereral governments.
I will be waiting for some answers.
Get rid of the board members that you have overlooking this department.
Thank God that Barnes was defeated,she must have known what was happening all along.
I dont understand. How can it say that over 40 units have been left vacant for over 4 years. And 20 units are currently vacant. Is this saying that over the 40 year course of the GHA history, there have been 40 units available for over 4 years? And of the 20 currently available how long were they avaiable?
Also, why does this say that people were unable to move to Greenburgh? Dont we give preference to current Greenburgh residents etc?
HAs Cora been on the housing board long.
How could she demand that she be reappointed to the board after haveing these units empty for such a long time?
Start anew with different people on this board.
The present group are for the birds,that's why there is so much waste in this system too
Tell me something cora is on a school board are any other members of the housing on the school board.
If so let them go that's why the C7 is failing so bad.
According to their website, the Greenburgh Housing Authority is funded entirely by grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.
If there are units of affordable housing that are vacant but not usable because they need to be renovated, the problem is not with the Housing Authority but with the lack of funding from the state and federal government.
The town government, led by Feiner, could have been lobbying for such funding. Instead, Feiner, for political reasons, has chosen to blame one of the volunteer board members for the lack of funding -- Cora Carey.
This is shameless behavior on Feiner's part. Cora is not to blame for the lack of federal and state funding. She's been a tireless champion for affordable housing in Greenburgh for years.
If one wanted to assign blame, Feiner should look at a mirror. Last year, there were 40 units of affordable housing that should have been made available at units on Oak Street and Manhattan Avenue.
But Feiner decided that the residents of those units, who were refusing to produce documentation of their income showing they were entitled to remain in these units, should instead receive the right to remain in their units with only staged increases in their rent -- all funded by Greenburgh taxpayers.
Cora Carey was one of the few who thought what Feiner was doing was wrong. She knew how many less well-off people are on the waiting list in Greenburgh for affordable housing. She knew that the mission of the Greenburgh Housing Authority is not to protect the tenancy of residents who no longer need governmental assistance and could afford to move elsewhere.
Those 40 units could have been made available right away to deserving families. But Feiner said no. To him it was more important that tenants whose incomes exceed the required guidelines not have to leave and find housing elsewhere.
So, what has Feiner done to increase the amount of affordable housing grants from HUD and the state?
feiner has been busy. getting federal grant money for his wall of junk in front of presser park.
berger was right. feiner is unfit. under the one party state that is greenburgh he has become what was never intended - a career politician in westchester. woe is us with people on the board like feiner, juettner and the two other forgetables voted out.
That is terrible if true, why are we subidizing people who either dont need subsidies or wont submit proof. I have to file an income tax return every year. That is the price we pay for living in a civilized society.
We all know that there are families who do not belong in affordable housing.
Their income is a little too much to entitle them to the apartment.
When they were asked to produce the necessary forms stating their income many refused.
Wrong.
The IRS has information that could help the State and Federal government run a good program.
These people are stealing.
Cora and Barnes knew right along as to what was going on but chose not to say or do nothing.
You cannot be on a board and not know what is going on.
How can anyone blame the supervisor when one of his board members was the laison to this board.
If it is not reported how can anyone know .
.
We have been contributing to these households for quite some time.
When one wants to check their status you get no answers.
Many of them do not belong in those housing comlexes.
Have you noticed what kind of cars they drive or how many cars in one family.
Affordable housing grants from HUD and the State are not too difficult to obtain, especially for renovation of existing units. It just takes a few phone calls and a few reams of bureaucratic forms. Annoying, but not difficult.
I don't know much about Greenburgh's specific situation, but there seems to be poor operations management. There's never an excuse for vacancies beyond 30 days. And all residents must provide complete financial documentation annually, or they must move out. The only times these matters become complicated are when there's personal favoritism and/or politics in the mix.
If the town wants, the vacant units could be renovated by February and rented in March. It's a matter of effort, interest and management, not funding availability.
9:29 thank you for your comment.
Many residents refused to give their financial statements when asked and they are still living there.
The government does not seem to care how taxpayers monies is spent.
Those apartments go from one family member to another without checking if some one is on a list
FAVORITISM.
Could some one be getting payed off to get these apartments. CHECK THE BOARD IN CHARGE OF HOUSING.
If the Town Supervisor had spent as much time filling out the grant forms as he has spent advocating for micro-constituencies (dog parks, internet daters, etc.) the GHA would be rolling in money.
Sad to say, Feiner was happy with the way Cora was running things right up until he thought she's sold him out politically by failing to deliver an overwhelming black, pro-Feiner turnout in the last Democratic primary. Now its all her fault...
The Town Board should fire Carey. The housing authority is being mismanaged. The Housing Authority is a separate entity. The Town Board does not apply for grants for the authority, that's the authority's responsibility.
If the Town Board wants to make changes in living conditions, they need to appoint a new member.
How can Poilce officers making $90,000 live in these low income housing apartments. They're not the only ones, there are others also making good money living there. But they don't want to show how much
Feiner did not need Cora to win the primary.
So stop the BS>
She was on the housing board so she is to be one of the board members to get the blame.for whatn has been going on for four years.
the town board should call for the resignation of all GHA members and appoint a new board. the town board should then sanction eddie mae barnes for dereliction of duty as the liasion from the town board to the GHA for doing nothing.
6:15 is right on.
Barnes was responsible for the short coming of the housing authority.
The town board should get all new members on that particular board and make sure that they live in the complexes.
It's a crime that the police department has protected these complexses without being compensated.
Yes we the tax payers have paid for their protection right along.
I blame the police chief for not coming foward many years ago when this started.
They owe the residents $300000.00 in back pay.
What other things has Barnes and the present board hidden from the tax payers.
There's no way that these complexes will be up and running the way they werement to be.
The state comptroller should be notified asap.about the wrong doings and goings on.
This and maybe this way we the taxpayers and residents could have some relief of the high taxes that we will be having for the next few years.
Ok another investigation from the comptrollers office is necessary.
dear 11:08
this is 6:15 - thx for the yeah
however - can you elaborate on the role of the police in this fiasco and how you calculate the back pay issue
the need to clean house should extend even further as you seem to imply - perhaps the comptroller should rent space in greenburgh as there appears to be no end to the improprieties and scandals
we need term limits among other things
The Greenburgh Housing Authority gets its funds from state and federal grants. It gets no money from the town. However, it owes the town approximately $300,000 for providing a Greenburgh police officer full time to respond to any calls. The money is carried on the town's books as a receivable. The Housing Authority says the town will get paid when it receives the federal and/or state money it applied for to cover these costs.
What are the town's options? It can cut off the dedicated police officer, which would mean the residents who live in housing provided by the Greenburgh Housing Authority would have the same access to police that the rest of the residents of unincorporated Greenburgh have.
Or, if providing that additional level of protection to the residents of such low income housing is deemed to be in the town's best interest, the town can wait patiently until the money is paid.
Either way, as long as the GHA recognizes that it owes the money, which it does, and has applied for grants to cover the cost, which it has, why is this some kind of scandal?
It's a SAD joke, what is going on. Stop wasting money with the housing police and put them on regular patrol. when a crime is committed they can call like everybody else. The Town should never have given a tax break to Montrose management. Have the people who live there pay regular rates on how much money they make. The above post said officers make 90,000 dollars how much rent do they pay $500 to live there. The people who live there don't care how much the taxes are because they are subsidized by the FEDS!
I think that the Federal government should investigate each and every tennent in the housing complexes,
I would not be surprised that there would be many more vacant apartments.
There should be a campaign started in sending the federal government all the complaints of the complexes.
Every american pays taxes which some in turn help this way of living.
Most of the people who live in these complexes are phonies,who could very well buy their own home.
That's why they never wanted to show their tax returns or anything pertaining to the household income.
And guess what they get away with it.
The poor slob that really needs a roof over their head cannot get their foot in the door because of favoritism.
This has been going on too long.
People don't want and will not work because they know how to make believe that they need help when all the time there is an armored car tasking their money to the bank.
This is the biggest shame in this country.and we the tax payers pay dearly for them to be dishonest.
And another thing we have to pay taxes to pay for their private Greenburgh police force patrolling their complexes.
We in Greenburgh don't have this priviledge of having a patrol covering our streets on a daily basis or a cop right at our finger tips.
Isn.t there something wrong with this picture.
"That's why they never wanted to show their tax returns or anything pertaining to the household income.
And guess what - they get away with it."
The Housing Authority has full power to enforce this, but I guess they choose not to. No qualifying paperwork should simply result in a 30-day notice to vacate the property.
Why in the world would they get a separate officer assigned?!
The housing authority members should be replaced.
When is someone going to realize that there is a big racket going on in housing.
When will it be investigated.
TAXPAYERS MONEY BEING WASTED.
The fed's should be called in to review. Andrew Cuomo should also investigate..
Paul you missed the boat again.
Watching the repeat of a work session where resident were discussing the commissioners position for Cora.
You were once told always vote yes and your famous board will vote no.
They will screw you up until the last day.
Listening to the residents your famous board should rethink their position and do WHAT the residents want,NOT sheehan.
This is just the final blow into the do-nothing political career of Eddie Mae Barnes, the board's liaison on affordable housing. Thankfully, her reign is about two weeks from ending. Adios, Eddie Mae. Thanks for nothing! Now, when will Greenburgh voters wake up and get rid of another do-nothing politician, Lois Bronz?
tHE RESIDENTS SPOKE THE OTHER NIGHT AT A WORK SESSION,BUT it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
The still voted Cora in without listening to what they had to say.
I do not live in anyone of these complexes and after listening to them speek I would not be welcomed because I am white.
I could use the apartment with low rent but I know that I will be turned down.
Paul, watching the meeting on tv I was appalled at how the residents acted and how Ms. Brown supported the negative attacks towards the board members. If this is what we have to look forward to in the future, God help us all!
Let me respond to 12/17/2007 4:52 PM
Good for Brown and the residence of GHA.
Brown spoke up for the residence.
Something Barns never did. Barns stands for nothing.
Hurry up and lets do away with this current Board.
People should be more angry with Barns for not sticking up for GHA residence than Brown speaking up for what’s right. Barns serves as the GHA liaison. She stood back and did nothing during her 16 year term. Now that's a disgrace.
After several attempts of being nice, hey--sometimes you have to get angry and fight hard for what’s right.
Barns stands for nothing! She is the Queen of affordable housing???
What a joke. Bronz--the Queen of affordable housing??? another joke!!!
Good for your Brown. I do not live in the Fairview area, however, I now you will be there for the residents -- an action that this current board continues to fail at.
After several attempts of being nice, hey--sometimes you have to get angry and fight hard for what’s right.
Barnes has been a thorn in the side of greenburgh for way to many years. It's about time the voters did away with her. unfortunately it took too many years and the damage has been done. I understand that the council members get lifetime medical benefits and some sort of pension plan. However I didn't know they could break laws put in place by them. I understand that several years ago they put a law into effect stating that future police officer hired had to come from a civil service list comprised of town residents which took a test, establishing a list. Apparently that list means nothing to Barnes, somehow she managed to facilitate getting a family member a police officer job without being on that list. Is that another perk offered to council members. Thats a great law suit for the guy didn't get the job because of preferential treatment given to a councilwomans family member.
YOU SHOULD KNOW BY NOW-----
IN GREENBURGH IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW BUT WHO YOU KNOW.
yES THERE WAS TO BE HIRING FROM A LIST OF greenburgh residents,but since the chief too ofice that plan went out the window.
It seems to be harder for a Greenburgh resident to get onto the force .
The chief seems to hire from the outside to save money so he says.
How many of the outsiders are still here and how many have been fired for wrong doings?
Brown was for the residents,not like Barnes.
Brown if given the opportunity to follow her pledges to Greenburgh residents, she will straighten out many things that have been running in the wrong directions.
This is why we need a new housing board,one cannot accomplish what one sets out to do ,with dead wood and those who don't care.
Brown start doing the right thing right off the get go.
Put Greenburgh back on the right tract.
Brown & Morgan will have to first gain the trust of residents as it relates to government.
The current board continues to damage our greenburgh residents.
They don't care, they don't listen to our concerns - - They do what they want, the way they want.
I hope kevin knows where to make cuts in the police budget.
How much tax does the residents of GHA pay!
dear2:29 you have got to be kidding.
Haven't you realized that that establishment is a freebee at the expense of the tax payers.
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