New Haven Independent

Pamela Rosenbloom (pictured), the director of planning and development for the New Haven Housing Authority (HANH), has been on the job only about year. So perhaps she could be excused for not having down pat every last one of these acronyms, in which HANH sometimes seems to be swimming.

Namely that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s REAC assesses performance of a PHA yearly by PASS, FASS, MASS, and RASS.

Translated into English, the HUD’s Real Estate Assessment Center sends out spot inspectors to each of its public housing agencies annually. It’s a little like the principal dropping in on a teacher’s classroom unannounced. The aim is to check out the physical condition (PASS stands for physical condition scoring process), financial condition (FASS — you get the idea), management operations, and resident services satisfaction of all their properties.

Rosenbloom was pleased, nevertheless, that at Tuesday’s regular public meeting HANH’s Board of Commissioners had as a result of PASS inspections, or in anticipation of same, approved new and upgraded front doors for all the 151 units at Westville Manor. They’ll cost $484,710. The board did the same for the 52 units of the Waverly Townhouses in the Dwight neighborhood, for $104,900. In the upgrades old doors will be removed and new, higher gauge doors and frames purchased and installed.

In Rosenbloom’s estimation, this property maintenance in units built in the early 1970s is long overdue.

HANH has been working to improve its PASS score. It climbs from 66 out of 100 in 2004 to 77 in 2005. The 2006 score, which was not immediately available, appears to be better than 2005. In REAC”s scoring system 60 is passing (with below 60 being “troubled”); 80 is high performing.

PASS is the only inspection HANH is subject to, because as an MTW (Moving to Work participant agency), HANH has earned exemption from inspections under FASS, MASS, and RASS. It simply sends in its reports on financial, management, and resident service operations yearly.

MTW status, which has been given on a pilot basis to only 32 housing authorities nationwide, gives HANH flexibility in its reporting requirements in order to encourage managerial innovation and residents’ self-sufficiency and initiative.

Oh, and it almost never has to deal with an LPF — that is, a Late Presumptive Failure, otherwise known as not getting in your stuff on time.

Whew! In other news, HANH’s chief operations officer, Karen Dubois-Walton (shown huddling up here with HANH Executive Director, Jimmy Miller) presided over a $26,000 increase in funds already allotted to deal with a sudden onslaught of insect infestation in HANH properties.

The additional $26,000 was approved to the contract of Yale Termite and Pest Elimination Corporation to get rid of a termite infestation at the Eastview Terrace buildings on Eastern Street.

There was also a recurrence of termite infestation across town at the Brookside houses. Although Brookside’s deterioration has in effect shut it down pending demolition, Dubois-Walton said the extermination services were needed, “so that we might have something left to rebuild.”

Bedbug infestation at another authority property, Crawford Manor, made news (click here for an Angela Carter Reg account) last week.

And, finally a new HANH commissioner was sworn in by board Chair Bob Solomon. He is Reverend Jason L. Turner, recently appointed by the mayor (as are all HANH commissioners, who are all, by the way, volunteers) for a five-year term. Turner, at 26 the youngest of the now five commissioners, is a recent graduate of the Yale Divinity School and a native of Nashville, Tennessee. He serves as the pastor of the Community Baptist Church at Division and Shelton Streets in Newhalville.

He said that the mayor had called him about two months ago about the position. He said he is excited to help out as a HANH commissioner. “I look forward to doing my part and helping to give direction. It’s important work.”

Yes, but what about all those acronyms?