New Haven Independent

At a Wednesday meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH), the first under the leadership of new Executive Director Karen DuBois-Walton (pictured), members approved an increase in utility allowances to public housing residents.

In accordance with federal guidelines, HANH must evaluate utility costs in public housing each year. If prices have gone up more than 10 percent, the housing authority increases the amount of assistance residents receive for their utility bills.

Last month, a consulting firm conducted a utility allowance study in three HANH developments and for all types of Section 8 housing. The consulting company found an increase of 8 to 12 percent in utility costs over the past year in the three developments: McConaughy Terrace, Westville Manor, and Fairmont Heights.

In Section 8 housing, they found that while natural gas costs had not risen more than a few percentage points, electricity costs had gone up 60 percent due to the skyrocketing price of the oil that powers generators.

Robert Solomon (pictured), board chair, pointed to these rising utility costs as a key contributor to the foreclosure crisis that can get lost in the focus on sub-prime lending.

In two separate votes, the board decided to adjust utility allowances for the Public Housing Program and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

The resolutions approving these adjustments were technically listed as fiscally neutral, since utility allowances are not paid directly out of the budget. The fiscal impact will come in the form of lower rent intake once the new utility allowances are factored in. The new allowances will not take effect until Oct. 1, due to a federally mandated 60-day notification period.

A New Director Steps Up

At Wednesday’s meeting, the commissioners unanimously voted to hire DuBois-Walton, formerly the housing authority’s chief operating officer, to the position of permanent executive director for a period of two years at an annual salary of $147,000.

DuBois-Walton was appointed interim executive director at last month’s meeting to replace Jimmy Miller, who stepped down after two and a half years at HANH.

Miller will stay on in the role of deputy director for special projects. He was awarded that permanent position after being appointed last month on an interim basis while contract details were negotiated. His contract is for one year at an annual salary of $120,000.

According to the original timetable, DuBois-Walton and Miller would not have assumed the permanent positions approved Tuesday until Aug. 1. But Chair Robert Solomon proposed an amendment to each contract to allow both officials to assume their positions immediately. So at 4:02 and 4:05 respectively, DuBois-Walton and Miller received their official new job titles.

DuBois Walton said she’s been working closely with Miller over the past month to ensure a smooth transition. She said that Miller’s decision to stay on in his new capacity has been crucial for moving key development projects forward.

Miller reported on a few of those developments as the board approved resolutions to contract work at the Brookside and Rockview public housing developments, known collectively as West Rock, and mold abatement at Eastview Terrace.

The board approved just over $2.5 million for Phase 1 of the West Rock redevelopment. This will include the demolition of thirteen buildings, including basement removals, as well as the removal of underground storage tanks and underground utilities.

Miller said this project is considerably more cost-effective than redevelopment work of a similar scale at Eastview Terrace. Phase 1 work on West Rock is slated to finish in May 2009.

DuBois-Walton gave her first executive director’s report, which reported a 90 percent occupancy rate and a 93.9 percent rent collection rate.

The board voted to approve 17 other resolutions, including contracts with consultants, construction companies, plumbing suppliers, and a CCTV provider.

During the public comments portion of the meeting, Yul Watley (pictured) raised concerns about lighting at Westview Manor. Watley used to be the president of the tenants association at Westview, where his children and grandchildren still live. He reported that lights are out in parking lots, alleyways, and other common spaces, creating unsafe conditions outside at night.

Solomon asked that DuBois-Walton look into the matter and report the status of this problem at the next meeting.