How NOT To Promote Middletown To Home Buyers

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   Let's take a look at 2009 and some of the key policies and programs of the Community Revitalization Department: 

1)  Creating a regional image of the City of Middletown as a place to purchase a home and to raise families:

a)  Declare the ENTIRE City of Middletown as eligible for HUD-funds due to the fact that 54% of the population have annual earnings at or below Federal LOWER INCOME guidelines;
b) Undertake a Housing Code Enforcement blitzkrieg that cited 2,300 property owners for minor to major violations when there is not nearly enough HUD funds to help the elderly, disabled, unemployed and otherwise financially challenged home owners;
c)  Announce greatly expanded plans to demolish hundreds of homes and to create a land bank for these scattered lots;
d)  Downgrade the highly successful Down Payment/Closing Cost Assistance Progran;
e)  Receive disapproval by HUD for $19 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Round Two funds; and,
f)  Etc., etc.

NOTE:  I didn't even mention the thorny issue of Section 8.

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Nelson R. Self Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 03 2009 Status: Offline Points: 279	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nelson R. Self Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: How NOT To Promote Middletown To Home Buyers Posted: Jan 22 2010 at 12:18pm
	Let's take a look at 2009 and some of the key policies and programs of the Community Revitalization Department: 1) Creating a regional image of the City of Middletown as a place to purchase a home and to raise families: a) Declare the ENTIRE City of Middletown as eligible for HUD-funds due to the fact that 54% of the population have annual earnings at or below Federal LOWER INCOME guidelines; b) Undertake a Housing Code Enforcement blitzkrieg that cited 2,300 property owners for minor to major violations when there is not nearly enough HUD funds to help the elderly, disabled, unemployed and otherwise financially challenged home owners; c) Announce greatly expanded plans to demolish hundreds of homes and to create a land bank for these scattered lots; d) Downgrade the highly successful Down Payment/Closing Cost Assistance Progran; e) Receive disapproval by HUD for $19 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Round Two funds; and, f) Etc., etc. NOTE: I didn't even mention the thorny issue of Section 8.

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jan 22 2010 at 12:45pm
	e) Receive disapproval by HUD for $19 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Round Two funds; and, I find it kind of odd that for a City that was basically betting it's future on getting that $19 Million in NSP-2 funds and didn't that no one has even mentioned it. The last MPHA/Council Meeting not one word. The Local Press, not one word. You would think the Journal could at least have picked up the phone and called at least one Council person or City employee, after they read about it on MiddletownUSA....Nope. Nothing from anyone.

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jan 22 2010 at 1:20pm
	Perhaps a Citizens Comments question directed toward Council as to why they think they didn't receive the funds. and why they think it wasn't reported to the community by the Journal.

Nelson R. Self Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 03 2009 Status: Offline Points: 279	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nelson R. Self Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jan 22 2010 at 3:55pm
	To Joshua Laubach - As a Ward 3 constituent of yours, and in concert with the great questions raised by Viet Vet and Pacman, would you add the following to the previous information requests that I've given to you: 1) What is the senior City staff's explanation for HUD's recent rejection of their multi-million dollar Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Round Two grant application? Also, how much money are they paying their out-of-state consultant for his services? Josh, keep up the good work and we appreciate your commitment to returning transparent plus accountable government back to Middletown (HOPEFULLY) in the very near future.