A Lack of Understanding of the Impact of Section 8

MIDDLETOWN — The city is preparing to officially put the operators of its Section 8 program on notice.

CONSOC and The Inspection Group, which administer and do inspections for the city’s housing choice voucher program, could find themselves out of work if they don’t meet obligations, according to Community Revitalization Director Doug Adkins.

“We want to make sure they’re complying with the terms of their contracts or we’ll look at alternative proposals,” Adkins said. “Right now I don’t even know what that means, but things are going to improve.”

Adkins has voiced displeasure with ongoing communication issues between the two vendors and the city during the last few months, including incomplete and missing reports in addition to not following direction established by City Council.

Council members voted last month to establish Adkins as the “point man” for Section 8, requiring CONSOC and The Inspection Group to take direction from and report directly to him or face “serious consequences.”

Adkins and Law Director Les Landen have been combing through the contracts with both vendors, as he said they are trying to establish what is and what is not being done.

“Once we define what the problem is, we’re going to put them on notice of what we believe would cure the deficiency as well as a timeframe,” he said. “If they cannot or will not comply with that request, then we’ll examine either termination of the contracts, more time or replacement with another vendor.”

Should either of the firms be deemed in breach of their contract, Landen said City Manager Judy Gilleland would have the authority to terminate it at her discretion.

Councilman A.J. Smith said it seems to him the two vendors had been trying to bypass Adkins and Gilleland, coming straight to City Council to get their problems resolved. Smith said council members sent a clear message that both organizations are to report directly to Adkins.

“I don’t think either of them are meeting the contractual obligations 100 percent of the time,” Smith said. “We’re paying them the big bucks to hit that number. If they can’t do that, then we’re wasting taxpayers’ money and we need to hire someone who can.”

The people being impacted the most by “this cluster of a mess” are Section 8 tenants, Smith said. His impression is there is a general lack of communication.

“That lack could be physical (...) or verbal,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the people suffering are our constituents who need this program.”