Remember These Interviews?

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   Reading all the post about Middletown and the shape of our Section 8 program led me to look back at the interviews some council members gace MUSA back during eclection time. Here are three responses to the question 

What are your thoughts on Middletown's Section 8 situation and what would you like to see happen?

Josh Laubach 3rd ward council memeber. 

Housing assistance is the only means for some people to obtain a place to live. However, the current level of subsidized/Section 8 housing is unsustainable in our city. Middletown currently has 1665 vouchers in circulation for Section 8 housing assistance. As a percentage, Middletown carries over 60% of all vouchers for Butler County. This is simply unacceptable. 

Regardless of their merit, the residents with these vouchers consume a vast amount of public services while contributing the lowest amount to city revenue. The City of Middletown is simply unable to maintain this level of public assistance and transfer of wealth. Middletown is operating on a bare minimum budget and should not be expected to carry the greatest amount of housing assistance in Butler County. 

The City Council of Middletown holds the ultimate authority on the number of vouchers in our city. Regardless of how Middletown arrived at this number of vouchers, we must now reduce our voucher numbers substantially. This can be done through attrition or by directly cutting the number of allowable vouchers. City Council must not ignore this issue anymore. Our city needs those who are looking for permanent home ownership and to invest in our cities future. 

Dan Picard 4th Ward council member

Our current Section 8 housing situation is a very significant problem and we must do everything we possibly can to eliminate as much of it as possible. The amount of Section 8 housing in Middletown far exceeds the amount our surrounding communities have and this must come to an end. Our City spends far too much money providing police and fire services to the residents of this type housing. The return on our investment for these services is far too small in comparison to the rest of our City.

AJ Smith 2nd ward Council memeber

Middletown has 15% of the county’s population and 58% of the county’s Section 8 vouchers; predominately in the second ward. That is entirely too much; not to mention, it has segregated our city by class and overall concentrated poverty. Concentrated poverty is an open door for high, outrageous crime rates. That is the result of our city administration not monitoring the program for many years. As your councilman, I will work hard to make sure that we not only enforce building codes to landlords, but also decrease the number of vouchers over a period of time. However, in spite of lowering section 8 vouchers, I’m also interested in seeing the families on section 8 become homeowners. In working with you, I would be interested in how I could help provide resources such as, but not limited to: 
•    Educational Partnerships that would provide the workforce with the skill-sets that would allow them to compete in the 21st century 
•    Job Training that allows them to effectively achieve their day-to-day tasks on the job
•    Job Placement so that men and women are able to provide a stable income for their families
This would be a difficult task, but as your councilman, I am up for the challenge for the greater good of the community.

So MUSA faithful what are your thoughts, are these memebers doing what the promised?

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randy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Official Joined: Jan 13 2009 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 1586	Post Options Post Reply Quote randy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Remember These Interviews? Posted: Apr 09 2010 at 12:30pm
	Reading all the post about Middletown and the shape of our Section 8 program led me to look back at the interviews some council members gace MUSA back during eclection time. Here are three responses to the question What are your thoughts on Middletown's Section 8 situation and what would you like to see happen? Josh Laubach 3rd ward council memeber. Housing assistance is the only means for some people to obtain a place to live. However, the current level of subsidized/Section 8 housing is unsustainable in our city. Middletown currently has 1665 vouchers in circulation for Section 8 housing assistance. As a percentage, Middletown carries over 60% of all vouchers for Butler County. This is simply unacceptable. Regardless of their merit, the residents with these vouchers consume a vast amount of public services while contributing the lowest amount to city revenue. The City of Middletown is simply unable to maintain this level of public assistance and transfer of wealth. Middletown is operating on a bare minimum budget and should not be expected to carry the greatest amount of housing assistance in Butler County. The City Council of Middletown holds the ultimate authority on the number of vouchers in our city. Regardless of how Middletown arrived at this number of vouchers, we must now reduce our voucher numbers substantially. This can be done through attrition or by directly cutting the number of allowable vouchers. City Council must not ignore this issue anymore. Our city needs those who are looking for permanent home ownership and to invest in our cities future. Dan Picard 4th Ward council member Our current Section 8 housing situation is a very significant problem and we must do everything we possibly can to eliminate as much of it as possible. The amount of Section 8 housing in Middletown far exceeds the amount our surrounding communities have and this must come to an end. Our City spends far too much money providing police and fire services to the residents of this type housing. The return on our investment for these services is far too small in comparison to the rest of our City. AJ Smith 2nd ward Council memeber Middletown has 15% of the county’s population and 58% of the county’s Section 8 vouchers; predominately in the second ward. That is entirely too much; not to mention, it has segregated our city by class and overall concentrated poverty. Concentrated poverty is an open door for high, outrageous crime rates. That is the result of our city administration not monitoring the program for many years. As your councilman, I will work hard to make sure that we not only enforce building codes to landlords, but also decrease the number of vouchers over a period of time. However, in spite of lowering section 8 vouchers, I’m also interested in seeing the families on section 8 become homeowners. In working with you, I would be interested in how I could help provide resources such as, but not limited to: • Educational Partnerships that would provide the workforce with the skill-sets that would allow them to compete in the 21st century • Job Training that allows them to effectively achieve their day-to-day tasks on the job • Job Placement so that men and women are able to provide a stable income for their families This would be a difficult task, but as your councilman, I am up for the challenge for the greater good of the community. So MUSA faithful what are your thoughts, are these memebers doing what the promised?
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Bill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Nov 04 2009 Status: Offline Points: 710	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr 09 2010 at 2:04pm
	how the hll does the seasoned Mr. Smith think he is going to get education, training, and jobs for people when all other attempts have produced little to no results or when these same citizens don't want the dmn help?

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: Apr 10 2010 at 10:19am
	No Bill, I do not see Laubach, Smith nor Picard making any attempt to force the issue with downsizing the Section 8 program as is indicated by your post. None of them are backing up what they talked about here. What's the problem, Josh, AJ and Dan? Why haven't you all enlisted Ms. Scott-Jones in your cause and directed the city manager and Adkins to start the reduction (I'd prefer elimination, personally) of this program? What are you all waiting for? We want a reduction of this program- NOW. Oh, and tell the Section 8 landlords to find another line of business to get into. Cut off their revenue tap, fire CONSOC and the Inspection Group for insufficient job performance and stop wasting taxpayer money on this program. Tell HUD to go peddle their low income crap somewhere else- it's killing this town.(along with the stupidity coming out of One Donham Plaza)

spiderjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749	Post Options Post Reply Quote spiderjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr 10 2010 at 11:41am
	Actually, I expect to see a different approach. Watch Council/Admin find a way to eliminate CONSOC and the inspection group through some contract breach, then take over everything themselves, also gaining control of the funding flow. Simply too much $$$ involved to turn it away. Is this possible? Either way, I see Section 8 GROWING in the near future, despite Mr.Mulligan's and Ms.Scott-Jones' concerns about the contract language.

Bill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Nov 04 2009 Status: Offline Points: 710	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr 10 2010 at 1:34pm
	pity the poor landlords. They'll just have to go out and find tenants who will actually pay 100% of their own rent. Imagine that.

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: Apr 10 2010 at 4:45pm
	Spider it wouldn't surprise me if Middletown Admin did this even though they were advised not to by their own PAID Consultant, even though they can't fix a Pothole in the street, etc. However if they pushed to increase Section 8 I predict there would be a major uprising in this city and a mass recall of every elected Official involved. As far as the new and Improved MPHA I haven't seen much of anything come out of it except for monthly reading of number of inspections, number of violations, number of vouchers in use, number on waiting list, number of this and number of that, pretty much info that can be posted on the web and those interested can look at it if they like. There is little to no discussion of the program itself even though the Goals and Objective of the Plan for this year and the next 5 years has been submitted. There has been no discussion of the impact of such a large program on the city overall financially and economically from both a Cities Financial standing and the Private Business Sectors point of view. There has been no discussion on reducing the Voucher numbers.......basically there has been little to no discussion of anything of any substance, so far.

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr 10 2010 at 8:22pm
	At one point a policy decision was made to attempt to REDUCE Section 8 vouchers in Middletown by at least 10% per year, by attrition if by no other means. If this is to be policy, can someone--ANYONE--explain the logic of reopening the waiting list (which already has what, 200 names on it?)??? ANYONE???
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

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: Apr 11 2010 at 9:26am
	Mike, In the beginning it was recommended by both Ms. Gilleland and Chapman, the Cities Consultant, that the Section 8 program be turned over to Butler and Warren Counties. Council did not want to do this, so they decided to keep the program and hire someone to run it as the Consultant recommended against the City or MPHA running its own program. CONSOC was chosen to run the program again and the Inspections would be outsourced. It was then discussed that the program would be cut by 10% a year through attrition until it got somewhere down to about 800 vouchers I believe. No one at the time raised a red flag about doing this. I would think that if this couldn't be done the Cities Consultant would have stated so, he didn't at least not publicly. Then we fast forward to the Feb. 16, 2010, meeting. Adkins states that the city cannot divest itself of a partial number of its vouchers citing, PIH 2007-6 (HA), which can be viewed here, http://www.disasterhousing.gov/offices/pih/publications/notices/07/pih2007-6.pdf . The gist of this directive from HUD is that the city can't divest itself of a partial number of the Vouchers unless the city can provide a "compelling reason", "The Department will not approve voluntary partial transfers unless there is a substantiated compelling reason." Adkins further announced that a University in Cinci was going to do a study on the the Impact of Section 8 on Middletown. What the study is going to investigate I can't recall. Is it going to look at the economic impact, criminal impact, financial impact on the City Services and businesses, is it going to look at the paralell between excessive Section 8 and Poverty, etc.....I am not sure. On February 18, 2010, I posted the following thread on MiddletoUSA asking Adkins for clarification on the HUD directive that he cities in the Feb. MPHA meeting. You can view the thread here, http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2691 . The question I posed went unanswered by Adkins or anyone else in the City Admin. I have also to this date been unable to find an extension of the Directive that Adkins quoted, PIH 2007-6 (HA) which expired originally on March 31, 2008, and was renewed until March 31, 2009 and we are now past, March 31, 2010, 1 year past the last expiration date of this HUD directive. I searched HUD for further extensions here, http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/notices/ , but could find none. This is the last extension notice I could find, http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/notices/08/pih2008-19.pdf . So as of right now according to Adkins the city can not transfer anything less than the whole program unless it can provide a "compelling reason." What exactly constitutes a "compelling reason" according to HUD....who knows. Personally as a voucher is turned in I would file it away as "do not re-issue". HUD will have a fit and probably throw some threats our way, but in the end what will they do, take away the program.....I doubt it. The city is far to tied to the HUD purse strings and it clouds their judgment in my opinion, as to what is best for the city overall. The waiting list was re-opened by CONSOC and I gather the city was not aware that they were re-opening it, from the reaction by the MPHA at their last meeting.

Bill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Nov 04 2009 Status: Offline Points: 710	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr 11 2010 at 11:07am
	i dare HUD to take the program away. Actually, I'll pay for the Uhaul for them to take it away.

TANGO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Resident Joined: Mar 21 2010 Status: Offline Points: 72	Post Options Post Reply Quote TANGO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Apr 13 2010 at 3:47pm
	Lets not forget who voted to expand section8 in middletown