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1. admin

   Posted January 21, 2011 at 11:01 AM

   Housing authority exhausts $3.1M in federal funds
   By: AMY REVAK Herald Standard

   The Fayette County Housing Authority has completely spent the $3.1 million in federal economic stimulus money it was allocated three years ago to fast track work to make public housing sites accessible to those with physical disabilities.

   The authority officially accepted the money in March 2009 and recently exhausted the full sum.

   Executive director Thomas Harkless said the authority has gotten to be pretty good planners. He said the work that was completed ended up being the second and third years of work included in the former five-year plan.

   The money was used to complete accessibility work at Crossland Place in Uniontown, Mulligan Manor in Brownsville, Marshall Manor in Uniontown, Clarence Hess Terrace at Masontown and J. Watson Sembower Terrace in Uniontown.

   The work included construction to make sites accessible to disabled people to meet the federal guidelines, such as expanding the size of units to allow wheelchairs to have room to maneuver and making bathrooms accessible.

   “We were on top of it,” Harkless said.

   The authority normally receives about $2 million a year in capital grant funds, Harkless said.

   During the monthly meeting of the authority board, Andre Walters, director of funding and asset planning, said he attempted to get more federal money but was unsuccessful.

   Authority Chairman Harry Fike pointed out that if the money wasn’t expended, it had to go back to the federal government.

   Board member Ernest DeBlasio said that the projects had to be “shovel-ready.”

   Also at the meeting, Dave Huston, director of operations, reported that upgrades to refrigerators at some of the housing sites has been undertaken at no cost to the authority.

   Huston said new energy efficient units have been installed at Gibson Terrace in Connellsville and Marion Villa in Belle Vernon courtesy of Allegheny Power. He said 56 old refrigerators were replaced at the two sites, as well as about 34 window air-conditioning units.

   Huston said he is hopeful the program will continue at other housing authority sites.

   The program upgrades the appliances for low-income people. Because the authority owns the refrigerators, the authority can keep them. The air-conditioning units are the property of the tenants.

   Also during the meeting, the board discussed possibly installing a lock or buzzer on the door inside the administration office.

   The building recently underwent renovations and a locked door with bulletproof glass was replaced with a half-door that is closed but unlocked.

   Board member Robert Onesko said as it stands, anyone could just walk into the back offices. He said it is a matter of safety for employees that should be examined. Onesko said it was merely an observation.

   While Harkless said he personally didn’t feel unsafe he said he would consider putting a lock on the door.

   Solicitor Jack Purcell said there has been talk about how the authority employees would handle upset people and that should be further explored.

   January 21, 2011
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