In Sunset Park, Demise of Affordable Units Feared

For anyone that's been trying to move out of Kenmore Hall, the following article is a familiar story. It's getting harder to find housing that accepts Section 8 in neighborhoods that are reasonably safe. Sunset Park was one of the areas I'd been looking at myself because it's familiar (I used to live one neighborhood over). When staff and management are confronted by tenants regarding making policy changes, repairs, or reassigning rooms, the standard response has become a variation of "if you don't like it here, why don't you move out?" That's what some of us are doing. But it takes time, and we're still entitled to a decent standard of living while we're here.

http://shar.es/RR9gU

Hundreds of apartments covered by Section 8—key anchors in a neighborhood where affordability is threatened by gentrification—are slated to leave the program

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tenant survey

Back in 2009, I was a newcomer to Kenmore Hall and had had the first blog running since June. I had planned to survey the tenants about satisfaction with conditions here at Kenmore Hall. I can't remember why I never did anything with it, but I just found the survey - and a lot of the issues seem not to have changed.

KENMORE HALL TENANT SURVEY September 2009

This survey can be filled out anonymously. The results will be used to poll tenant satisfaction with conditions at Kenmore Hall. Please provide brief responses to the following questions; additional information can be added on the back side of this page.

1. Are you satisfied with how the elevators operate?

2. Are you satisfied with how the common areas (halls, stairs, and lobby) are maintained? Are they clean enough?

3. When you fill out a work order for repairs or maintenance in your unit, are you satisfied with how the desk and maintenance staff respond? Does staff respond in a timely manner? Is the work done correctly?

4. Are there noise and/or smell issues on your floor?

5. Would you like your unit tested for mold?

6. Has management responded appropriately to concerns about quality of life issues you've raised?

7. How often have you contacted management about your concerns?

8. How many times have you had to follow up on issues in order to resolve the situation?

another potentially helpful resource

Tenants & Neighbors, 

236 West 27th Street, 4th Floor,

New York, New York 10001

Telephone: 212 608-4320
Email: info@tandn.org

 

The staff of Tenants & Neighbors is creative, professional, and hard working. We have expertise in tenant organizing and in housing policy 
 issues. We come from diverse backgrounds, but we all share a deep commitment to working alongside tenants in the struggle to defend affordable housing and strengthen tenants' rights.

quality of life

THE NYCHA NOT WANTED LIST

The NYCHA Journal has an "editorial policy of publishing the names of individuals who have been permanently excluded from our public housing developments. This list is part of NYCHA's effort to keep residents informed of the Housing Authority's ongoing effort to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers in public housing and to allow for the peaceful and safe use of our facilities. For a full list of the "Not Wanted" visit NYCHA's website at nyc.gov/residentscorner. Please note: These exclusions are based on NYCHA's Administrative Hearing Process and should not be confused with the recently implemented Trespass Notice Program under Mayor Bloomberg's Operation Safe Housing Initiative.
REMEMBER, IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ON HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALL YOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR NYCHA'S SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT AT (212) 306-8595."

            If the NYCHA can do this with undesirable tenants, why can't H.S.I. exclude tenants from buildings like Kenmore Hall, who have (for instance) been convicted of violent crimes against other tenants? Is it because management is lazy, or because they simply don't want the negative publicity?

banning drug dealers

If housing projects can ban drug dealers from the premises, why can't Kenmore Hall? Tenants here have been asking this question for years, and it hasn't been resolved yet. Does that mean that HSI and Kenmore Associates LP have a lower standard of living for their tenants than the city's housing projects? Apparently so.

 

 

 

NEW YORK CITY

HOUSING

AUTHORITY

TINO HERNANDEZ

CHAIRMAN

EARL ANDREWS, JR.

VICE CHAIRMAN

MARGARITA LÓPEZ

MEMBER

VILMA HUERTAS

SECRETARY

DOUGLAS APPLE

GENERAL MANAGER

NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY

250 BROADWAY h NEW YORK, NY 10007

TEL: (212) 306-3000 h http://nyc.gov/nycha

Dear NYCHA Resident:

In January 2005, we informed you about a new Trespass Notice Program to combat drug dealing and

drug related crime and make NYCHA developments safer. The Trespass Notice Program denies

access to development grounds to persons arrested for felony drug sales on NYCHA property. This is

to announce that starting February 1, 2007, NYCHA and the New York City Police Department

(NYPD) will expand the Trespass Notice Program to the borough of Manhattan. We believe the

Trespass Notice Program will protect the safety and security of all NYCHA residents, employees and

other persons who have legitimate purpose on NYCHA property.

Under the Trespass Notice Program, if the person arrested for selling drugs on NYCHA property is a

NYCHA resident, he or she will be allowed to return to his or her apartment and the common areas of

that development until an eviction proceeding is completed. The Trespass Notice Program provides

an opportunity to challenge the exclusion and includes an administrative mechanism for granting

limited access to NYCHA property if the excluded person can justify the need for such access and

does not pose a threat to residents.

Federal law provides for every public housing authority to maintain their housing developments in safe

condition. It also requires each resident of public housing to ensure that his or her guests do not engage

in any criminal activity that threatens the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of other residents.

Through the combined efforts of NYCHA, NYPD and residents, crime has dropped in NYCHA

developments by 11.5 % since 2002. While there has been much success in reducing crime, more

must be done to ensure that NYCHA developments are a place where families can live and children

can be raised without the threat that accompanies drug activity.

We request your cooperation as the Trespass Notice Program is expanded in Manhattan and look

forward to your continued support in making NYCHA developments a safer place to live. Visit

NYCHA's website at www.nyc.gov/nycha to view a copy of the Trespass Policy to learn more about

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's Operation Safe Housing initiative to fight crime in public housing.

Sincerely,

Douglas Apple

January 31, 2007

 

To get a look at what kind of crap happens in the lobby some nights, take a look at the drunk fool in this video (click the link below). Meanwhile, people who are just quietly having conversations are asked to leave the lobby at 1:00 a.m. Does this make sense to you?

 

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more resources for tenants

ASBESTOS CONTROL
 Asbestos Notifications: 718-595-3650
 Enforcement: 718-595-3682

 

ASBESTOS AND LEAD CONTROL PROGRAM
 Phone: 718-596-3626
 Fax: 718-595-3744

 

LEAD POISONING HOTLINE
 212-285-4601

 

BUREAU OF AIR, NOISE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
 FAX: 718-595-4544

 

COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE UNIT
51 CHAMBERS STREET 6TH FLOOR
NYC NY 10007
PH: 212-788-7418
FAX: 212-788-7754

 

MAYOR'S ACTION CENTER
 212-788-9600

 

(DHCR) DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL
HAMPTON PLAZA
38-40 STATE STREET
ALBANY NY 12207
 PH: 518-473-2526
 FAX: 518-473-2517

 

DHCR
25 BEAVER STREET
NYC NY 10007
 212-480-6706
 866-275-3427

 

DEPARMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (HPD)
100 GOLD STREET
NYC NY 10038
www.nyc.gov/hpd

 

AUTOMATED DIRECTORY: 212-863-5000

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING 212-863-5610

 

 

According to The Legal Aid Society, which advocates for the rights of people who are mentally ill and chemically addicted, MICA means mentally ill, chemically addicted. Just thought you should know...

1. What Does MICA Mean? Mentally Ill and Chemically Addicted (MICA) is a term which identi fi es when a person is living with a mental illness and a substance abuse issue. 2. What is the Purpose of the Enhanced Defense-MICA Project? There are too many people with mental illness and/or substance abuse problems in our jails and prisons. Those living with mental illness are more likely to be arrested, sentenced more severely and detained longer in jail than those with similar charges. In New York City, a study of individuals arrested in Brooklyn found that 18% had a serious mental illness. For those with mental illness, the trauma of being in jail and serving time may actually make their symptoms worse and reduce the defendant’s chance of achieving successful community integration upon release. Considering these staggering numbers, the MICA Project has demonstrated a measurable way to avoid wasting resources on jails and prisons, by investing in people. 3. The Enhanced-Defense MICA Project Overview: Since 2002, the Legal Aid Society’s Enhanced Defense-MICA Project has provided legal and community support services to some of the most vulnerable defendants in New York City’s criminal justice system. These individuals, struggling to live with symptoms related to serious mental illness and addiction problems, are often underserved and victimized while incarcerated in our jails and prisons. The MICA Project’s team model partners mental health attorneys with licensed clinical social workers to address the holistic needs of each client. In 2007, we added consumer peer advocate interns to our Queens County team to provide mentors to our clients. Our main focus is to get or keep our clients out of jail/prison by helping them get into treatment. Once a defendant is receiving community treatment, our unique defense-based bridge case management approach enables us to provide 18-24 months of community social services and monitoring. This bridge case management model is based on three core values: 1. Defendants in our Project are dynamic people, not cases. 2. We recognize that there is a strong connection between legal problems and social problems. 3. The highly stigmatized and marginalized MICA population is often poorly served by our current mental health system, putting them at high risk for “falling through the cracks.” 4. How Does a Person Get Help from the MICA Project? The MICA Project can assist those people represented by the Legal Aid Society in a criminal matter. We have offi ces in Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens County trial offi ces. For more information speak with your assigned lawyer or call the Project’s Director John F. Volpe at (212) 577- 3340. Did You Know? • You have a right to privacy for all your psychological, psychiatric and medical information. • You have a right to mental health, medical and medication services in NYC jails. • If you receive mental health counseling and/or medication in NYC jails, you have a right to work with a discharge planner who should MICA PROJECT KNOW YOUR RIGHTSarrange for your return to community treatment. For more information or guidance please contact: John F. Volpe, LCSW @ 212- 577-3340. (March 8, 2011) The Legal Aid Society 199 Water Street New York, NY 10038 Phone: 212-577-3300 Fax: 212-509-8432 www.legal-aid.org Printed by The Legal Aid Society KNOW YOUR RIGHTS MICA PROJECT

If you feel that you've been profiled as mentally ill by your social worker, even though you aren't actually mentally ill, you may be right... H.S.I. has an agenda, and one of their criteria for hiring new social workers is a familiarity with "diagnosing" their clients using SPMI. Here's the definition, below, according to the Office of Mental Health:

Skip to Main Content NY.gov Portal State Agency Listing Search all of NY.gov Office of Mental Health Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D., Acting CommissionerGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo Language Access | 中文 | PУCCКИЙ | Español | Kreyòl Ayisyen Home News Data & Reports Publications Resources Employment A-Z Site Map Message from the Acting Commissioner| About OMH| OMH Facilities| Initiatives| Contact OMH| FAQ printer icon Frequently Asked Questions What is SMI (Serious Mental Illness)? Adults with serious mental illness are persons aged 18 or older who currently have, or at any time during the past year have had a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the DSM-IV-TR. In order to be considered SMI, the diagnosable disorder must result in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. What is SPMI (Serious and Persistent Mental Illness)? A description of serious and persistent mental illness can be found here: Serious and Persistent Mental Illness. What is SED (Serious Emotional Disturbance)? Children with serious emotional disturbance are persons aged 17 or younger who currently have, or at any time during the past year have had a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the DSM-IV-TR. In order to be considered SED, the diagnosable disorder must result in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits the child's role or functioning in family, school or community activities. Comments or questions about the information on this page can be directed to the Bureau of Data Infrastructure. Home | About OMH | News | Data & Reports | Publications | Resources | Employment | A-Z Site Map Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Disclaimer | Contact OMH | Web Administrator Last Modified: 11/9/2012 Security statement: Users shall not interrupt or disrupt the operation of this site nor restrict or inhibit any user's ability to access the site. Unauthorized attempts to upload information to the site or change information on the site or to interrupt or disrupt operation of the site are strictly prohibited and may subject the perpetrator to both civil and criminal penalties under Federal and/or State law.

Terms referred to in social worker job posting... AWARDS HMIS database

This is one of the things HSI wants its new caseworkers to be comfortable and familiar with using. When you moved into the building, did anyone tell you that you would become a statistic in the fight to solve homelessness? Did you know who our caseworkers were sharing information with, or why? It's one of the conditions for receiving federal funds. Read on.... Homeless Management Information Systems From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a class of database applications used to confidentially aggregate data on homeless populations served in the United States. Such software applications record and store client-level information on the characteristics and service needs of homeless persons. An HMIS is typically a web-based software application that homeless assistance providers use to coordinate care, manage their operations, and better serve their clients. HMIS implementations can encompass geographic areas ranging from a single county to an entire state. An HMIS knits together homeless assistance providers within a community and creates a more coordinated and effective housing and service delivery system. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other planners and policymakers at the federal, state and local levels use aggregate HMIS data to obtain better information about the extent and nature of homelessness over time. Specifically, an HMIS can be used to produce an unduplicated count of homeless persons, understand patterns of service use, and measure the effectiveness of homeless programs. Homeless Management Information Systems were first developed in the late 1990s in response to a mandate by Congress requiring States to collect this data as a condition of receiving federal money from HUD to serve homeless populations. The impetus behind this mandate was to reduce and eventually solve homelessness, a problem which could never be solved if it was not understood and if progress toward that goal was not tracked. HUD mandated that each Continuum of Care (CoC) for the Homeless must implement an HMIS, but they did not require the use of a particular application, nor did they provide specifications for HMIS software. Some CoCs utilize locally-developed or 'homegrown' software, but the majority adopted one of a number of commercially available HMIS applications.[1] In July 2004, HUD published the HMIS Data and Technical Standards [2] in the Federal Register, with the intent of standardizing collection of client and program-level data on homeless service usage among programs within a community and across all communities. In March 2010, HUD published a revision of the HMIS Data Standards, updated to incorporate data collection required for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), which was funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; to align with intended changes to program-level reporting requirements; and to address feedback from CoCs requesting clarification and modification of some of the previous data elements.[3] Most HMIS applications also serve as outcome-based systems that facilitate timely, efficient, and effective access to needed services and supports for person's who are homeless. For instance, percentage of individuals who are in permanent housing at the time they exit a program is a metric used for evaluation. Other data fields focus on developing a picture of unduplicated counts, use of specific services and the effectiveness of the local homeless assistance systems. HUD, apparently finding HMIS to be helpful in evaluating success in different grantee jurisdictions, and in reporting to Congress, has begun a renewed emphasis on having its Continuum of Care grantees convert to HMIS. 2010-2011 awards will be affected by metrics under HMIS and so some jurisdictions are moving quickly to bring their service providers into compliance. See also[edit] Homeless Management Information System Software References[edit] Jump up ^ "HMIS Software Vendors". HMIS.info Website Online. Retrieved December 8, 2012. Jump up ^ "Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS); Data and Technical Standards Final Notice". Federal Register Online. 2004. Retrieved December 8, 2012. Jump up ^ "Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) Data Standards Revised Notice". HUD Homelessness Resource Exchange Online. 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2012. External links[edit] US Department of Housing and Urban Development HMIS page HMIS in use in Oklahoma City, Ok. Categories: Government databases in the United StatesHomelessness in the United StatesUnited States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Kenmore Hall is looking for a new social worker...

This is the job description posted on Idealist. It's interesting because of how H.S.I. describes itself, the environment here at Kenmore Hall (safe and nurturing? REALLY?), and they express a dedication to helping tenants learn to live as independently and crisis-free as possible... This is one post I'd really like to see reader comments on. There seems to be a huge disconnect between the description of what a social worker here is supposed to do, and what they actually DO.

Social Worker, Kenmore Hall Job posted by: Housing and Services, Inc. Posted on: February 28, 2014 Job description Housing and Services, Inc. is seeking a Social Worker for Kenmore Hall. Our mission is to solve housing crises for all New Yorkers through permanent, cost-effective solutions. We provide hope and stability to frail individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, mental illness, and addiction in safe and nurturing environments, empowering our residents to live as independently and crisis-free as possible in our four residential programs: The Cecil Hotel, Kenmore Hall, The Narragansett, and Scattered Site Housing. The Social Worker will provide comprehensive case management services to their caseload including: coordination of care, individual counseling, advocacy, engagement/outreach, medical compliance monitoring and referral, service plans, regular home and office visits, and quality documentation in AWARDS (HMIS database) of the same. The Social Worker will contribute to a program culture that is person-centered, holistic, and committed to continuous improvement. The Social Worker is expected to participate in socialization activities and monthly House Meetings. The Social Worker will comply with all DHS and DOHMH guidelines and contractual requirements. All HSI programs adhere to a housing first approach and harm reduction model. Qualifications: Bachelors degree required. Masters Degree in Social Work or social service related field with 2 years experience working with the formerly homeless. Preferred experience with the mentally ill, and chemically addicted; SPMI and MICA knowledgeable encouraged to apply. Must have excellent writing , computer and communication skills. Preferably knowledge of the AWARDS HMIS database. Knowledge of community resources, harm reduction and person-centered approach essential. A strong commitment to our mission and a dedication to those we serve paramount. *Bi-lingual (Spanish) preferred. How to apply Please submit resume and cover letter to Ada Tavares, HR Manager, at atavares@hsi-ny.org Location New York, NY, 10010, US Details Education requirements 4-year degree, Social Work Or Other Related Field Employment type Full time Professional level Professional Salary range (annual, U.S. $) 42,000 - 45,000 Salary details DOE Job function Direct social services, Education, Administration, Advocacy, Database management Owner's areas of focus Housing and homelessness

Some tenants at Kenmore Hall have been asking management to make repairs to their apartments (particularly remediation of mold infestations) for over 6 months, but management has been trying a variety of tactics to get out of doing the job properly:

• Blaming the tenants and calling them hoarders (although they're NOT hoarders, and what does that have to do with mold growing in the building's walls anyway?)
• Telling inspectors that the tenant won't let building management or maintenance workers into the room to make repairs
• Management tells maintenance to scrub the walls and do a paint job - this is not the right way to take care of mold at all

H.S.I. and Kenmore Associates may be in good company, though; they're like hundreds of other slumlords across the city who are more concerned about the money in their pockets than the quality of life for their tenants. Click on the titles of articles below for similar situations:

Links

Daily News article about slumlords who make city pay for repairs

O repaired, thousands to go