Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. |
Friday, June 19, 2015
Fwd: 5-DAY EXTENDER
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Fwd: 48 Hours Left: Vigil at Cuomo's Office Sunday
This is an EXTREMELY urgent matter; it affects all of our rent-stabilized leases here at Kenmore Hall. If you can attend, even for a little while, it could make a HUGE difference. None of us wants to end up homeless again, and without regulation as it exists, landlords can raise rents at whatever percentage they like and evict tenants for little or no reason, and tenants will lose the protection they take for granted now.
Not that H.S.I. would do that... (or would they?)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ava Farkas <Ava@metcouncilonhousing.org>
Date: Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 9:36 PM
Subject: 48 Hours Left: Vigil at Cuomo's Office Sunday
From: Ava Farkas <Ava@metcouncilonhousing.org>
Date: Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 9:36 PM
Subject: 48 Hours Left: Vigil at Cuomo's Office Sunday
Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. |
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Affordable Housing? Let's Get Real...
And the winners in the Worst Place To Live competition might be (drumroll, please)... follow this link:
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Disclaimer (AGAIN)
The header for my blog about Kenmore Hall lets people know up front that I'm not a lawyer, my recommendations here are purely for informational purposes, and that they're not supposed to represent legal advice. However, I've gotten emails from people who've read the blog asking that I help them find a lawyer. However, there are posts in the blog that let people know how to get legal advice or a lawyer... scroll through earlier posts and you'll find it.
Just sayin'. I'm just an advocate. I can't represent you, I can only help you keep informed on what your rights are.
Also, some tenants have contacted me because they're having trouble dealing with the noise level in the building. I completely sympathize. There are city ordinances about acceptable (and unacceptable) noise levels, but before you have to go that far, you might try complaining to staff and management if you have a neighbor who is creating unacceptable amounts of noise. I recently had a talk with my case manager about one of my neighbors who had suddenly developed a bad case of "door-slamming-itis", especially late at night. He'd repeatedly slam the door, sometimes 3 times in a row, hard enough to make my wall shake - and it was the wall right by the head of my bed. The problem miraculously stopped within a day (but of course, he's made a point of talking about how mean I am to complain to the second floor about it within earshot... I don't give a rat's ass as long as the door slamming doesn't start up again). It seems that part of the problem may have been that the mechanism at the top of the door that slows it down as it closes needed to be adjusted by maintenance.
And I hope that's the only time this year I have to speak to a case worker; it's nice to get positive results for a change.
Just sayin'. I'm just an advocate. I can't represent you, I can only help you keep informed on what your rights are.
Also, some tenants have contacted me because they're having trouble dealing with the noise level in the building. I completely sympathize. There are city ordinances about acceptable (and unacceptable) noise levels, but before you have to go that far, you might try complaining to staff and management if you have a neighbor who is creating unacceptable amounts of noise. I recently had a talk with my case manager about one of my neighbors who had suddenly developed a bad case of "door-slamming-itis", especially late at night. He'd repeatedly slam the door, sometimes 3 times in a row, hard enough to make my wall shake - and it was the wall right by the head of my bed. The problem miraculously stopped within a day (but of course, he's made a point of talking about how mean I am to complain to the second floor about it within earshot... I don't give a rat's ass as long as the door slamming doesn't start up again). It seems that part of the problem may have been that the mechanism at the top of the door that slows it down as it closes needed to be adjusted by maintenance.
And I hope that's the only time this year I have to speak to a case worker; it's nice to get positive results for a change.
Have you ever wondered how supportive housing programs pay for support services including case management? Have you thought carefully about how much information about your benefits you volunteer to your case manager?
I just read an interesting article that spells out how one supportive housing agency recommends services be paid for by (drum roll, please) TENANTS MEDICAID BENEFITS. This may be ok with some people, but personally, I'd prefer not to have someone else "helping" me spend my Medicaid benefits, especially since I spent two years with a very painful and extensive dermatological condition fighting to get the medication I needed to repair my skin covered by Medicaid when they didn't want to pay for the prescriptions... H.S.I.'s need to pay their staff is NOT as great as my need to have control over the meager benefits offered by welfare, and I think this system is creepy and coercive.
Follow the link below to see the article (I tried to cut and paste it, but that didn't work):
http://www.csh.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A-Quick-Guide-To-Improving-Medicaid-Coverage-For-Supportive-Housing-Services1.pdf
I just read an interesting article that spells out how one supportive housing agency recommends services be paid for by (drum roll, please) TENANTS MEDICAID BENEFITS. This may be ok with some people, but personally, I'd prefer not to have someone else "helping" me spend my Medicaid benefits, especially since I spent two years with a very painful and extensive dermatological condition fighting to get the medication I needed to repair my skin covered by Medicaid when they didn't want to pay for the prescriptions... H.S.I.'s need to pay their staff is NOT as great as my need to have control over the meager benefits offered by welfare, and I think this system is creepy and coercive.
Follow the link below to see the article (I tried to cut and paste it, but that didn't work):
http://www.csh.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A-Quick-Guide-To-Improving-Medicaid-Coverage-For-Supportive-Housing-Services1.pdf
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
As housing for the poorest disappears, costs of shelter soars
Posted: 19 May 2015 07:19 AM PDT
NYC residents have a legally established "right to shelter". As housing for the poorest disappeares, the costs of shelter soar. NYC is doing what it can to reduce shelter costs by creating rental assistance programs, but the costs continue to grow.
NYC is not making much progress. Does this play out with shelters becoming something like the permanent Almhouses of old?
http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
NYC is not making much progress. Does this play out with shelters becoming something like the permanent Almhouses of old?
http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Monday, May 18, 2015
FUNDING TIME FOR S.R.O.s
Well, it's that time of year again... New York City's CoCC (the organization of affiliates that H.S.I. is a member of, and the organization that promotes reporting all kinds of personal information about tenants in H.S.I.'s buildings, whether they want to share private information or not, even if the information shared makes them look totally incompetent and unable to find a place to live without help from organizations like H.S.I.) is requesting bids on the funding that allows H.S.I. to continue running Kenmore Hall and its other buildings. The conference dedicated to bidding on the pot of gold should be mighty edumacational.
NEW PSH RFP BIDDER’S CONFERENCE
This Friday, May 22, CUCS will host a Bidder’s Conference for the NYC CCoC’s New PSH RFP. The RFP is attached for your review – please remember that final details will be confirmed after the NOFA is released. Fields highlighted in yellow in the RFP are the most likely to change while other details may be adjusted depending on HUD’s guidelines.
NEW PSH RFP Bidder’s Conference
Date: Friday, May 22
Time: 9:30am – 11:00am
Location: CUCS, 198 East 121 St, 5th Floor
To Register: Email the attendee’s Name, Agency, Job Title, and Email Address to Martha.Kenton@cucs.org with the subject line: Bidder’s Conference Registration
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Fwd: Homeless lives matter. Black-led organizing matters.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
pages of The Atlantic," Jean said, and "We can't apportion human rights based on whether someone is domiciled or undomiciled. It is our job to bring NYC & our country to reality. Broken windows policing condones the murder of young Ramarley Graham for a bag of weed found in his toilet. This broken windows ideology says it is permissible to murder Eric Garner because he allegedly sold loose cigarettes. "
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
NSA Bulk Metadata Collection Not Lawful, Says 2nd Cir. - Technologist
I'm posting this because it's relevant to the HMIS data collection and sharing requirements that HSI and other supportive housing non-profits have to abide by. Tenants here at Kenmore Hall probably have NO IDEA what's in their case files, or what's being said about them to government agencies like HUD that provide funding to HSI. Maybe it doesn't matter to most people, but if your reputation is worth anything to you, and if you care whether you're ever able to rent an apartment outside of Kenmore Hall, you might want to think about this - especially since HSI often refers to tenants as "clients" and "chronically homeless", and appears to prefer the MICA profile to a wider, more inclusive profile. If you don't mind being classified as mentally ill and chemically abusing (even when you're NOT), then just sit back and enjoy being screwed. Follow the link below to find out why wide-range data collection is wrong.
https://shar.es/1rfOFp
Well, color us shocked. The Second Circuit this morning found that the NSA's bulk metadata collection program -- which, by the way, would have remained secret if not for Edward Snowden -- was not authorized by the USA PATRIOT Act....
https://shar.es/1rfOFp
Well, color us shocked. The Second Circuit this morning found that the NSA's bulk metadata collection program -- which, by the way, would have remained secret if not for Edward Snowden -- was not authorized by the USA PATRIOT Act....
Sunday, May 10, 2015
More Housing Activism
|
Real Affordability - and other housing issues
New York City is facing the dual crisis of historic levels of homelessness and skyrocketing rents, leaving all but the wealthiest among us to struggle to find an affordable home.
Since our inception as the NYC AIDS Housing Network, we have been dedicated to the idea that housing is a human right. We know the impact housing has on ending AIDS as an epidemic and like you, we believe that everyone has the right to a safe, healthy, and affordable home.
Unfortunately, the basic right to housing has slipped away as wealthy landlords and developers get rich off gentrification, luxury condos, and displacement. That's why we helped to form the Real Affordability For All (RAFA) and Homes for Every New Yorker (HENY) coalitions dedicated to building the power of tenants and the homeless, united to win a city we can all afford to call home.
But there’s good news too, this week, Mayor de Blasio proposed sweeping protections for tenants across NYC. Momentum is building on our side but now we need to keep up the pressure.
Join us, along with our allies, next week for two critical actions to demand an end to homelessness and a city where we all can afford a home:
REZONINGS: RALLY TO BUILD IT RIGHT!
Tuesday, May 12th at 6PM
East New York is ground zero for gentrification and displacement. Join community organizations, faith leaders and trade unions calling for the construction of real affordable housing for all, and good, union jobs for those building the housing.
Where: Highland Park in East New York Brooklyn (corner of Elton Street & Jamaica Avenue).
Travel: Take the J train to Cleveland Street. Walk down Elton Street to Highland Park.
Contact: Elizabeth Owens at 646-203-3145.
RALLY TO SAVE NYC! Save #1MillionHomes
Thursday, May 14th at 5PM
Join thousands demanding the renewal of strong rent laws for the city’s 1 million rent-regulated apartments. New York City has already lost 250,000 affordable apartments in the last 10 years due to weak rent laws that landlords use to "de-regulate" rent stabilized apartments.
Where: Foley Square, meet at the statue in the middle.
Travel: Take the 4,5,6,J,M,Z trains to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall.
Contact: Elizabeth Owens at 646-203-3145.
See you in the streets!
--Jennifer
Since our inception as the NYC AIDS Housing Network, we have been dedicated to the idea that housing is a human right. We know the impact housing has on ending AIDS as an epidemic and like you, we believe that everyone has the right to a safe, healthy, and affordable home.
Unfortunately, the basic right to housing has slipped away as wealthy landlords and developers get rich off gentrification, luxury condos, and displacement. That's why we helped to form the Real Affordability For All (RAFA) and Homes for Every New Yorker (HENY) coalitions dedicated to building the power of tenants and the homeless, united to win a city we can all afford to call home.
But there’s good news too, this week, Mayor de Blasio proposed sweeping protections for tenants across NYC. Momentum is building on our side but now we need to keep up the pressure.
Join us, along with our allies, next week for two critical actions to demand an end to homelessness and a city where we all can afford a home:
REZONINGS: RALLY TO BUILD IT RIGHT!
Tuesday, May 12th at 6PM
East New York is ground zero for gentrification and displacement. Join community organizations, faith leaders and trade unions calling for the construction of real affordable housing for all, and good, union jobs for those building the housing.
Where: Highland Park in East New York Brooklyn (corner of Elton Street & Jamaica Avenue).
Travel: Take the J train to Cleveland Street. Walk down Elton Street to Highland Park.
Contact: Elizabeth Owens at 646-203-3145.
RALLY TO SAVE NYC! Save #1MillionHomes
Thursday, May 14th at 5PM
Join thousands demanding the renewal of strong rent laws for the city’s 1 million rent-regulated apartments. New York City has already lost 250,000 affordable apartments in the last 10 years due to weak rent laws that landlords use to "de-regulate" rent stabilized apartments.
Where: Foley Square, meet at the statue in the middle.
Travel: Take the 4,5,6,J,M,Z trains to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall.
Contact: Elizabeth Owens at 646-203-3145.
See you in the streets!
--Jennifer
80-A Fourth Ave. | Brooklyn, NY 11217 | 718-802-9540 tel | 718-228-2477 fax
[web] www.vocal-ny.org [email] info@vocal-ny.org [twitter] @VOCALNewYork [facebook] www.facebook.com/VOCALNY
80A 4th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217-1908
Brooklyn, NY 11217-1908
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Fwd: Upcoming event at 6/15 Green! You're invited! Spread the word! 6/15 Green Spring Fair Please Post / List Event
May 5, 2015
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Emailing: holdover
If you need to know what to do about a holdover in Housing Court, follow these links:
Things you should know if you're in housing court on a holdover (get legal advice from a real, live lawyer – these are general guidelines and not a substitute for legal advice)
Metropolitan Council on Housing: http://metcouncilonhousing.org/help_and_answers/intro_to_holdover_evictions
Legal Aid Society:
http://legal-aid.org/selfhelp/housing/holdover_case.html
Housing Court Answers:
http://cwtfhc.org/holdover-proceedings-private-dwellings/
From the
http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/housing/startingholdover.shtml
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Section 8 Inspection Standards
The following are the Inspection Standards used by Section 8. Several tenants have asked questions about passing/failing inspections, and I've finally turned this document up on an old flash drive. If the formatting looks a little lumpy, it's because the original document is a PDF, and I had to cut & paste it into the blog.
If you don't pass an inspection, you're entitled to a grievance hearing (like asking for a fair hearing with public assistance) and an opportunity to schedule another inspection.
INSPECTION STANDARDS FOR YOUR INFORMATION
All rental units subsidized under the Section 8 program must be inspected and meet Housing Quality Standards ( HQS) and applicable state and local standards. HQS are specific physical standards established by HUD to ensure that Section 8 apartments start off and remain decent, safe and sanitary. The following summary is intended to help landlords prepare units for inspections, and does not cover every aspect of the applicable standards.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The unit must include a living room, kitchen, bathroom and one living/sleeping room for every two family members regardless of age.
Ceilings and walls must be in good condition, with no large cracks, holes, peeling or chipping paint or loose plaster.
Floors must be in good condition. The floor covering must not be curling or have loose edges or holes.
Windows, including sills, frames and sashes must be in good operating condition and must open and close. There can be no broken, cracked or missing windowpanes. Windows must have permanently attached and adequate locks. Window guards are also required in windows in public hallways.
Window guards for children under 11 years old must be securely installed in all building types including non-regulated 1-5 family dwelling units.
All rooms must have either two working outlets or one working outlet and an overhead light or light fixture. All outlets, switches and electrical boxes must have covers with no exposed or fraying wires. All electrical splices must be properly contained in junction boxes with covers.
BUILDING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
The apartment number must be the same number that was registered by the landlord and posted on the front entrance door.
The building address must be clearly marked on the front entrance.
The entrance door must have a working lock.
The building must have working mailboxes.
The building must be decent, safe, sanitary and free of roach or rodent infestation.
All interior and exterior stairs and rails must be hazard free. Porches must be hazard free, also.
The building must be free from high levels of air pollution caused from vehicular exhaust, sewer/fuel gas, dust and /or other pollutants.
Exterior surfaces accessible to children under 6 years old must be free of any cracked or loose peeling paint and adequately covered to prevent exposure to lead paint.
There shall be no blocked fire exits from the building.
Elevators must be working and have current inspection certificates.
KITCHEN
All stove burners must work. If the stove is equipped with a pilot light, the pilot light must light the burners. The oven must work and its door must close tightly. All parts must be functional.
The refrigerator door gasket must be attached to the door, forming a proper seal.
FYI
NYC Housing Authority
Leased Housing Department FYI
NYC Housing Authority
Leased Housing Department
The sink must have hot and cold running water and a drain with a trap. The sink must be properly hooked to a sewer line. Neither the faucet nor the sink can leak or drip.
There must be adequate food preparation and storage areas, with adequate means to dispose of food wastes.
BATHROOM
There must be a private flush toilet fastened tightly to the floor.
The bathroom sink must meet the same criteria as the kitchen sink.
There must be a bathtub or shower.
There must be adequate ventilation either from an operable window or an exhaust fan or vent.
There can be no rotten or weak areas in the floor, nor any water damage.
BEDROOMS
Each bedroom must have at least one window and must open and be large enough to use as an emergency exit.
There must be a door, which can be closed.
Each bedroom must measure at least 80 square feet.
HEATING
There must be a heating system capable of heating the unit to a comfortable temperature. Furnaces must be serviced every two years and tested at the initial inspection.
SITE HAZARDS
There can be no hazards on the site, such as dilapidated structures, trash, debris, unlicensed vehicles, non-maintained vegetation or wild animals.
SMOKE DETECTORS
Smoke detectors must work.
There must be at least one battery-operated or hard-wired smoke detector in proper working condition on each floor of the rental unit.
There must be an alarm system with lights in each bedroom occupied by a hearing- impaired person.
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
A battery-operated or hard-wired carbon monoxide detector is required in every apartment. Installation should be within 15 feet of the primary entrance of each bedroom or room used for sleeping.
LEAD-BASED PAINT
Units built before 1978 and occupied by any child under age 7 cannot have any substantial chipping or peeling paint, either on the interior or exterior. Any such conditions must be treated as potential lead-based hazards. In any other units, any substantial chipping or peeling paint (interior or exterior), must also be avoided but will not be treated as potential lead hazards.
MOST COMMON CAUSES OF FAILED INSPECTIONS
Ceilings: - damaged/cracked-severe - buckling/bulging-severe
- chipping/peeling/blistering-severe
Windows: - one or more do not stay up - cracked/broken/missing-severe
Floor tiles: loose or missing
Mouse droppings or roach infestation
Walls: - damaged/cracked-severe
- hole(s) in wall: large FYI
NYC Housing Authority
Leased Housing Department
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Why all the info about FEGS?
I've been posting periodic updates on the FEGS bankruptcy issue because so many of Kenmore Hall's tenants had their time wasted at their downtown offices. FEGS was a worthless operation, often described by clients as "babysitting for adults" - it was a requirement for many welfare recipients, and not participating often constituted non-compliance and resulted in interruptions in benefits. I've heard SO MANY stories from friends and neighbors about getting FTC'd by FEGS (failure to comply) even when they were sitting in the classrooms or participating in their WEP assignments - and then having to go through mediation at Waverly or request a fair hearing to straighten out mistakes that FEGS had made. The time spent in classrooms there was mind-numbingly boring; they didn't teach anything worthwhile at all, and it was a challenge to get access to the computers on site to search for work or related benefits.
Frequently, the WEP assignments they gave clients were totally inappropriate for their health conditions or disabilities (I was given several cleaning jobs that required use of harsh chemicals while suffering from severe atopic dermatitis that covered most of my body, and in other cases was assigned to jobs that didn't accommodate my COPD - and this was standard practice at FEGS). I'm bringing this up because FEGS was designed to specifically address work-related issues for disabled / health-challenged clients, and even when you're a public assistance recipient, you're entitled to workplace accommodations. You can look them up at the Job Accommodation Network at https://askjan.org. I don't know anyone who actually got a real job through FEGS. I don't have an issue with going back to work: life on welfare SUCKS, and it's demoralizing - but it should be appropriate work that isn't insultingly low-paid or actually bad for participants' health. (By the way, who remembers the bedbug infestation at their downtown offices a few summers ago? OSHA shut them down for a while to exterminate, but not before a bunch of people got nasty bites).
They were receiving something like $250,000,000 in government funding, and ended up close to $20,000,000 in debt; what a ridiculous waste of money, especially if you look at what they were spending money on (the usual: high salaries for staff, facilities, etc.). Just wonderin' what's going to replace it. And if the government agencies that fund organizations like FEGS aren't paying attention until it's too late, what would you like to bet nobody's really accountable when it comes to certain supportive housing providers?
Frequently, the WEP assignments they gave clients were totally inappropriate for their health conditions or disabilities (I was given several cleaning jobs that required use of harsh chemicals while suffering from severe atopic dermatitis that covered most of my body, and in other cases was assigned to jobs that didn't accommodate my COPD - and this was standard practice at FEGS). I'm bringing this up because FEGS was designed to specifically address work-related issues for disabled / health-challenged clients, and even when you're a public assistance recipient, you're entitled to workplace accommodations. You can look them up at the Job Accommodation Network at https://askjan.org. I don't know anyone who actually got a real job through FEGS. I don't have an issue with going back to work: life on welfare SUCKS, and it's demoralizing - but it should be appropriate work that isn't insultingly low-paid or actually bad for participants' health. (By the way, who remembers the bedbug infestation at their downtown offices a few summers ago? OSHA shut them down for a while to exterminate, but not before a bunch of people got nasty bites).
They were receiving something like $250,000,000 in government funding, and ended up close to $20,000,000 in debt; what a ridiculous waste of money, especially if you look at what they were spending money on (the usual: high salaries for staff, facilities, etc.). Just wonderin' what's going to replace it. And if the government agencies that fund organizations like FEGS aren't paying attention until it's too late, what would you like to bet nobody's really accountable when it comes to certain supportive housing providers?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)