2012 HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

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 Vivian Moon wrote:

And As I stated before I have been to meetings where Dan Tracy and other Section 8 Landlords swore their Section 8 tenants were the best tenants they ever had.  Hunting down section 8 Landlords what a lark!  This is most likely a problem with CONSOCC, who was fired. CONSOC ran the program for I believe 15 to 20 yrs. seem to me a COCNSON issue that the City had to wade through.
    Pacman, CONSOC was not fired, their contact was not renewed. CONSOC runs several Section 8 Programs around the state. Mr. Adkins and City Council wanted Nelson & Assoc and they gave a lower bid. CONSOC did not have a problem with their records for the rental properties. 
    The real problem occurred because Mr. Adkins and City Council wanted the Section 8 Program to become real time paperless system. Program also had to interact with other city systems. Add to this mix the fact that Nelson & Assoc had never ran a Section 8 Program. Then add the fact that the Inspection Groups hand held computers would not interact with any system….Please do not forget that Nelson & Assoc was hired in January and received extra money to get all the records transferred to their systems so they could “hit the ground running” by mid March. What happened next was a total royal screw up of the Section 8 Program. And caught up in the middle of this mess for the next year and a half were women, children, elderly, disable and the landlords. 
Vivian, I find it hard to believe that you continue to blame the Inspection group.  As far as CONSOC goes, I believe they were given a 6 month notice that their contract would not be renewed.  Nelson and assoc were just a replacement for CONSOC, If I remember correctly there wasn't was bidding process to replace CONSOC. I'll give you the main problem between all parties was a communications problems.  As far as CONSOC goes, I watch every meeting for a couple of years (many were painful to watch, the problem with CONSOC in my opinion, is they were running the program for far too many year and they given free rein.  

HUD REAC Inspections
Staff         members of The Inspection Group have been subcontractors for the         national REAC contractors of Building Inspection Service (BISCO), MTB         and Insurance Services Office, (ISO). REAC inspection experience includes         work performed under all three of the HUD REAC programs, the MOBIS (REAC         Pilot Program), National Inspection Contract (NIC), and Baseline Inspection         Contract (BIC). Our REAC inspection work has taken us to locations throughout         the mid-west and southeastern states, including large public housing authorities         of New York City, Boston and Cleveland to mention a few. Various properties         include inspecting public housing, Section 8 project based, home-ownership,         and HUD/FHA insured and assisted multifamily, elderly, and group home         properties.
Section 8 rules are written by the government and not the city.  
    Pacman, this is not entirely true statement. Mr. Adkins is now using the International Inspection Standards for inspection of Section 8 Units. I believe he is also using a more extensive background check on the tenants than is required by HUD. 

 As HUD told Mr Adkins HE Can Not use this international Inspection Standards for inspection of Section 8 Units?  If HUD hasn't told him he can't do it, then there is no issues.  Does the city not use these same rules for inspecting everyone house in Middletown if called out for a violation?

The city attempts to work within HUD's rules and trys to makes changes to the city's benefit, but usually gets slapped down by HUD as has happened in the recent past.
    I believe you must be talking about “Lead Paint Requirements”. The inspection that Mr. Adkins wanted was over and beyond what is required by HUD. It would have disqualified 
any housing unit built before 1970 because of the lead based paint used on the walls and woodwork. 

Section 8 is not a bad program.  The problem is that Middletown is over saturated with 1000-1200 more vouchers than they should have.      Pacman, I’m not sure that this is a correct statement made by Mr. Adkins. I can’t find the research at the moment but I believe the minimum number of Section 8 in Middletown should be about 800 Units.
Vivian, Find me a community which has more vouchers per citizens than Middletown (1 per 28 or 29 Citizens) and I may agree with you.  To save you some trouble I've already researched NY, LA and many cities and not been able to find 1 that has come close to Middletown's ratio. To me this is excessive.  When you have cities like Kettering that have 7 Section 8 housing units.  I said a city of about 48,000 people with 1662 vouchers is accessive.

Middletown is a mecca for section 8 due to the tremendous amount of housing it has that you can buy for pennies and the dollar, rehab for pennies on the dollar, make you money back in 18-24 months and the money just rolls in with minimul expenses.
    I must disagree with this statement. I believe that many of these properties have been purchased at public auctions therefore the price paid is the market price. These properties are inspected once a year by HUD and also when a new tenant moves into the property. 
We do have SLUMLORDS here in Middletown but they do not own Section 8 Housing.
Many of those properties are not fit for a dog to live in. 
Vivian, Public Auctions are not Market rate.  How do you know Slumlords don't own section 8 housing? Do you know all 500+ landlords personally?

I have been researching section 8 in Middletown for the last 5 years.  Honestly I believe without this site and our discussion about section 8 on it, the attention the matter diserves would not be where it's at now.     Marty Kohler had total control over the Section 8 Program for numerous years. It was not until the city hired Nelson Self, that the major problems within the HUD programs were made known to City Council Members and later to the public. It is my opinion that Mr. Kohler should have been fired!
I agree with Firing marty Kohler, I've been saying that for years.  As far as Nelson Self, I had never heard of him before I started looking into section 8.  I know who he is now only from this forum.  

Dan Tracy has possibly gotten himself into a mess and with his owning about 135 properties, including the ones in his name, if he can't strike a deal or come out this not guilty he may be in big trouble financially. Pacman, I don’t know how many Section 8 rentals Mr. Tracy owns but I do know of the major problems caused by Nelson & Assoc. if in fact that is when the crime was said to have occurred I am curious what HUD will say about this mess and what actions they may take against the city.  If these four crimes are proven to be true, why would HUD take any action against the city at all.  The City has taken the time and money to investigate these allegations and I'm sure HUD is aware of the issue already.