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Monday, May 13, 2024 |
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TOO MUCH SECTION 8? |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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MIDDLETOWN SECTION 8 Part 2
Section 8 landlords divided on regulationsStaff Writer MIDDLETOWN — The city’s efforts to better regulate and reduce its number of Section 8 properties has landlords in the program divided.
City officials say Middletown is shouldering a disproportionate share of Butler County’s subsidized housing, which impacts crime and the city’s image, among other things. The city has more Section 8 housing per capita than any other municipality in Ohio. Middletown officials want to cut the number of vouchers to 654, which would be about 10 percent of the city’s total housing stock. City officials have said that’s as much subsidized housing as city services can support without negatively impacting everyone. Landlord Don Gose said he supports the vast majority of the city’s actions, including hiring a new company to operate the Section 8 program. The city terminated its contract with Consoc Housing Consultants in late 2010 and hired Nelson & Associates in March 2011. “To (Middletown Community Revitalization Director) Doug Adkins’ benefit, he brought in a company that is making us play by the rules,” Gose said. Properties that had passed inspections before are failing them now, Gose said. He said he had a property that passed 11 straight inspections, but in its first inspection with Nelson & Associates, that same property failed. “The landlords might have been better under Consoc, but the city as a whole was not,” he said. After Nelson was hired, the city started an investigation with the Inspector General’s Office. It has netted 10 arrests of landlords for defrauding the system. Jeff Faulkner, a landlord who owns several buildings with Section 8 tenants, has accused the city of “beating up” on landlords with stringent regulations. He claims some of his properties have failed inspections for infractions as simple as a burned out light bulb. He said he sees that as part of the city’s plan to shrink Section 8 in Middletown. “I don’t see any other way for them to be able to accomplish anything if they don’t get rid of the landlords that own quite a bit of property,” Faulkner said. “I don’t see how they’re going to shrink this program at all.” If the city will be allowed to shrink the program is uncertain. HUD has never given the city a statue or regulation that says it can’t, though the federal agency has sent letters asking the city to reconsider its actions. The MPHA at its last meeting earlier this month agreed to stay the course. Faulkner and Gose agree that HUD won’t allow the city to shrink the program without justification. Faulkner said he would like the city to prove there is not a need for the existing Middletown vouchers by opening up the waiting list. “There are many people who are wanting to move into Middletown,” he said. “I’ve got three people who want to move into Middletown from Warren County.” Adkins said the waiting list was last open before 2009, and the vouchers were not filled. Gose said it was a mistake for the city to accept 888 Section 8 vouchers from 1999 to 2005 — which more than doubled what they had before Dec. 1, 1999 — just for the sake of filling the vacant housing stock. He did not become a Section 8 landlord until that injection of new vouchers in the city. “People like me saw that was an opportunity,” Gose said. “The money was easy to get and the money was there, and entrepreneurs like me took advantage of that.” The program receives about $10 million, and if the vouchers are reduced will cut the program funding by about 60 percent. So far this year, the city has received about $2.1 million through March 14, and about $2 million went out as housing assistance payments. The remainder of the money, about $136,000, has been split between the city and Nelson & Associates. Gose thinks the city is “doing the right thing,” even though the enforcement is costing him additional money — anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a year. “That’s a good thing,” Gose said. “That frustrates my fellow landlords. I don’t like spending any more than I have to, but the rules are what they are. But as a citizen, I support what they’re doing.” Gose said he understands why some landlords feel things were better under Consoc Housing Consultants, the former administrator of the program, but he disagrees “It was just there. Nobody administrated the program,” Gose said. The Section 8 program was created by Congress in the 1970s to expand housing options for low-income families, disabled people and the elderly. The vouchers can be used anywhere and cover most and sometimes all of the fair-market rent for a house or apartment. It’s HUD’s largest program serving more than 2 million households nationwide with a budget of $18 billion. The term “Section 8” is used because the federal law, which created the program is found in Section 8 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Posted: 5:25 p.m. Friday, March 15, 2013
Landlords must register with city through water billsMandatory program to start July 1Staff Writer Middletown’s estimated 600 landlords will soon have to register their contact information with the city or risk having water to their properties shut off.
A new proposed plan calls for landlords to register their names, physical address (no P.O. boxes), contact numbers and a listing of all their properties with the city through their water bills, according to Steve Bohannon, a landlord who worked with the city on the proposal. The plan is set to become mandatory on July 1 and no water will be turned on — even if a tenant requests it — until that landlord registers with the city. The goal of the plan is to hold landlords accountable for maintaining their property. Some city properties are owned by individuals or groups who lives outside of the region, and can be difficult to contact. City officials had previously considered charging landlords a $25 registration fee, but many landlords protested the idea. “We came to a happy medium and everybody’s happy,” Bohannon said of the compromise. “We didn’t need any more fees for this or that.” Further details of the plan were not being released Friday because City Manager Judy Gilleland had yet to review it or present it to City Council. “We will be finalizing a proposed program and processes, putting it forward for the city manager to review,” said Community Revitalization Director Doug Adkins. “The city was looking for a goal to find irresponsible landlords who weren’t taking care of their properties,” said Missy McCall, a landlord who served on the committee with Bohannon. “All they want to have is to find the responsible party. It was easy to find a solution that met their needs and ours.” The city in January 2012 proposed to charge a fee to register landlords in order to hold them accountable for maintaining their property. But many landlords felt they were being unfairly targeted by the plan, which had a goal of holding landlords more accountable for poorly maintained and dilapidated properties. McCall said the proposal was offensive because landlords felt the city was trying to “punish the masses for the mistakes of the few.” After meeting with some landlords, city officials killed the proposed plan last August. Committees were then formed — one to address vacant property registration and one to address landlord registration — and this proposed plan is the result, Bohannon said. He called it a win for the city and landlords. The registration process gave the city’s landlords an opportunity to meet on a regular basis, and that eventually led them to forming the Middletown chapter of the Investment Property Owners Association, an organization that’s been in Hamilton for decades. “We feel as an investment group, we can bring a lot to the table, just like we did when we sat down to discuss the registration,” said Bohannon, the president of the MIPOA. Bernie McGuire, immediate past president of the IPOA of Butler County, called the organization “an extension of the voice of housing providers.” “We’re helping housing providers become better housing providers,” he said of the educational program they conduct, which is open to the public. “We try to get the point across that it’s a shared responsibility, not just the landlord who’s invested a lot of money in the property. The tenant shares some of the responsibility in upkeep with the property and the standards of the neighborhood.” Anyone with interest in the Middletown IPOA should call Bohannon at 513-464-0464 or attend a meeting. Meetings are every third Thursday of the month, at Java Johnny’s, 3534 Central Ave. |
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Bill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Nov 04 2009 Status: Offline Points: 710 |
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Vivian Moon: "Faulkner said he would like the city to prove there is not a need for the existing Middletown vouchers by opening up the waiting list.
HUD has already proven there is a need for this program in the Middletown" This depends on how you define "need". That's like putting out bowls of cat food outside of your home and then, when dozens of cats show up, claim there is a "need" for more cat food.
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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The landlords i've talked to are NOT opposed to strick regulations and they DON'T care if the number of vouchers are reduced. The point is the way Adkins is running the program. He demonizes the people using the program. The real point is Judy and Doug DO NOT want low income people in Middletown regardless if they are law-abiding and productive people that have fallen on hard times. JMO
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TonyB
MUSA Citizen Joined: Jan 12 2011 Location: Middletown, OH Status: Offline Points: 631 |
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If that were true, why were the vouchers obtained in the first place? It's not like you were going to get middle income families to take those vouchers. It's absurd to think that the city manager and Mr. Adkins wouldn't know that low-income families would be getting those vouchers. The outcry about it after the fact seems to me to be a realization that all of the consequences were not taken into account.
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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Exactly, TonyB, This was M. Kohler's request for more vouchers with out oversite of the results.WHY is this man still employed in the city of Middletown??? Oh, that's right ,because Judy wanted to keep him. He has NOT been very sucessful in any thing he has touched,but he still has his job.
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LMAO
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 28 2009 Location: Middletucky Status: Offline Points: 468 |
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“I don’t see any other way for them to be able to accomplish anything if
they don’t get rid of the landlords that own quite a bit of property,”
Faulkner said. “I don’t see how they’re going to shrink this program at
all.”
Question to Mr.Faulkner,How many Section8 housing do you have? |
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Middletown29
MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
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Good question LMAO, I bet Faulkner won't answer.
He and Kohler should be run out of town. |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Middletown29 |
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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Hey Mtown
Aren't you a former commissioner? |
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Middletown29
MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
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You mean council member?
Why do you ask? |
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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They were commissioners then I believe
Was talking to others who seem to know you I can live with screen names--some can't I value the message more than the identity--some don't Yet you didn't answer You seem to have no problem calling out others and me by name or business So you are also fair game Council member or commissioner? Chamber board member? |
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Middletown29
MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
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Yes
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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OK
Thank you for your honesty Their guess was correct Surprised me though |
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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so--I believe that Mtown was steering the city ship when the dedicated street $$ was taken away to the general fund
to handle one of our recurring "budget crises"
do you regret that one?
to his credit--his group also started the roof coming off of the mall
who was to know how expensive that area has become since
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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I have never seen 5 more heartless, discompassionate people as I saw tonight at our city council meeting. I am appalled at the lack of humanity displayed by A. Mort, J.Mulligan, L.Mulligan,D.Pacard and ofcourse D.Adkins. How can you look in the mirror in the morning. I can not express my disgust any other way. My heart goes out to this Byrd family.
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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Last night was the quarterly meeting of MPHA and Mr. Adkins had very little to say and city council had very few question to ask about the Section 8 Program. Did ya notice that not one of the council members ask Mr. Adkins if he had heard from HUD concerning the 4 page letter he sent to HUD on February 18, 2013 concerning the reduction of vouchers? Do you really believe that this subject was not discussed outside these chambers? It was like the Big Pink Elephant in the room that they didn’t want to talk about. |
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Middletown29
MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
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I agree with over the hill. While the sound on my tv from the council broadcast last night was not good from what I caught they should each take a reality pill.
All Adkins worried about was the "process". While the process is important it should not trump people's lives just for the sake of the "process". AJ was right on this one. There are plenty of other homes to demo. Also why would our city fathers And mothers not get involved in the handling of this matter by the Calf company that either screwed up big time of defrauded one of our citizens.? |
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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I have never seen 5 more heartless, discompassionate people as I saw tonight at our city council meeting. I am appalled at the lack of humanity displayed by A. Mort, J.Mulligan, L.Mulligan,D.Pacard and ofcourse D.Adkins. How can you look in the mirror in the morning. I can not express my disgust any other way. My heart goes out to this Byrd family.
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VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
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Well, I read the "free for two weeks" Journal edition for today. Didn't see anything about the Section 8 discussion in the paper. Perhaps that's why I quit taking it years ago. Seems as if nothing has changed with the Journal. They tend to publish only the good, seldom the bad, but never the ugly stories.
I'll watch the council meeting on TV Midd. tonight. In the meantime, could someone elaborate on how the council members/Adkins dealt with the Byrd family as was mentioned? |
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I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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What about code violations at the historical society building on S Main?
Rose Furniture? Old MJ building? Studio theater? So shine? |
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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If you have 300 houses to demo then go do 299 of them until these people have a chance to sort this out. What's the rush on this one property!! Thank you Spider. I'm pretty sure there will be a law suit on this one. I think these people will have a lot of people to back them on this. I hope so. JMO
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Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
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But…but…but…Spider we can’t talk about THOSE buildings because some are on
This is nothing more than SELECTIVE CODE ENFORCEMENT. |
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over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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I'm a little confused, if this house is part of the land bank demo's doesn't the city have to have possesion of the property. That clearly is not the case here.
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LMAO
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 28 2009 Location: Middletucky Status: Offline Points: 468 |
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Is there a place online that you can watch council meeting? I got rid Of TW and cant get council meeting on Dish.
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