BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — There were no public comments at this week’s public hearing regarding the Danville Housing Authority’s annual and five-year plans.
However, Mayor Scott Eisenhauer again sent DHA officials a letter recommending suggestions he believes would be in the best interest of the city.
Eisenhauer wants to see a reduction of public housing units and Section 8 vouchers.
According to statistics Eisenhauer gathered in 2008, Danville had 537 Public Housing Units which were certified for occupancy with not all being occupied.
“With a population of 33,904, it would indicate that at the time of the survey there was one PHU for every 63.14 residents of the city,” he says in the letter. “In comparison to other communities with similar size, our number of PHU per capita is much larger.”
His examples: Galesburg (31,091 population) according to 2008 numbers had one PHU for every 72.14 residents, while Rock Island (39,151 population) had one PHU for every 80.39 residents, Pekin (33,857) had one PHU for every 172.74 residents, and Kankakee (27,491) had one PHU for every 123.83 residents.
Other communities: Peoria had one PHU for every 157.48 residents, Springfield had one PHU for every 135.36 residents, Decatur had one PHU for every 116.64, Champaign/Urbana had one PHU for every 260.69 residents, and even Chicago had one PHU for every 159.21 residents.
“It is easy to see that the number of Public Housing Units in Danville far exceeds that of other communities in the state, and must be reduced. If you look at the statewide average of communities who participated in the 2008 survey, the city of Danville should be more in line with one PHU for every 160.03 residents, and to do so, would need to reduce the number of Public Housing Units by 326 units for a total of 211 Public Housing Units,” Eisenhauer states.
“Realizing that this could not be done immediately, the Danville Housing Authority One Year and Five Year Plans should include a policy and procedure for reducing annually a percentage of Public Housing Units so that within the next four years the number resembles the statewide per capita average,” he said. “This reduction could be accomplished much in the same way other communities have reduced their Public Housing Units; by demolishing their current structures used for public housing and building fewer, more updated, spacious living units,” Eisenhauer continues.
“This may also be an opportunity for the Danville Housing Authority to pursue mixed income housing with low rental, assisted rental and fair market value rental units all located on the same campus. Mixed income properties which have been designed and built in the last five years in other communities are very attractive and far more successful in total community integration. Therefore I recommend that over the next four years, the Danville Housing Authority reduce the number of Public Housing Units by 325, demolish the current structures, and rebuild a complex with mixed income rental units,” Eisenhauer said.
As for Section 8 vouchers, 2008 numbers show Danville was certified, although not fully funded, to issue 620 vouchers. This equates to one voucher for every 54.68 residents.
Other communities: Galesburg has one voucher for every 111.04 residents, Rock Island has one voucher for every 170.22 residents, and Pekin does not issue Section 8 vouchers. Peoria has one voucher for every 58.53 residents, Springfield has one voucher for every 58.37 residents, Decatur has one voucher for every 71.70 residents, Champaign/Urbana has one voucher for every 83.12 residents, and Chicago has one voucher for every 82.87 residents.
Only Kankakee has more vouchers per capita than Danville at one for every 51.87 residents, according to Eisenhauer.
Eisenhauer said while a lack of federal funding has assisted in this endeavor, to accomplish the statewide per capita average, DHA should reduce the number of Section 8 vouchers from 620 to 397 over the next three years.
In response, DHA executive director Greg Hilleary said there are two places in DHA’s plans that address reductions: the Mer Che Manor unit renovation from two studio apartments to one-bedrooms (the reduced number of units possible isn’t yet known); and the review of HOPE VI.
The HOPE VI concept involves removing higher density public housing and building replacement housing at a lower density.
“I don’t know what the ratios are,” Hilleary said, but added the concept is in the authority’s plans to review and see if the authority should move in that direction.
The DHA would apply for funding.
“There are a lot of hoops to jump through,” Hilleary added.
Hilleary added that Section 8 is dollar driven not number driven.
“I don’t know what will happen after December 1,” he said about U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding.
New Section 8 vouchers for veterans already are locked in, he added.
Other recommendations:
-- Implement preference points on the wait lists for those who have lived and/or worked here for at least three years. DHA is proceeding with a local preference.
-- Increase the number of work or community service hours from eight to 40 as a condition for non-exempt public housing residents (persons not working and under a certain age).
Hilleary said he doesn’t know if the authority can increase the number. It’s a HUD regulation. He’ll have to research the issue.
Eisenhauer also had other questions regarding safety measures, asking if the DHA ever considered a volunteer resident patrol program or a block watchers program.
Hilleary said there are resident councils, but no established crime watches.
“I believe a strong public housing system must be in place for our community, but I believe that system must be designed to provide those in our community who need assistance a ‘hand up’ rather than providing those porting into our community a ‘hand out,’” Eisenhauer said.
The DHA board of commissioners will vote on the authority’s plans to submit to HUD on Dec. 17.
