Published: July 11, 2008 11:11 am         

Forum sheds light on family needs

Area officials look at public housing issue

DANVILLE — After Thursday’s Community Dialogue on Public Housing, School District 118 Board President Randal Ashton had some “mind changes.”

He said he’s now “much more sensitive to the family needs of the economically disadvantaged housing occupants.”

This includes daycare, employment and transportation needs.

Ashton said he’s also now more aware of the necessity of social services to help families.

“(The dialogue) shed a light on the problems,” he said.

About 100 community members met Thursday to discuss attitudes, perceptions and reach recommendations about public housing and Section 8 government subsidized housing in the community.

The East Central Illinois Community Action Agency presented the dialogue on the community’s Section 8 and public housing programs.

Section 8 negativity

“Section 8 is a bad word in many communities throughout this nation,” speaker Willis Logan said.

Logan, a consultant on housing issues and former director of the Springfield Housing Authority, said it’s a shame Section 8 housing is viewed this way because it lends itself to do a lot of good in communities.

The public’s perception of public housing became more negative particularly when Section 8 and scattered site housing started in the 1960s, he said.

“People all over this country became big detractors of (public) housing, not supporters,” he said.

But Logan said communities need to embrace changes and the program and work with it to meet all needs.

He’s worked with Chicago, Quincy and other communities to address Section 8 and public housing issues.

They have different numbers of units and different experiences, but some issues affect everyone, Logan said.

Logan said the city, Danville Housing Authority and others must work together to help get past the problems and help with neighborhood revitalization and other issues.

Self-sufficiency plan

In Springfield, changes included calling the Section 8 program the “private landlord program” and using a family self-sufficiency program to bring about changes in the behavior of people in public housing.

Logan said the program encourages families to attain the skills necessary to get off public housing, welfare, food stamps, etc.

Housing authority staff talks about issues at regular meetings and “works diligently” with families, such as regarding employment, transportation, health and babysitting needs.

Logan said a strategic plan then is put in place for the family to get off public housing in five years, for example.

The program also allows that as a person receives a pay raise, the rent also increases, but that increased amount goes into an escrow account for later.

Logan said the money then is made available when the family graduates from the program and is off welfare or other assistance for a year.

“This is what we’re working for,” he said of housing authorities helping families get back on their feet. They’re not for generations of families to rely on.

Logan said “putting some families in a box” and not doing anything isn’t the answer for pubic housing to move forward. Housing authorities and others must look at the problems and make families believe in the success stories.

Dialogue participants said this program should be started here.

Fred Cowen, Young Men Aware program coordinator, said not all public housing recipients should be grouped together in the same category. Some desire to better their lives and need mentoring and an opportunity to help lift them up.

“If we reach one, we’ve accomplished something,” he said.

Recommendations

Other recommendations included: educate and communicate more with the public on programs and needs, extend public transportation hours, have more affordable childcare, expand on literacy programs and offer more help in job searches. The recommendations will be put into a report.

Locally, perceptions have focused on the migration of Chicago public housing recipients into Central Illinois and increasing crime and demands on social agencies, schools, medical facilities and other services.

But Logan pointed out the DHA public housing program puts more than $2 million back into Danville’s economy.

Still, Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said the city needs everyone’s help “in resolving this crisis.”

“I believe our city is at a crossroads,” Eisenhauer said.

He favors reducing the number of Section 8 vouchers and hundreds of those locally receiving housing assistance. The DHA controls less than 30 percent of the vouchers here.

He compares the city to balancing a boat and says if there continues to be too many people needing the city’s limited services and resources, “we’re going to sink.”

Eisenhauer added the recommendation of the city working more with the DHA and landlords will happen.

He plans to treat the DHA like a city department and have regular meetings.

Boys and Girls Club of Danville executive director Rickey Williams Jr. said action now needs to take place to make sure Thursday’s meeting wasn’t a waste of time.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director Rose Henton added that residents can just take one part of the recommendations to help kids in the neighborhood or teach adults to read at the community college.

ECICAA officials planned Thursday’s dialogue with the DHA, city and other organizations to evaluate the effects here of Section 8 and public housing programs.

About 240 people from various organizations were invited to attend.

Fred Whitman, associate director of planning and community services at ECICAA, said the meeting was to present and share ideas about public housing and talk about various community impacts and family needs. The meeting also tried to correct misinformation and wrong public perceptions.

“The whole idea is to try to educate ourselves,” he said.

Among those present at Thursday’s meeting were representatives from faith-based organizations, businesses, schools, the city and library, county, DHA and other organizations.