Posted: 9/7/04
Rental assistance request withdrawn from county
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
A request to Houston County commissioners for $16,137 to help pay for a rental assistance program has been withdrawn.
Joe Wheeler, executive director of Southeastern Minnesota Multi-County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (SEMMCHRA), made the request in a 20 minute discussion with board members at their August 24 meeting.
But he told The Argus on August 30 that he had found a source of funds so he would be withdrawing the fund request.
Wheeler works with Section 8 Rental Assistance in six local counties, including Houston, which has a contract with the group. Section 8 is a federally funded rental assistance program designed to help families pay their rent.
He said ìdramatic changesî in funding from U.S. department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) brought him to make a funding request like this for the first time in his 30 years on the job.
ìTell us what the dollars are at the beginning of the fiscal year and weíll stay within those parameters,î he said, referring in frustration to the fact that guidelines were changed in April of this year.
The changes in funding have forced him to close the waiting list and reduce the number of units available.
He told The Argus that his board had postponed terminating any contracts until November 1. Families will be notified 30 days prior to that.
About 130 contracts might have to be terminated, although it could be fewer, he said.
Wheeler feels that the rental assistance is a successful program, although there is a lot of turnover with families. Once people get schooling and employment, they are no longer income-eligible for the program. He called it a temporary subsidy for many people except the elderly and disabled people.
Houston County commissioners told Wheeler that they were concerned that some people obtain their rental assistance vouchers certificates in Houston County, establish residency here, and then move. The voucher follows them to their new location, and if the rent goes up there, Houston County has to pay the increased cost. Wheeler called this ìpouring outî the voucher.
Metro areas are actually making money, but agencies that serve multiple counties are not, he added ìHow do we come out from underneath this contract? The rules are changing so dramatically. We should not have to look locally.î
ìWelcome to the club,î Kelleher said. ìQuite frankly itís the trickle down theory of putting things on the property tax.î
Wheeler said the governor is aware of the situation because the state is trying to eliminate homelessness.
Families will not lose their vouchers, but if contracts have to terminated, individuals who canít get the service will have to go elsewhere, and it will affect the local welfare agencies, Wheeler said.
Kelleher said many people associate Section 8 with welfare, but it deals with elderly and disabled families as well.
The SEMMCHRA office in Wabasha has also eliminated three full-time staff. ìWeíre projected to lose at least $20,000 in Section 8 administrative fees,î Wheeler said. HUD has added more administrative burdens while giving SEMMCHRA less money, Wheeler added.
Other business
The board approved a newly published book of zoning ordinance. Rick Frank suggested that the county put the ordinances on its web site. Secretary Char Meiners said there is limited space on it. Kelleher and Thompson said the county should try to upgrade the web site.
Linda Grupa and Heather Myhre talked to the board from the county public health department.
Myhre said the Minnesota Department of Public Health is encouraging a county-wide survey related to tobacco issues. The U of M and MDH are doing the bulk of the work. Myhre feels it will be good data for the county for future funding sources. The target date for sending it out is September 1. The university will come up with a sample of 600 people, which is a big part of the job, Myhre said.
Grupa said itís such a big sample that she wanted commissioners to be aware of the survey.
Myhre said the county has also applied for a $10,000 car seat education grant, and should find out in September if they get it.
Caledonia Argus
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