Roanoke Rising Fall 2019
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 - Cover
Roanoke Rising
Fall 2019
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (From the CEO) Page 2
FROM THE CEO
Sharon N. Tolbert, Chief Executive Officer
Welcome to the Roanoke Housing Authority's (RHA) quarterly newsletter, Roanoke Rising! It is our desire that Roanoke Rising will be used as a useful tool to communicate upcoming events, news and more with our residents, community partners and the public at large.
It is truly my pleasure to serve as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RHA. As CEO, it is my desire to work diligently to fulfill RHA's mission of providing safe, decent, and sanitary housing conditions for individuals and families. The RHA's objective is to provide personal, economic, and social upward mobility to provide individuals and families the opportunity to make the transition from subsidized to non-subsidized housing.
The RHA is managed by the Auburn Housing Authority (AHA). The AHA has managed RHA since 2012. Under AHA's leadership, RHA has maintained its Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) score as a "High Performer". PHAS is the system that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) uses to assess a public housing authority's performance in managing its public housing program. PHAS uses a 100-point scoring system based on four categories of indicators:
a. Physical (40 points)
b. Management Operations (25 points)
c. Financial (25 points)
d. Capital Fund Program (10 points)
The physical indicator determines whether RHA's housing units are decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair, and to determine the level to which RHA is maintaining its units in accordance with housing condition standards. The management operations indicator is to assess the RHA's management operations capabilities. The indicator assesses occupancy, resident accounts receivable and accounts payable. The financial condition indicator is to measure the financial condition of RHA which includes measuring liquidity and assets,
adequacy of reserves and debt obligation. The Capital Fund Program (CFP) assessment is to examine the period of time it takes RHA to obligate its CFP funds. CFP funds are used to maintain RHA's units.
To stay connected with RHA's news and events, all residents are encouraged to visit our website at www.auburnhousingauth.org and sign up for "News and More" to receive email and text notifications. Also, be sure to connect with us on social media!
Sharon N. Tolbert
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (Commissioner's Corner) Page 3
Commissioner's Corner
Commissioners
Terry Kennedy, Chairperson Paula Lambert, Vice-Chairperson Michael Watkins, Commissioner Tom Staples Jr., Commissioner Sarah Nunn, Resident
Commissioner--
About the Board
RHA is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, representing a cross-section of the community and appointed by the Mayor of the City of Roanoke. One member must be a resident of an RHA property or program.
The Commissioners are responsible for overseeing the fiscal management of the agency and is involved in reviewing and approving all policies pertaining to the housing authority.
The board meetings are held at 5:30 pm on the 2nd Thursday in March, June, September, and December. The meeting is held at the Roanoke Housing Authority's Administrative Office located at 231 Avenue A. The meeting date is subject to change.--
Certificates
Commissioner Tom Staples, Jr., completed the Commissioner's certification during the AAHRA Conferences in August 2019. Commissioner Staples also attended the SERC-NAHRO Conference in June 2019. Upon returning from the conferences, Commissioner Staples provided the Board of Commissions with a summary of what he learned and how the information may be applied to the RHA.
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (Human Resources & News) Page 4
HUMAN RESOURCES & NEWS
New AHA Employees
Richetta Stephens
Procurement SpecialistA.J. Harris
Director of Property OperationsCarrie Smith
Regional Property ManagerDemetrius Parham
Maintenance LaborerHarvey Maddox
Maintenance Mechanic AssistantJonathan (Matt) Robinson
Maintenance Mechanic Assistant--
WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU!
In an effort to provide exceptional service to our families, the following staff is assigned to manage the RHA:
From left to right:
Carrie Smith, Regional Property Manager
Mark Ellis, Regional Maintenance Manager
Timothy Wright, Maintenance Mechanic (onsite)
Beth Redding, Property Manager I (onsite)
AJ Harris, Director of Property Operations--
NAHRO 2019
AWARD OF MERIT
AHA was awarded the 2019 NAHRO Award of Merit for the Administrative Innovation Category for its website.--
JOB VACANCIES
FSS Coordinator
For more information on these positions or to apply, please visit
auburnhousingauth.org
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (Resident Advocates) Page 5
Resident Advocates
The RAB serves as an advocate for families that are served by the Auburn, LaFayette and Roanoke Housing Authorities.
Our Resident Advisory Board (RAB) recently attended the "Uniting to
Conquer" Resident Council Empowerment Conference in Birmingham, AL. The conference had visitors from multiple states throughout the southeast region to gather and learn about ways to create programs and initiatives that will help strengthen our communities.
During the conference our RAB had the opportunity to meet, share, and learn from others their responsibilities, best practices, and ways to better advocate for the residents of Auburn, Lafayette, and Roanoke Housing Authorities.
Conference attendees left motivated and excited to serve! Be on the lookout for new initiatives coming to an area near you soon! Interested in getting involved, don't hesitate to contact a member of the Resident Advisory Board or Resident Services for details.--
Some of the responsibilities of the Resident Advisory Board are as
follows:
-Managing tenant participation funds and grants.
-Mentoring/coaching young residents to become future leaders.
-Reviews HUD's Annual Plan before implementation.
-Implementing "Passion Projects" to improve the well-being of families.
-Preparing for change in the housing regulations/operations.
-Conducting successful resident elections.--
The mission of the RAB is to empower low to moderate-income level residents including Section 8 recipients in their journey to become self-sufficient by representing their interest, advocating for their needs, and collaborating with other organizations to ensure that services are provided. For more information contact: Resident Services at (334) 821-2262 Ext 230
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (Student News) Page 6
STUDENT NEWS
Careers Begin at Job Corps
Job Corps is a tuition-free training and education program that connects eligible young men and women with the skills and educational opportunities they need to establish real careers. Job Corps offers career training in high-growth industries that will give you the hands-on, practical experience you need to begin working toward a long-term, successful career- not just a job, but an actual CAREER that you can build on for the rest of your life.
--
Money for College
Scholarship applications and requirements may vary from year to year, it's never too early to begin. There are scholarships out there tailored to academic interests, talents, extracurricular activities, career goals, geographic location, and many more factors. Here are
five steps you can take to jump-start your search and make college more affordable.
1. Check Your Prospective Schools
2. Ask Your Academic Advisor
3. Dig Into Your Network
4. Try Online
5. Be Keenly Aware of Scholarship Deadlines
6. Take Both the SAT and ACT
You may review a hundred scholarships before you find one that applies to you. Be patient and stay the course (and keep those grades up !). Eventually, you'll uncover a good match. And you'll appreciate all your research when you secure some funds! (princetonreview.com)--
The 2020 PHADA Scholarship Program Applications
are due by January 31, 2020.Visit the link below for more information:
https://www.phada.org/ConferencesEducation/PHADA-Scholarship-Program
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (Resident Notice) Page 7
RESIDENT NOTICE
RHA's public housing program is funded by the federal government and RHA must comply with the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) regulations and RHA's internal policies and procedures. RHA encourages families at RHA to comply with the following requirements to maintain their housing assistance.
a. Comply with your annual recertification requirements and submit the requested information by the deadline.
b. Report changes of your income and household composition as required.
c. Comply with your landlord's dwelling lease.
d. Comply with all written requests that are submitted by the RHA and forward the requested information by the deadline.
Not complying with the requirements above may result in the termination of your assistance or eviction. The list above is not all inclusive.
If you have questions about your assistance, please contact the following:Roanoke Housing Authority
231 Avenue A
Roanoke, AL 36274
Beth Redding, Property Manager I
Telephone: (334) 863-4630
Email: bredding@auburnhousingauth.org--
PLEASE READ:
FREEZE WARNING REMINDERS
As we prepare for the expected freezing temperatures forecasted for our area, we want to remind each of you of precautions to take when experiencing freezing weather.
1. Please leave faucets in your unit on a slight drip.
2. Turn your heat on and leave it at 65 degrees, minimum.
3. Leave cabinet doors in the kitchen open to allow pipes underneath the sink to receive warm air. This is particularly important when the sink is on the inside of an outside wall.
4. When we have rain and then freezing temperatures, use EXTREME caution when using walkways as walkways may tend to accumulate ice.
If you have a maintenance emergency, please contact us at 334-864-8391 and follow the prompts to reach an after-hours maintenance technician.
Roanoke Rising Fall 2019 (Resident Info) Page 8
RESIDENT INFO
Rent Payment
Rent and service fees are due the 1st of each month, late after the 6th. If the last day to pay rent falls upon a day the Authority is closed
(weekend or holiday) then residents have the next business day to pay rent. The late fee is $40.00 per month. Please pay your rent on time to eliminate late fees and possible eviction!--
Rental Insurance
Residents are encouraged to obtain rental insurance. Rental insurance helps to protect your belongings after a covered loss.--
Maintenance
An emergency work order will be completed and mitigated within twenty-four (24) hours. If a situation is determined to not be an emergency, the resident will be informed that the request will be considered as "any other resident work order request". Normal
work orders will be resolved within 3 business days. Examples of a work order emergency are:-Broken exterior door lock
-Fire
-Loss of power - mechanical failure
-Broken water line
-Loose or falling ceiling
-No Heat (when the outside temperature is less than 35 degrees)Please call to request a work order:
Routine Maintenance Work Orders:
(334) 863-4513Emergency AFTER hours Work Orders:
(334) 321-7525For Police and Fire Emergencies dial 911
--
Smoking Policy
Smoking is NOT permitted inside the unit. See the Smoke-Free Policy that's included as an addendum to your lease for more information.--
WE ARE SOCIAL...
Stay updated on events, programs and initiatives sponsored by The Auburn, LaFayette and Roanoke Housing Authorities by liking, following, and engaging with us on social media. We're your key to Housing Opportunities!
CONNECT WITH US...
@AuburnHousing
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