KCHA NEWS - April 2008
A resource for King County Housing Authority residents
New housing to break ground at Greenbridge
Several hundred former Park Lake Homes residents already have moved into the colorful, energy efficient rental homes that have replaced the site’s obsolete World War II-era housing.
And more will have the chance to return once the King County Housing Authority completes the Greenbridge project’s next phase, which is expected to break ground this month. Greenbridge is the mixed-income housing development that is replacing Park Lake Homes — the 1940sera development that was King County’s largest and oldest.
“Oh my goodness has it changed,” Jeanne Servis, a former Park Lake Homes resident who has moved back to Green-bridge, said of the neighborhood. “The houses are very nice looking, and I love the parks.”
The latest phase to begin construction will feature a mix of 88 apartments and townhouses within 14 multifamily buildings. The units will range in size from one to three bedrooms.
The new housing will be located on two currently vacant lots: one north of White Center Heights Elementary and one north of the Jim Wiley Community Center. Both blocks also will host retail spaces — for businesses such as shops or cafes — in the future. The Greenbridge project’s newest phase is expected to be finished in fall 2009.
A $35 million federal HOPE VI grant that KCHA received in 2001 made the Greenbridge project possible.
Greenbridge is an award-winning, low-impact development that includes a wide range of community services and a family-friendly, pedestrian-oriented development.
Its blueprint also included plans for the new White Center Heights Elementary, which opened in fall 2004, and the completely renovated Wiley Community Center, which reopened last year.
A new Early Learning Center for infants through 5-year-olds, a YWCA including a King County branch library, new parks and trails and retail shops along the tree-lined Eighth Avenue Southwest also are part of the project’s vision.
“The kids have got a lot more things to do, more places to play and safer places to play,” Servis said. “That’s great for the kids. If they have safe places to go, they’re less likely to get into trouble.”
For those residents who have had to relocate during construction, KCHA has made sure they have continued to receive vital social services and comparable housing while living elsewhere.
You’re invited to a public hearing at 6 p.m. April 14, where you can make comments about proposed rent policy changes for seniors and residents with disabilities on fixed incomes. The hearing will be at the Kent Family Center, located at 13111 S.E. 274th St. in Kent.
You might recall that earlier this year, the King County HousingAuthority started Rent Reform, a review of KCHA policies related to checking residents’ income and calculating rent for the Public Housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs. KCHA wants to make the policies easier for you to understand and for staff to administer. The first part, which is the subject of the April public hearing, applies only to seniors and residents with disabilities on fixed incomes.
The Housing Authority already has been meeting with groups of residents, including the Resident Advisory Council, and community organizations to talk about possible improvements to its rent policies. But KCHA still would like to hear from you.
That’s the reason for the April 14 public hearing — to provide residents and others with another chance to ask questions and provide input.
You can review a draft of the proposed changes by:
• Visiting KCHA’s Administrative Office between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 600 Andover Park W. in Tukwila
You also are welcome to submit written comments about the proposed changes before April 14 by sending your comments:
• By mailto KCHARent Reform Initiative, Attn: Kristin Winkel, 600 Andover Park W., Tukwila, WA 98188
• By e-mail to rentreform@kcha.org
Once these rent policy changes are complete, KCHA will start the second part of the process, which focuses on work-able adults and working families. In addition to making policies easier to understand and administer, the Housing Authority wants to make changes that encourage work and increased savings.
KCHA to open new smoke-free building
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
A brand new, smoke-free building in a
great community could be the right place
for you to call home.
Nia is a four-story, 82-unit building
that is under construction and expected to
open this fall in White Center’s growing
Greenbridge development.
Between nine and 16 units will house
adults with disabilities who are younger
than 54.
The remaining units are open to households
in which at least one member is
55 or older.
“We’re actively looking for households
who want to live at Nia,” said
Christina Friedenthal, KCHA’s community
services manager.
Once complete, Nia will become
KCHA’s first completely smoke-free
building. Smoking will not be allowed
there, and no one, including staff members
and construction workers, has ever
smoked there.
“No smoke will have ever touched
anything,” Friedenthal said.
The building will have controlled
access, underground parking, an on-site
property manager and a part-time support
services coordinator who can provide information and referrals.
Nia is adjacent to King County Metro
Transit bus routes, the Wiley Community
Center, the YWCA Career Development
Center and White Center Heights Elementary.
Also, a King County library branch
is planned nearby, and the White Center
Food Bank is less than a mile away.
“At Greenbridge, you’re so close to so
many services,” Friedenthal said.
All Nia residents must earn at or below
60 percent of the area’s median income,
or $34,200 for a one-person household.
Half of the units are specifically for
residents who make less than 30 percent
of the area’s median income, or $17,100
for a one-person household.
Those who are interested in possibly
living at Nia should submit an application
for housing and mark Nia as a
preference.
Submitting an application does not
guarantee housing. Applications can be
found at:
• Any KCHA management office,
including the Central Office at 600 Andover
Park W. in Tukwila
• The Quantum Office at Greenbridge,
9839 Eighth Avenue S.W.,
Seattle, by phone: 206-529-3233 or by
e-mail: manager-nia@eschelon.com
• Online at www.kcha.org/lookingforhousing/applicationprocess.aspx.
Almost 150 children and teenagers at the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County’s Southwest Branch experienced a night full of entertainment and learning at the club’s recent Black History Month celebration.
Many performers used rap and hip-hop to share positive messages with those who attended. Several youth also performed their own music, including a clarinet solo, an original rap solo and an a cappella solo.
The event was the brainchild of the club’s program director, Chris Dunford.
Even if you didn’t earn enough money to be obligated to file a tax return, you still might be eligible for an economic stimulus payment or a tax refund from the federal government. But to get either one, you must file a tax return.
United Way of King County and the King County EITC Campaign provide free tax preparation services at sites across King County until April 15.
For more information about the free tax preparation sites, see the February issue of The Voice or go to www.uwkc.org/ourcommunity/endinghomelessness/eitc/where. asp.
Economic Stimulus Payment
Under the federal government’s economic stimulus plan, individuals who file a tax return could receive a payment between $300 and $600, and married couples who file a joint tax return could receive between $600 and $1,200. Eligible taxpayers who qualify for a payment might receive an additional $300 for each qualifying child. To qualify, a child must be younger than 17 as of Dec. 31, 2007.
All you have to do to get the stimulus payment is file a 2007 tax return using Form 1040 or Form 1040A and report at least $3,000 in qualifying income on the form. You can include the amount of your Social Security benefits to qualify for the stimulus payment. Add the amount of your Social Security benefits to other qualifying income, such as wage earnings or certain benefits paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs, to reach the $3,000 requirement. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment.
Earned Income Tax Credit
Low-income working individuals and their families may be eligible to receive a tax refund between $428 and $4,716 if they apply for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit when they file their tax return.
You may be eligible for the EITC if, in 2007, you had a valid social security number for the purposes of work and:
New face at
Greenbridge opens
her door to residents
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Her official title is community builder.
But Rosie Taylor’s job at Greenbridge
involves building
relationships between
people, not
new homes.
“Community
advocate: that’s
how I want to be
known,” said Taylor,
who started
work with KCHA
in February. “I’m
there to help residents take advantage
of the resources that are available for
them and make sure those resources are
available in the appropriate languages,
so there are no barriers.”
She wants Greenbridge residents
to know that she’s there to assist them
however she can.
That could mean connecting residents
with community services, or it could
mean helping a resident with household
questions, such as how to work an appliance.
“I have an open-door policy,” Taylor said. “I’m not one you have to schedule an appointment with. Please come see
me.”
In particular, she wants to link residents
with other residents so that they
can learn about how, as neighbors, they
can help one another.
“Everyone has skills,” Taylor said. “Often, people can exchange services,
like babysitting.”
Taylor has more than 25 years of
social service experience and most recently
managed a Seattle Public Schools
program that helped prepare middle and
high school students for college through
mentoring, course planning, campus field
trips and more.
Taylor remembers that during her
childhood, her mother regularly took
in other people’s children and cared for
them if the parents were going through a
hard time. She says that family tradition
taught her to always think about how she
could help others.
“I learned that by listening, you hear
more,” Taylor said. “Sometimes people
just need someone to listen to them.”
Right now, Taylor is working to create
a residents’ community council. If you’re
interested in finding out more about the
new council, just contact Taylor or please
feel welcome to show up at a meeting.
“We want you to be part of this,” she
said.
You can reach Taylor by phone at 206-
574-1162, by e-mail at RosieT@kcha.org
or at her office at 9839 Eighth Ave. S.W.
Suite 105 in White Center.
Do you live in the White Center area and need a way to supplement the food on your dinner table? The White Center Food Bank might be able to help.
Once a month, you can receive three to five days worth of food at the food bank, located at 10829 Eighth Ave. S.W. in White Center. You’ll get meat, fresh produce, bakery items, canned goods and more. To receive these services, you must bring a picture identification or some other verification of the address of everyone in the household.
The White Center Food Bank is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.
Cooking demonstrations by nutritionists also are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday except the third Wednesday of the month. The demonstrations are meant to help clients learn new ways to use the food they receive and to eat more healthfully. The nutritionists have made dishes such as turkey chili, stuffed cabbage, carrot soup and baked squash. Those who attend get to try samples and take home copies of the recipes.
Special Features
There also are many ways you can help support the White Center Food Bank.
By Diane Stipp
King County Housing Authority
Resident Floyd Daniel says he’s grateful for many of the renovations both in and outside Riverton Terrace II — the building that has been his home for the past six years.
When he sees the new sprinkler system in his unit, Daniel thinks about how much safer he’ll be in the event of a fire. On cold days, he’s happy that his apartment stays warmer thanks to new window panes. And he likes the new fabric-covered bulletin boards that now hang outside each resident’s unit.
“I like it because it lets you know what’s coming up,” Daniel said. “That’s a whole lot better. It’s a real attraction.”
Residents, KCHA staff and guests enjoyed the opportunity to see the newly upgraded Riverton Terrace II mixed population building at an open house in March. The renovation project added critically needed fire-life safety system improvements and remodeled spaces and dramatically transformed the building’s exterior.
Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton, Council Member Joan Hernandez, who is a former KCHA staff member, and others from the City of Tukwila joined with KCHA Executive Director Stephen Norman and staff from Housing Management and Resident Services to marvel at the changes to the building.
Riverton Terrace is located near the future site of Tukwila Village, a planned mixed-use neighborhood center. There will be space for a King County Library branch as well as for the Tukwila Police Department’s Neighborhood Resource Center.
Riverton Terrace is one of eight public housing buildings receiving vital safety improvements and beautifully remodeled community spaces as part of a recent $25 million financing transaction.
“One of our top priorities is to maintain the highest possible standards of safety and well-being for our seniors and for persons with disabilities,” Norman said.
In addition to the safety system upgrades, Riverton Terrace received a new, accessible entryway, an enlarged lobby and a completely new exterior. Inside the building, there are handrails, new carpeting, apartment doors and new lighting. It looks like a completely new building. Riverton Terrace also has a new patio off the community room and planter boxes to accommodate the gardeners in the building.
The building’s residents handled the construction project with grace and good humor.And at the recent open house, many expressed appreciation for the changes to the building.
By KCHA Staff
Angela Wallis started work last year as
the King County Housing Authority’s first
resource conservation
manager.
She joins Sustainability
Coordinator
Joel
Gregory to double
KCHA’s effort
to protect the
environment and
conserve natural
resources.
Wallis recently answered questions
about her job and how she can help you
save money and resources.
What is involved in your job?
My main job is to monitor how much
water, electricity and gas KCHA uses every
month at all of our properties.
Another part of my job is to help reduce
the amount of water, gas and electricity
used at all Public Housing properties. That
means I’ll be working with your property
managers and maintenance staff to assist
in their efforts to save resources.
What trends have you noticed so
far?
Already, our public housing developments
are making big strides. Public
housing developments used 40 percent
less water in 2007 than in the years of
2000-2003. Great job!
KCHA also has done a lot to help residents
reduce their energy use, including
installing energy efficient light bulbs,
new lighting fixtures and energy-saving
washers.
What can residents do to conserve
natural resources and protect the environment?
Here are additional tips to help you conserve even more:
• Use less hot water. For example, turn
off the faucet while doing dishes, and
wash clothes in cold water rather than
warm or hot. That saves both electricity
and water.
• Wash full loads of laundry.
• Turn out the lights in community and
laundry rooms when you leave.
• Turn off the faucet while you’re brushing
your teeth.
• Report leaky toilets and faucets to
your property manager.
In the coming months, I’ll be asking for
residents’ assistance to find ways to further
reduce the amount of water we use.
In the meantime, please contact me if
you have questions or ideas at AngelaW@
kcha.org.
I’m looking forward to hearing from
you. Happy Earth Day!
A Springwood success
More than 150 people learned about job and volunteer opportunities at the second annual Springwood Career Fair in February at the Springwood Youth Center.
Participants were encouraged to bring their updated resumes and left with smart-looking clothes for their job search. Employers represented included KCHA, the City of Kent, Kent School District, AmeriCorps, the Washington State Liquor Control Board, Prudential Realty, Safeway and more.
While the career fair got underway downstairs, the center’s upstairs was transformed into a clothing bank thanks to donations from KCHA staff and many others across the community.
The event was part of the Public Housing Safety Initiative for KCHA’s East Hill properties: Springwood, Cascade and Valli Kee. That’s a federal program that works to educate residents about safe community practices, engage youth in positive activities and provide residents with job readiness training. The program, which is intended to create safer communities, also aims to improve communication between law enforcement and residents at those properties.
Improve fire safety with spring cleaning
By KCHA Staff
As budding flowers andApril rain showers hint that spring has arrived, set aside a little time for that yearly sweep through your home.Acleaner house is a safer house. So as you start your spring cleaning, keep the following safety tips in mind:
• Most of the debris that piles up during the winter months — boxes, stacks of paper, old clothes and other useless clutter — offers an excellent place for a fire to start. And more fuel makes fires tougher for firefighters to put out. Clutter also might make it more difficult for those in your home to escape when a fire breaks out.
• Go through your closets and other storage areas to get rid of those things you don’t ever use. Consider donating what you find to a thrift shop. At the very least, straighten things up and be sure that everything is at least three feet from water heaters, furnaces and other heat sources.
Cleaners, paint and other common household chemicals can fuel a fire and often are bad for your health.
Maintain only the amount you need and be sure to use, store and dispose of household hazardous materials in a safe manner as outlined on the product.
Never mix chemicals, even when throwing them away.
TRANSLATIONS
Translated Articles from The Voice
CUỘC HỘI LUẬN (public hearing) VỀ VIỆC SỬA ĐỔI TIỀN THUÊ NHÀ ĐƯỢC DỰ ĐỊNH VÀO THÁNG TƯ Quí vị đuợc mời đến tham dự cuộc hội ý chung vào tháng Tư , qua đó qúi vị có thể có những đề nghị trong dự tính cải tổ lại các qui định trong chính sách tiền thuê mướn nhà dành cho người cao niên, và các cư dân bị tàn tật mà có mức lợi tức không đổi. Qúi vị còn nhớ rằng cơ quan cấp phát gia cư quận King, KCHA đã bắt đầu duyệt lại chính sách của họ trong việc kiểm tra mức lợi tức của cư dân và cách thức tính tiền thuê nhà của cư dân trong các khu gia cư công cộng và trong chương trình Số 8. Cơ Quan Cấp Phát Gia Cư Quận King-KCHA muốn làm cho chính sách thuê mướn nhà được dễ hiểu đối với cư dân cũng như đối với nhân viên thi hành.
Waxaa laguu casumay dheqaysi guud bisha Abriil oo aad ka dhiiban kartid ra;yigaaga ku saabsan soo jeedin kirada guryaha siyaasaddeeda is beddelka ah iyo dadka deegaanka curyaamiinta ah iyo hagaajinta dakhkigooda. Waxaad u wici kartaa arrintaas King County Housing Authority oo bilowday inay ku celiso siyaasadda iyo hubsashada deegaanka ah iyo isku darkooda Public Housing iyo Section 8 Housing Choice Voucherka mashruuciisa. KCHA waxay rabtaa inay sahasho siyaasaddeeda si loo fahmo , taasood warsan kartid su’aalaha aad u baahan tahat si aad u hesho jawaabo sahlan KCHA mar hore ayey ka shirtey koox kooxo ahaan nbdeegaanka iyadoo ay ku jiraan deegaanka la taliyaashooda madaxdooda
Khi mà chính sách này được triển khai ra, thì chúng tôi cũng muốn đoan chắc rằng qúi vị có cơ hội để đưa ra các câu hỏi và có ý kiến đóng góp. Cơ Quan Cấp Phát Gia Cư Quận King-KCHA đã có các cuộc họp với các nhóm cư dân, gồm cả Hội Đồng Cố Vấn Cư Dân (Resident Advisory Council), và các tổ chức trong cộng đồng để nói về những cải tổ trong chính sách thuê mướn nhà. Nhưng chúng tôi vẩn còn muốn nghe ý kiến từ qúi vị. Do đó chúng tôi đã dự định tổ chức các buổi hội luận công cộng vào tháng Tư. Đây là một cơ hội khác dành cho quí vị để qúi vị đưa ra các ý kiến đề nghị cho Cơ Quan Cấp Phát Gia Cư Quận King- KCHA về thay đổi trong chính sách tiền thuê nhà dành cho người cao niên và người tàn tật iyo Jaaliyadda si looga hadlo sidii loo horumarin lahaa kirada guryaha , welina loo baahan yahay in la maqlo adiga. Waa taas midda qorshaha ku jirta dhegeysiga dadka ee bisha Abriil . Taas oo lagaa doonayp inaad horumariso ra’yigaaga si loo hagaajiyo dakhligaaga. Wararka ku saabsan dhegysuga iyo soo jeedinta isbeddelka online www.kcha. org iyo fhammaan KCHA
Xafiisyadooda , KCHA waxay leedahay cinwaan – rentreform@kcha. org – Dadka deeganka ahi way soo diri karaan ra’yigooda iyo su’aalahooda.
Mar haddii la beddelo lana dhameeyo , KCHA waxay bilaabaysaa wejiga labaad oo ku saabsa sidii show loogu heli lahaa dadka waawyn iyo qoysaska shaeeya sidii ay wax u dhigan lahaayeen.
mà có mức lợi tức không đổi. Các thông tin về cuộc hội luận và dự tính thay đổi sẽ được niêm yết trên trang mạng của www.kcha.org và tại các văn phòng KCHA và ở các khu housing. Cơ Quan Cấp Phát Gia Cư Quận King- KCHA cũng có địa chỉ điện thư là : rentreform@kcha.org để cho cư dân có thể gởi các ý kiến bình phẩm hoặc đưa ra các câu hỏi. Khi giai đọan thứ nhất trong việc thay đổi chính sách tiền thuê nhà đuợc hòan tất, thí Cơ Quan Cấp Phát Gia Cư Quận King-KCHA sẽ bắt đầu giai đọan thứ hai trong tiến trình, gồm có nhắm tới thành phần cư dân có khả năng đi làm họăc gia đình có người đi làm. Họ sẽ củng cố chích sách liên quan đến việc kiểm tra mức lợi tức, và tính tóan tiền mướn nhà, và khuyến khích việc đi làm, tăng thêm việc tiết kiệm tiền nong.