KCHA News - January 2008
A resource for King County Housing Authority residents
A $25 million project that’s bringing fire and life safety upgrades and other critically needed improvements to housing for nearly 550 seniors and disabled individuals has reached the halfway mark.
An innovative financing transaction by the King County Housing Authority made the eight-building project possible. That transaction involved federal tax credits, tax-exempt bonds and public housing capital fund bond proceeds.
All eight buildings will be outfitted with new fire alarms and sprinkler systems, and all residents will get new front doors for their units. Other safety improvements include new railings, flooring and lighting in emergency stairwells.
In most of the buildings, the common spaces are being renovated with new carpeting, new finishes, new door hardware and more. Some buildings underwent a complete facelift with roof, siding, deck, ventilation and possibly parking lot improvements as well.
So far, four buildings – Brittany Park, Gustaves Manor, Paramount House and Riverton Terrance – are finished. Four others – Casa Madrona, Mardi Gras, Munro Manor and Plaza 17 – will be completed
this year.
“I think they’ve done really well,” said
Lorrayne King, a senior who has lived at
Brittany Park for a little more than two
years.
King’s apartment has new sprinklers and
new fire alarms that she thinks will improve
the safety systems in her building. She
also likes the new carpeting and finishes
throughout Brittany Park’s common areas
and the bulletin boards now available outside
each resident’s front door.
“It looks so much nicer,” King said.
KCHA launched an initiative in the late
1990s to replace all of the fire and life safety
systems in its 22 buildings for seniors and
disabled persons. But federal funding cuts
to public housing slowed progress toward
that goal. That’s why the innovative financing
for this project was crucial. The transaction
allows KCHA to complete the final
eight buildings by the end of 2008.
“The really outstanding aspects of this
project have been the ability to leverage the
additional resources and to be able to get the
entire 22-building inventory completed in a
timely manner,” said Nikki Parrott, KCHA’s Senior Development Manager.
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
No news is good news.
That’s how King County Housing Authority staff members described a December rainstorm’s impact on its properties throughout the region.All told, no KCHAresidents’ housing units were affected by flooding or other damage.
It’s an especially remarkable fact since almost 5.5 inches of rain drenched King County during last month’s first few days, flooding homes and roads throughout the region. Stated another way, that’s more than three times as much precipitation as the greater Seattle area usually gets during the entire month of December, according to the National Weather Service.
The minimal impact is thanks in part to several HousingAuthority property managers and maintenance staff members who worked around the clock as the storm hit. Property managers checked in with residents to make sure they were safe, and maintenance staff put flood prevention plans into action.
At Ballinger Homes and Paramount House, maintenance staff used water pumps to ensure that residents’ units didn’t flood.
“This proactive measure really paid off,” said Mike Reilly, KCHA’s director of housing management. “Our staff is very dedicated.”
Sand bags were employed to avoid flooding at Lake House, and maintenance staff members prepared sand bags for use at East-ridge House just in case they were needed.
“Our staff is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done in an emergency like this,” said Bill Doyle, KCHA’s maintenance operations manager. “Everyone answered their phones and got to work as soon as possible.”
The most severe impact among KCHA properties was at Juanita Court in Kirkland. Water from nearby Juanita Creek flooded the area around the office building but did not cause any interior damage. In a precautionary move to protect irreplaceable Juanita Court records, several staff members conducted an emergency evacuation of all residents’ files and all computer equipment.
Meanwhile, muddy conditions or damage from the recent storm could have caused major setbacks to a Greenbridge community construction project that’s about halfway finished. After all, the storm dumped more than 5 inches of rain on the White Center project in just 72 hours.
Instead, three regional storm facilities that were part of the project’s planning minimized the rain’s impact on the 94-acre site. Also, strict erosion controls used by the project’s contractors worked exactly as planned.
So rather than being weeks behind schedule, the project lost only one or two days, said John Eliason, Greenbridge development manager.
“I am very pleased with the performance of the construction teams and their implementation of solid erosion control plans to avoid damage during this storm,” he said.
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Residents at Northridge I and Plaza 17 will come home to healthier, non-smoking buildings once a new King County Housing Authority policy change takes effect this month.
Not only will smoking be prohibited within the two buildings, but it won’t be allowed within 50 feet of Northridge I and within 25 feet of Plaza 17. That means residents at both buildings will be less likely to be exposed to the adverse side effects of secondhand smoke.
Meanwhile, Nia Apartments — which are under construction and expected to open to residents in fall 2008 — will be entirely smoke-free. No one, including staff members and construction workers, has ever smoked there.
According to a 2006 U.S. Surgeon General’s report, secondhand smoke exposure can cause disease and premature death even in non-smokers.Adults exposed to secondhand smoke can suffer negative effects to their cardiovascular systems, possibly resulting in coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
“Our goal is healthier, safer buildings for residents,” said Bill Cook, KCHA’s director of public housing. “We’re excited to see what the outcome is going to be.”
Smoking in any of the three buildings will be considered a lease violation. Property managers are working with residents to ensure a smooth transition as the change becomes effective.
The move is intended to give residents more housing choices. It also could save money by reducing how much the Housing Authority must spend to prepare a unit for reoccupation and by potentially lowering KCHA’s insurance costs.
The KCHA Board of Commissioners approved the new policy in December.
In 2007, KCHA surveyed residents in all multi-story buildings that house both seniors and individuals with disabilities about their smoking habits.After further review, KCHA determined that Northridge I and Plaza 17 were the best choices to become non-smoking buildings.
Since then, a committee with broad representation from KCHA staff developed the non-smoking policy. That process also included public meetings with residents and discussion with the Resident Advisory Council.
“Everyone has had some opportunity to provide input into the process,” said Rickie Robinson, KCHA’s family program manager.
Tips to make 2008 the year you quit smoking
• Set a quit date.
• Reflect on your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked and what did not.
• When you first try to quit, change your routine. Use a different route to work. Drink tea instead of coffee. Eat breakfast in a different place.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Resident Services welcomes two new employees
Making sure residents receive the very best service possible is the top priority for Felix Rodriguez and Ron Ovadenko, two new faces who recently joined the King County Housing Authority’s Resident Services Coordination Program.
Resident services coordinator
By Felix Rodriguez
King County Housing Authority
As KCHA’s newest resident services coordinator, I am very excited about the chance to get back to providing direct client services. I hope to bring KCHA residents the benefits of the experience and knowledge I’ve gained during my 10 years in social services. Felix rodriguez
Most recently, I worked as a housing advocate and later as a housing supervisor for Contact information the Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Helping low-My office hours are from 8 a.m. income, disabled or homeless individuals to 2 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays navigate local subsidized housing systems at Northlake House, from 8 a.m. to was an incredible opportunity for me to noon Tuesdays at Casa Juanita, from grow both personally and professionally. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Forest Glen and
I frequently found myself deeply touched from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays at by the life stories that so many of my former Eastridge House. My phone number is clients shared with me about the losses 425-415-0982. they’d experienced and the obstacles they’d faced in accessing services. There is no higher reward than knowing I was able to help so many people recover their dignity and rebuild their self esteem.
I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities for me to grow even further as a support services coordinator.
Reasonable accommodation coordinator
By Ruben Rivera-Jackman
King County Housing Authority
Ron Ovadenko – whose position officially is known as Section 504 coordinator– brings with him strong experience and knowledge to help individuals with disabilities reach appropriate solutions to meet their needs. His background includes earning a master’s degree in social work and having a disability himself. Ovadenko’s new job involves weighing policies, procedures and unit modifications as he works with residents to handle their individual requests for reasonable accommodations. Every year, the Housing Authority receives more than 1,000 requests for reasonable accommodations from public housing applicants, public housing residents and Section 8 participants. Such requests must be medically necessary and sufficiently tied to the individual’s disability.
“I’m looking forward to helping ensure the reasonable accommodation process gives all individuals access and enjoyment within their housing environment,” Ovadenko said.
He also will help the Housing Authority decide how to address its accessibility needs for both public housing applicants and residents and Section 8 participants.
Ovadenko lives in King County and replaces Kristy Johnson, who is now a KCHA senior administrative specialist in Homeless Housing. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, downhill skiing, writing and spending time with friends.
YWCA breaks ground on Learning Center
KCHA Staff
Women and families at Greenbridge will have more classrooms, state-of-the-art technology, an expanded career center, a library branch and much more to serve them once a new YWCA Learning Center opens later this year.
The YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County recently broke ground on a $3 million, 8,000-square-foot facility at Southwest 97th Street and Eighth Avenue Southwest in White Center. The expansion means the YWCA also will become home to the GirlsFirst program for girls of color entering high school.
The King County Housing Authority is donating the project’s land and offsite development. The King County Library System is contributing to construction and plans to operate the branch library.
The project will meet Built Green design standards.
Make your home cozy and safe this winter
KCHA Staff
King County is no stranger to cold, blustery winter weather. Below are tips about how you can keep warm while staying safe and reducing your energy bills. Stay safe, lower energy bills
Power outage safety
KCHA Resident Advisory Council
We welcome your feedback. If you have issues, concerns, or suggestions, send an e-mail to rac@kcha.org that includes your representative’s name.
South
Northeast
• Other Northeast Section 8 representatives are: Peyrik Khanan, Jenny Gibbs, Linda Sanchez-Suwaneh and Joe Ingram
New communications specialist joins KCHA
I’m very happy to report that The
Voice’s King County Housing Authority
section is back from its hiatus and will
again be delivered to you every month.
After spending seven years working
as a newspaper reporter, I joined KCHA
in December as its new communications
specialist. Most recently, I was a reporter
at The Olympian, a daily newspaper in
Olympia.
I am very excited about the opportunity
that KCHA has offered me, and I am
so looking forward to meeting as many
of you as I can so that I can publish stories
about issues that matter to you.
I want this section to be as valuable
to you as it can be. So I hope you all
will feel encouraged to contact me if
you have ideas about future stories that
you think I should include in The Voice
or if you have feedback about the publication
in general.
I can be reached by
phone at 206-574-1188 or by e-mail at
HeatherM@kcha.org.
Sincerely,
Heather Miller
New KCHA post helps residents relocate
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Moving into a new home never is easy.
But the King County Housing Authority has created a new community services manager position to help residents make their transition into new homes as smooth as possible.
“Residents have a team of people in their corner,” said Christina Friedenthal, who took the job in 2007 after working 18 months as a KCHA support services coordinator. Sometimes emergencies – such as a leaky roof or flooding – require residents to move into hotel rooms for a while with little or no advance warning. Other times, construction projects to improve KCHA housing – such as at Greenbridge and Springwood – mean several hundred residents must temporarily or permanently relocate.
“There’s an acknowledgement that even if it’s during construction, we’re trying to pay attention to residents’ needs,” she said of the new position in the resident services department.
Friedenthal has a master’s degree in social work from the Univeristy of Washington. Prior to joining KCHA, she worked at several nonprofit organizations in her native Los Angeles.
The new post is Friendthal’s first in a managerial role.
“It’s all been direct services up to this point,” she said of her past work experience. “This job is really a great balance between working with residents and working for residents.”
Even while growing up, Friedenthal said she knew she wanted to pursue a social services career.
“It really comes from even as a young person seeing social inequities and social injustices and knowing that’s not the way it should be,” she said. “I’m interested in being part of that solution.”
Familiar face returns as new KCHA resident services director
By Heather Miller
King County Housing Authority
Linda Weedman has been devoted to helping people for more than a quarter century.
Not only has most of her career been in human services, but she and her husband also raised eight children, including four they adopted and two from foster care.
Now the King County Housing Authority has hired Linda – who was KCHA’s founding resident services director in 1997 – to resume her work in that role.
“I’m really excited about coming back,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to provide quality support to the residents of KCHA and to further strengthen our relationships with the community providers and schools.”
Linda left KCHA in 1999 to serve as the senior director for housing and related services at the YWCA of Seattle – King County – Snohomish County. While there, she supervised a $10 million budget and 105-person staff that provided housing, shelter, case management and domestic violence and health care services to low-income households.
Since her return to KCHA, Linda said she’s been impressed with the work that the resident services team has accomplished in the past eight years.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth and development in the department,” she said.
Linda’s drive to help others has been a constant throughout her life, including her days as a college student. She attended Western Oregon University, ultimately earning a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on the socially and educationally disadvantaged.
“I think it comes from my belief that all people deserve opportunities,” Linda said, describing the conviction that has inspired her work. “That’s what makes America great.”
TRANSLATIONS
Translated Articles from The Voice
Make your home cozy, safe this
winter
Ahsaow mid nabad ahyareey korontada
Ku hagaaji thermostailaa iyo 68 degrees maalintii.
| fara badan. | • | Ha isticmaalin Gaas . | |
| • | Ha ka badin gurigaaga | • | Waxyaabaha wofka xirto oo |
| korontda si aad u reebto | dhan sida dharkak ka foge | ||
| taas . . | • | Ha isticmaalin Shumaca. | |
| • | Ha ku haysan qashin qubka | • | Ha isticmaalin generators |
| kullelisada agteeda | ama wax kale sida . | ||
| • | Ha isticmaalin sida | ||
| Power outage safety | qaboojiyaha,,ama qalajisada | ||
| • | Isticmaal nalka tooshka ah. | iyo kuleeliso . | |
| • | Dami koroiyo nalalkantada | • | Ha kaga shaqyn |
| loo baahnyn oo dhan. | Qaboojisada oo muhim ah. | ||
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