KCHA NEWS - May 2006
A resource for King County Housing Authority residents
Please answer survey on Housing Authority
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
How are we doing?
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development wants to know if residents are satisfied with the King County Housing Authority.
Your household may be randomly selected to receive the Resident Service and Satisfaction Survey between May and July. The survey will measure your opinion about your living conditions.
If you are selected, please take the time to complete the survey. Resident participation is essential to the survey’s success.
HUD provides the majority of taxpayer dollars that fund KCHA’s low-income public housing programs.
Resident satisfaction and experience with living conditions are now included in HUD’s yearly evaluation of KCHA and all other public housing authorities .
Who developed this survey?
The survey was developed by HUD with the help of public housing resident leaders and industry representatives.
Who will receive the survey?
Not all residents will receive a survey. Residents will be chosen randomly using an automated computer system. The survey will take place yearly, so if residents do not receive a survey this year they may in the future.
How will the survey results be used?
HUD will use the overall results of the survey to help determine how well KCHA is doing in five areas: maintenance and repair, services, communication, safety and development appearance.
Will anyone know what I said in the survey?
If you receive a survey, you should not write your name on it. HUD is committed to ensuring that housing authorities will not know who participated or how individuals responded. Your identity will remain confidential. Only the combined results of the survey will be shared with KCHA.
If you have any questions, please call the survey customer service line at 1-888-245-4860 (calls are toll-free).
New Resident Advisory Committee represents you
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
King County Housing Authority residents have a brand new venue to share their ideas with Housing Authority—the Resident Advisory Committee.
The committee will serve to provide resident input on proposed KCHA policy changes and developments that affect both residents who live in public housing communities and the Section 8 residents who live in private housing using a Section 8 voucher.
The Resident Advisory Committee, which replaces the former Resident Advisory Board, is now comprised of two groups to make it easier for resident participation. Both committees meet on a quarterly basis from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
One committee serves the North and East regions of King County and meets at Kirkwood Terrace, a public housing property located in Kirkland. This committee is made up of four Section 8 voucher holders, seven public housing residents and two Section 8 New Construction residents for a total of 13 residents.
The second committee serves the South, Southwest, and Southeast regions of King County. It meets at the Central Office in Tukwila. This committee is made up of two Section 8 voucher holders, 11 public housing residents and one Section 8 New Construction resident for a total of 14 residents.
For Terry McLlarty, a Casa Juanita resident who serves on the North and East section of the RAC, the first thing for the committee to do is clear up the sometimes confusing language of the of public housing policies and get easy-to-understand explanations of the various programs that are overseen by KCHA.
“Before we met last month, for instance, I had no idea of what the difference was between Section 8 and public housing,” he said. “Until we understand what is being presented to us, it is hard to be good representatives of the tenants and residents.”
The Section 8 program provides vouchers to be used in renting private homes and apartments, while public housing properties are subsidized and owned and operated directly by KCHA.
If you would like to share information with the Committee or find out whom your representative is, please contact Kristy Johnson at (206) 574-1351.
The next meetings of the committees will be scheduled for late May or early June.
Don’t let your opinions go up in smoke — share them
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
You may be one of the residents asked to tell the King County Housing Authority your opinion on smoking and earn a little walking around money as well.
This month, the Tobacco Prevention Program at Public Health – Seattle & King County will mail out a 20-question survey about smoking and secondhand smoke exposure to approximately 500 KCHA residents living in public housing units.
People living in all housing types, including family and elderly/disabled apartments, will be part of a random sample of residents who will receive the survey. For residents who do not read English, there will be a multi-language statement on all mailings with information about translation services.
All responses to the survey will be completely anonymous, and filling out the survey is voluntary.
The Housing Authority will use the results to bring new services to residents and to protect residents from secondhand smoke.
Possible outcomes of the survey could be providing smoking cessation resources to residents, designating smoke-free grounds, floors or buildings in developments, or offering new health services.
The survey will come with a $1 bill as a “thank-you” for your time and effort, whether you return the survey or not. Results of the survey will be available in August.
To contact the survey team with questions or comments call (206) 296-0211.
Three applicants sponsored for scholarships
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
They come from diverse backgrounds.
All overcame great barriers to achieving their dreams.
Each has been recognized for their efforts with a nomination by the King County Housing Authority for consideration for college scholarships awarded by the Pacific Northwest Council of the National Association of Housing and Rehabilitation Officials.
The council will announce the scholarship winners this spring. Scholarship awards are up to $2,250 over the course of four years.
Samira Pardakhtim is 23 years old and emigrated, with her family to the United States, from Iran in 2002.
She and her family are members of the Baha’i Faith, a minority religion whose adherents are persecuted in Iran.
In her application for the Continuing Education Scholarship, Pardakhtim, a resident of the Spiritwood community in Bellevue, noted that she was forced to sit separately from her high school classmates in Iran. She was given lower grades because of her beliefs, she said.
Pardakhtim arrived in the United States with no English language skills, but she studied
diligently and entered South Seattle Community College nine months later, where she excelled in the classroom.
She now attends Bellevue Community College and plans to transfer to Seattle University to study nursing.
The second KCHA-sponsored scholarship applicant, Bichha Thi Phan, is known to most as Holly.
She will graduate from Kentlake High School in June and lives with her family in the Springwood community in Kent.
Phan wrote in her application for the Community College Scholarship that she was inspired to work hard by her father’s imprisonment in Vietnam after the end of the war in 1975.
She said that he pushed her to reap the bounty sown by education.
In addition to classroom work, Phan has held part-time jobs and is active in her school, particularly in diversity activities. She also is a Running Start student, taking college classes at Green River Community College.
She plans to study nursing.
Safia Farole’s parents came to the United States from Somalia. Her father has a high school education and attended a military academy.
Her mother led the traditional life of a Somali woman, having little formal education and spending her days taking care of her house and family.
For Farole, there is pride in becoming the first person in her family to attend college, having been admitted to the University of Washington beginning in September. She has applied for NAHRO’s Challenge Scholarship.
She will graduate this June from Mt. Rainier High School in Des Moines. She and her family are Section 8 residents, living in Tukwila.
At Mt. Rainier, her teachers praise her for her work as an establishing member of the Muslim Student Association.
While in school, she also was a volunteer at the Des Moines Library and Wesley Homes Nursing Center. She also packed clothing for victims of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
In college, she plans to study biology with hopes of entering medical school to become a pediatrician.
Shuttle schedule
The monthly schedule is posted at central locations in the buildings the shuttle serves.
The schedule sometimes changes, so confirm times against the posted schedule.
Residents are asked to sign up for ride service.
Boulevard Manor
Mon, May 1 |
Fred Meyer |
10:30 |
Mon, May 15 |
Fred Meyer |
10:30 |
Thu, May 25 |
Highline Food Bank |
9:30 |
Briarwood
Tue, May 2 |
Food bank only |
11:00 |
Top Foods |
1:15 |
|
Tue, May 16 |
Food bank only |
11:00 |
Top Foods |
1:15 |
Brittany Park
Mon, May 8 |
Fred Meyer |
10:00 |
Mon, May 15 |
Albertsons |
9:15 |
Mon, May 22 |
DSM Food Bank |
8:30 |
Burien Park
Mon, May 1 |
Fred Meyer |
9:45 |
Mon, May 15 |
Albertsons |
9:45 |
Thu, May 25 |
Highline Food Bank |
10:30 |
Mon, May 8 |
Safeway |
1:20 |
Mon, May 15 |
Safeway |
12:55 |
Coronado
Mon, May 1 |
Safeway |
1:00 |
Mon, May 15 |
Safeway |
1:00 |
Thu, May 4 |
Fred Meyer |
10:15 |
Thu, May 18 |
Fred Meyer |
10:15 |
Mon, May 8 |
Fred Meyer |
1:20 |
Mon, May 15 |
Fred Meyer |
10:05 |
Fri, May 5 |
Albertsons |
10:00 |
Fri, May 19 |
Auburn Food Bank |
10:00 |
Fri, May 5 |
Safeway |
12:30 |
Fri, May 12 |
Winco |
12:30 |
Fri, May 19 |
Safeway |
12:30 |
Fri, May 26 |
Safeway |
12:30 |
Thu, May 4 |
Fred Meyer |
10:15 |
Thu, May 18 |
Fred Meyer |
10:15 |
Tue, May 2 |
Food bank only |
11:20 |
Top Foods |
1:00 |
|
Tue, May 16 |
Food Bank only |
11:20 |
Top Foods |
1:00 |
Mon, May 1 |
Fred Meyer |
9:30 |
Mon, May 8 |
Fred Meyer |
10:15 |
Mon, May 15 |
Albertsons |
9:30 |
Thu, May 25 |
Highline Food Bank |
10:00 |
Tue, May 2 |
Top Foods OR food bank |
1:00 |
Mon, May 8 |
Fred Meyer |
9:50 |
Tue, May 16 |
Top Foods OR food bank |
1:00 |
Mon, May 22 |
Top Foods |
9:50 |
Tue, May 2 |
Food bank only |
10:20 |
Tue, May 16 |
Food bank only |
10:20 |
Tue, May 8 |
Fred Meyer |
10:00 |
Mon, May 22 |
Top Foods |
10:00 |
Tue, May 2 |
Food bank only |
10:00 |
Top Foods |
1:30 |
|
Tue, May 16 |
Food bank only |
10:00 |
Tue, May 16 |
Top Foods |
1:30 |
Mon, May 1 |
Safeway |
1:00 |
Mon, May 15 |
Safeway |
1:00 |
Fri, May 5 |
Albertsons |
10:30 |
Fri, May 19 |
Auburn Food Bank |
10:30 |
Fri, May 5 |
Albertsons |
9:45 |
Fri, May 19 |
Auburn Food Bank |
9:45 |
Yardley Arms
Mon, May 1 |
Fred Meyer |
10:45 |
Mon, May 15 |
Fred Meyer |
10:45 |
Mon, May 22 |
White Center Food Bank |
10:45 |
Save the date
Ground breaking and barbecue planned
Friday, July 7, 2006 11:30 a.m.
Please join Sen. Patty Murray (invited), King County Executive Ron Sims, Greenbridge Foundation Partners and the White Center Community at a barbecue to celebrate the grand opening of Greenbridge development and the ground breaking for the Jim Wiley Community Center. Stay posted for further information!
Coalition seeks to prevent drug, alcohol abuse by youth
After school in mid-March, Robert White, drug elimination coalition coordinator for Kent Youth and Family Services, stood before three dozen grade and middle school-aged boys at the Kent Family Center and led a discussion on the risks of alcohol use.
“Who knows why it is not good for you?” he asked. A dozen hands shot skyward followed by shouts of “it can make you sick,” “the police will take you away,” and “it makes you crazy.”
The next hour was filled with a frank discussion of the temptations that exist in everyday life and the consequences that can follow.
The town hall meeting for youth was a preview of one held for parents later that evening in Kent. That meeting was a part of a statewide night of town hall meetings held to discuss underage alcohol use and how it affects youth and families.
Underage drinking is a leading public health problem in Washington. The 2005 Healthy Youth Survey found that nearly 1-in-5 eighth graders had used alcohol recently. A similar percentage of high school sophomores had recently drunk five or more drinks in a row.
Drinking is only one issue that White and the Drug Elimination Coalition will address in the Cascade, Valli Kee and Springwood communities.
According to White, the coalition has three goals, including providing prevention and resistance skill-building opportunities for youth in order to delay and reduce their use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana, developing effective community responses to the substance abuse among youth and enhancing efforts to address specific problems faced by the residents of the communities.
To achieve these goals, the coalition has developed a plan to enhance on-site prevention programming for youths aged 5 to 19 with activities designed specifically for the youth and their families.
Examples of these activities include holding town hall meetings and working with kids on drug-resistance education activities such as the Demand Reduction Ropes Course and The Game of Life, which is a skills-building curriculum offered with the Kent Police Department.
According to White, the largest challenge is to get the word out about all of the services that are available for the residents.
“There are a number of services, activities and information available for use throughout the course of the school year and the summer,” he said.
Every effort will be made to accommodate language and cultural differences that exist in the various communities, he said.
The Coalition, which includes representatives from the Kent Police Department, Kent Youth and Family Services, the Girl Scouts, Kent School District, Public Health – Seattle & King County and other interested community members, is seeking input from residents.
For more information, contact White at (253) 859-0300.
Section 8 rental assistance waiting list reopened
Applications to be taken through May 9
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
The King County Housing Authority will continue to accept applications for the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program waiting list through Tuesday, May 9.
This opportunity allows eligible applicants to qualify for a rental subsidy. Those who receive the subsidy will be given a voucher that can be used to help pay the rent of a privately-owned house or apartment.
Because resources of the Section 8 program are limited, KCHA will place no more than 2,500 names on the new waiting list. Successful applicants will be selected through a random drawing that will be held after May 9. Applicants not placed on the list will be notified following the random drawing.
Applicants must qualify for a housing preference to be eligible. These preferences include households that are homeless or about to become homeless through no fault of their own, families living in substandard housing or families spending more than 50 percent of their incomes on rent.
For information about the application process, please call (206) 214-1377.
Those wishing to apply may download an application at http://www.kcha.org or pick up an application packet at one of the following twelve locations:
• Section 8 Office – 15455 65th Ave. South, Tukwila
• Auburn DSHS – 2707 I St. NE, Auburn
• Bellevue DSHS – 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue
• Federal Way DSHS – 616 S. 348th St., Federal Way
• Federal Way Multi-Service Center – 1200 S. 336th, Federal Way
• Kent DSHS – 1313 W. Meeker St., #100, Kent
• Kent Multi-Service Center – 515 W. Harrison St., Kent
• Mt. Si Senior Center – 411 Main Ave. South, North Bend
• Northshore Family Center – 18315 Bothell Way NE, Bothell
• Shoreline Family Center – 17018 15th Ave. NE, Shoreline
• Spiritwood Apartments – 1424 148th Ave. SE, Bellevue
• White Center DSHS – 9650 15th Ave. SW, Seattle
Applications must be postmarked by May 9 and sent by mail and postmarked by May 9 to the King County Housing Authority, Section 8, P.O. Box 58550, Seattle, WA 98138.
New law will require more booster seat use in cars
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
If you have a child who is shorter than 4 feet 9 inches tall, a new law will affect the way your family rides in the car, perhaps requiring you to purchase a booster seat.
Just over a year from now, on June 1, 2007, a new state law will require that your school-age child use a booster seat when riding in a car.
Currently, the Washington seat belt law requires all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belt. The driver is responsible for properly securing all children under the age of 16, and passengers 16 years and older are responsible for themselves.
Washington’s original booster seat law required booster seats for children from 4 to 6 years old or between 40 and 60 pounds. Booster seats raise a child so that a vehicle’s lap and shoulder belts fit properly, providing a safe transition between a child seat and the seat belt designed to fit adults.
The new age and size limits follow the recommendations of physicians and safety experts. The new law will also require that children under 13 years old ride in the back seat when it is practical to do so.
Up to their eighth birthday, children must be transported in an appropriate restraint system unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. For example, they must ride in a child car seat, booster seat, vest, or other restraint that is federally approved for use in the car. The restraint system must be used correctly according to the car seat and the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions.
Try this five-step test to decide when the adult seat belt properly fits your child.
• Does the child sit all the way back against the vehicle seat?
• Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat without slouching?
• Does the lap belt stay on the top part of the child’s thighs?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the chest and shoulder?
• Can the child stay seated this way for the whole trip?
If you say no to any of these questions, then your child still needs a booster seat.
Motor vehicle crashes are the single largest killer of children between 4 and 8 years old, and 55 percent of all child passenger injuries are in this age group, even though these children represent only 43 percent of all child passengers.
Booster seats reduce a child’s risk of injury by 59 percent, compared to using only a seat belt. Booster seats have been proven to be effective in protecting children up to 7 years old from serious injury, and they protect a child against head injury four times better than seat belts alone.
Booster seats are inexpensive and easy to install. If you are concerned about the cost of a booster seat or would like more information, including access to coupons for booster seat discounts visit http://www.boosterseat.org/ or call 1-800-282-5587.
Ask your representatives to support housing
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
Congress is now deciding how big the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development budget will be in the coming year. You can express your support for the federal programs that pay for your housing by contacting the politicians below.
A short letter can be very effective. Just tell your representative about where you live and why you need government housing. If you can, explain how you are working toward self-sufficiency.
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone (for comments): (202) 456-1111
Fax: (202) 456-2461
president@whitehouse.gov
Secretary Alphonso Jackson
Dept of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20410
Phone: (202) 708-1112
U.S. Senators from Washington
Patty Murray (D-WA)
173 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4707
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
http://murray.senate.gov
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
717 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4704
Phone: (202) 224-3441
Fax: (202) 228-0514
http://cantwell.senate.gov
U.S. Representatives from Washington
Jay Inslee (D-Bainbridge Island)
403 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4701
Phone: (202) 225-6311
Fax: (202) 226-1606
http://www.house.gov/inslee
Jim McDermott (D-Seattle) 1035 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4707
Phone: (202) 225-3106
Fax: (202) 225-6197
http://www.house.gov/mcdermott
Dave Reichert (R-Auburn)
1223 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4708
Phone: (202) 225-7761
Fax: (202) 225-4282
http://www.house.gov/reichert
Adam Smith (D-Tacoma)
227 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4709
Phone: (202) 225-8901
Fax: (202) 225-5893
http://www.house.gov/adamsmith
TRANSLATIONS
Translated Articles from The Voice
Please answer HUD survey
Xin Vui Loøng Traû Lôøi cho Cuoäc Thaêm Doø töø Boä Phaùt Trieån Ñoâ Thò Vaø Gia Cö (HUD)
Boä Phaùt Trieån Ñoâ Thò Vaø Gia Cö (HUD) muoán bieát xem quùi vò coù baèng loøng vôùi nhaø quùi vò ñang ôû vaø nhöõng dòch vuï ñöôïc cung öùng do Nha Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö quaän King, vaø trong muøa heø naøy hoï seõ hoûi thaêm quùi vò qua tôø Thaêm Doø Xem Quí Vò Coù Haøi Loøng Trong Cung Caùch Phuïc Vuï Cö Daân.
Gia ñình quùi vò seû ñöôïc choïn ra caùch baät chôït ñeå ñöôïc nhaän tôø thaêm doø, vaøo trong khoaûn thaùng Naêm ñeán thaùng Baûy. Neáu quùi vò nhaän ñöôïc tôø thaêm doø, xin vui loøng nhín thôøi giôø ñeå (traû lôøi) cho töôm taát. Ñeå cuoäc thaêm doø cho coù keát quaû, cö daân phaûi tham gia vaøo. Yù kieán quùi vò raát laø quan troïng ñoái vôùi Boä Phaùt Trieån Ñoâ Thò Vaø Gia Cö (HUD)
Cuoäc thaêm doø laø moät phöông caùch cuûa Trung Taâm Ñaùnh Giaù Veà Ñòa oác thuoäc Boä Phaùt Trieån Ñoâ Thò Vaø Gia Cö (HUD)- löôïng ñònh veà thaønh tích cuûa Nha Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King. Qua cuoäc thaêm doø, hoï seõ ño löôøng möùc ñoä haøi loøng cuûa quùi vò vaø kinh qua ñieàu kieän soáng cuûa quùi vò.
Boä Phaùt Trieån Ñoâ Thò Vaø Gia Cö (HUD) seõ duøng toång soá keát quaû cuûa cuoäc thaêm doø nhaèm giuùp aán ñònh thaønh tích cuûa Nha Caáp Phaùt Gia Cöï Quaän King, qua naêm laõnh vöïc: baûo trì vaø söõa chöûa, caùc dòch vuï, vieäc thoâng tin lieân laïc, vieäc an toaøn vaø boä maët phaùt trieån (khu gia cö).
Khoâng moät ai trong cô quan gia cö KCHA seõ bieát quùi vò traû lôøi gì trong tôø thaêm doø. Boä Phaùt Trieån Ñoâ Thò Vaø Gia Cö (HUD) muoán nghe yù kieán chaân thaät cuûa quùi vò, vaø boä cuõng ñoan keát raèng cô quan gia cö khoâng bieát ñöôïc nhöõng ai ñaõ traû lôøi trong cuoäc thaêm doø. Neáu quùi vò nhaän ñöôïc tôø thaêm doø, xin ñöøng ghi teân vaøo ñoù. Teân cuûa quùi vò luoân ñöôïc daáu kín. Chæ coù keát quaû chung cuûa cuoäc thaêm doø thì ñöôïc ñöa ra chia seû vôùi cô quan gia cö KCHA.
Neáu quùi vò coù caâu hoûi veà cuoäc thaêm doø, xin vui loøng goïi cho Trung Taâm Ñaùnh Giaù Veà Ñòa oác, phoøng Tieáp Taân ôû soá 1-888-245-4860 (ñaây laø soá ñieän thoaïi mieãn phí).
Please answer HUD survey
HUD wuxuu rabaa inuu ogaado haddii aad raali ka tahay guryaha iyo hawlaha ay qabanayaan King County Housing Authority iyadoo lagu warsan doono hawlaha deegaanka iyo ka raali ahaanshaha indha indheyn oo imaan doonto xilliga jiilaalka.
Madaxa qoyskaaga oo suuragal ah in la soo xulo si loo indha indheeyo waqti u dhexeeya Meey iyo Juulaay.Haddii aad heshid indha indheyn fadlan buuxi ka qayb galka deegaanka waa asal hirgelinta indha indheynta. Ra’yigaaga waxaa muhim u ah HUD.
Indha indheynta waa hal nadaam oo Real State Assesment Center (REAC) qiimaynaysa KCHA hawshooda. Indha indheyntu waxay xaqiijin doontaa raaligelintaada iyo waayo aragnimadaada xaaladda goobta aad ku nooshahay.
HUD waxau ku dhaqmi doontaa wixii go’aan ah ee ka soo baxa si caawimo ugu noqoto go’aan qaadashada KCHA, ka hawl galsho.
Shanta qaybood farsamada iyo dib-uhagaajinta hawsha, war xiriirka, nabadgelyada iyo horumarinta muuqata.
Qofna oo ka mid ah KCHA ogaan doono waxa aad indha indheynta ku sheegto HUD waxay rabtaa daacadnimadaada, fikraddaada iyo wax qabadkaaga. Maamulka Guryaha ma ogaanayaan qofka ka qayb galay indha indheynta iyo qofka.
Ka soo jawaabay. Haddii aad hesho indha indheyn ha ku qorin magacaaga, fikraddaada si bay ahaanaysaa keliya go’aanka ka soo baxa ayaa lala wadaagayaa KCHA.
Haddii wax su’aal ah aad qabto fadlan wac REAC xafiiskeeda 1-888-245-4860 (wicitaanka waa lacag la’aan).