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Housing authorities join in helping Katrina victims
Some displaced from the Gulf Coast seek housing in Northwest
BY VIRGINIA FELTON
Seattle Housing Authority
In the national effort to reach out to those made homeless by Hurricane Katrina, both the Seattle and King County housing authorities are doing their best to pitch in.
“Everyone wants to do what they can to help in this situation,” said SHA Executive Director Tom Tierney. “But we also want to be mindful of the ongoing needs of the low-income people who already live here.”
Both housing authorities have some vacancies in non-subsidized housing that could be made available for people from the Gulf Coast, but both still remain wary of giving up Section 8 vouchers over the long term or bypassing those already on waiting lists for vouchers or public housing.
“We think we can provide the kind of housing that is needed by using vacancies in some of our non-subsidized housing where there are currently no waiting lists,” Tierney said.
Both housing authorities own housing units that do not receive a subsidy from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and therefore are not in the low-income public housing program.
A number of people from the Gulf States have arrived in King County, and several have inquired about housing at both housing authorities. At press time, none had actually moved in.
The housing authorities are working with others at the local, state and national levels to coordinate services.
All people displaced by Hurricane Katrina are being asked to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross before seeking housing elsewhere. FEMA can be reached at 1-800-621-3362 or on-line at http://www.emd.wa.gov and Red Cross can be reached at (206) 323-2345.
At the SHA Board of Commissioners meeting last month, the board changed SHA’s preferences to allow the executive director to admit victims of a natural disaster on a case-by-case basis.
This allows SHA to serve these households, but does not change SHA’s intention of using non-subsidized housing.
“There might be a few cases where we would put people in public housing—if they needed special services, for example—but I don’t expect this to happen very much,” Tierney said.
About a week after the hurricane, HUD asked all housing authorities across the country to report how many vacant public housing units and available Section 8 vouchers they had. Both the Seattle and King County housing authorities reported that they have very little space in public housing and very long waiting lists.
HUD then announced that they identified 34,000 vacant units across the country for displaced public housing residents. HUD has agreed to accept rental vouchers from HUD-assisted families from the Gulf Coast when considering moving people into vacant units across the country.
The agency is also waiving certain regulations in the department’s block grant programs in order to allow affected communities to use existing funds for emergency housing and service programs.
HUD’s initial focus has been on serving the public housing residents and voucher holders displaced by the hurricane.
Information from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment
Organizations indicates that in the next three to four weeks, HUD will be asking for approval from Congress to reprogram all funds not already obligated and all obligated-but-unspent funds to pay for Katrina relief.
This is expected to happen either in the Senate Appropriation Bill or in the Katrina Relief Package.
Housing groups are concerned that this would give HUD unprecedented authority to move money from funds and could jeopardize many, if not most, locally-operated programs. One key issue they will raise is whether or not housing authorities will be compensated by HUD with extra vouchers or extra subsidies should the funds be moved.
Local advocates may find themselves fighting to keep needed housing resources from being reprogrammed to hurricane relief.
Primaries pave the way for elections in city, county
BY CLAUDE IOSSO & SARA FARINELLI
Special to the Voice
Last month’s primary set the stage for a number of city and county council races. This year’s general election will take place on Nov. 8. The last day to mail in your registration is Oct. 8.
You can find out more about registering to vote and download registration forms online at http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/register.htm#register. Registration forms are also available at your city hall or the nearest fire station or public library.
County council district lines redrawn
After the Sept. 20 primary, many King County Housing Authority residents found themselves in new county council districts, with new candidates on the ballot to represent them. Seattle Housing Authority residents who lived in the now-eliminated 10th District were also affected.
The number of members on the King County Council dropped from 13 to nine, reducing the number of districts by the same number. As a result, Kent and Des Moines are now in the 5th District, Auburn is in the 7th, Issaquah is in the 3rd, and Burien and Normandy Park are in the 8th. Kirkland and most of Bellevue are now in the 6th District. In Seattle, the 4th, 2nd and 8th districts absorbed the eliminated 10th district.
With their districts eliminated, incumbent council members faced off in two primary races. Early tallies showed Councilman Reagan Dunn, a Bellevue Republican, beating fellow council Republican Steve Hammond in District 9, which covers the rural southeastern part of the county.
The initial results in the District 1 race between Carolyn Edmonds and Bob Ferguson were too close to call at press time. District 1 includes Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and Bothell. Ferguson no longer could represent the 2nd District in Seattle when his North Seattle neighborhood was absorbed by the expanded 1st District.
Ferguson and Edmonds were both Democrats with similar voting records. In District 9, Dunn, the son of U.S. Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, and Hammond were both conservative Republicans.
Winners of both primaries are favored to beat little-known opponents in the general election. Ferguson or Edmonds will face Republican Steven Pyeatt, who organized opposition to tent city homeless camps, in District 1. In the 9th District, Democrat Shirley Gaunt-Smith, a retired Boeing computer engineer, will challenge Dunn.
Other contested seats on the County Council include incumbent Democrat Larry Gossett v. Republican Brian Thomas in District 2, incumbent Democrat Julia
Patterson v. Republican Orin Wells in District 5, incumbent Republican Pete von Reichbauer v. Democrat Geni Hawkins in
District 7.
Incumbents in districts 3, 4, 6, and 8 have no opposition.
City candidates tackle transportation
At a city council debate sponsored by the alternative newspaper “The Stranger” before last month’s primary, economic development and Seattle’s transportation took center stage.
While the general consensus was that an integrated transit system would revitalize Seattle’s neighborhoods and improve employment opportunities, the candidates set themselves apart with thoughts on how to address those transportation problems and other economic development issues.
Port Commissioner Paige Miller, who is challenging incumbent Richard Conlin for Position 2, has actively pursued economic development and trade for Seattle.
As a founder of Port Jobs, a nonprofit organization that finds employment and provides training for job seekers, Miller has demonstrated her commitment to connecting workers with living wage jobs.
Conlin’s approach to economic development has been one of community-building and neighborhood preservation. He has proposed land-use policies to encourage high-quality development in urban centers and helped secure the Southeast Seattle Community Development Fund.
An exchange between Conlin and Miller on transportation gave some insight into their differing styles.
Responding to Miller’s assertion that she saved the downtown trolley from closure, Conlin accused Miller of “government by press conference,” pointing out the plan that was actually adopted came from the Mayor’s office.
Miller said her plan may not have been the one adopted, but argued that her initiative brought attention to the problem.
The incumbent for Position 4, Jan Drago and her challenger Casey Corr are both on board for much of the Mayor’s economic development agenda.
Drago, a proponent of South Lake Union development, has said that work in the area will create jobs and any improvement to the transit systems would bring workers to those jobs, effectively relieving the pressure on single-family neighborhoods.
Corr, who has also supported the South Lake Union project, still questioned the value of sinking so many resources into one area at the expense of the rest of the city.
Corr has charged Drago of ineffective leadership and letting the monorail project get out of hand. Drago accuses Corr of opportunism, commissioning a poll to determine vulnerabilities in candidates.
Accusations aside, both take strong positions on improved transportation and public safety, supporting more funding for the police force. Drago focuses on downtown development and asserts that it will result in job creation. Corr argues improved public schools will open up opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
Position 8 candidates Richard McIver, the incumbent, and King County Councilman Dwight Pelz both said they favor replacing the Alaksan Way viaduct with a tunnel.
Calling the viaduct a “100-year decision,” Pelz said that Seattle should take this opportunity to do it right. McIver said he saw a tunnel as the “safest and best bet” with the two-fold benefit of opening up space downtown and shoring up the seawall, which is also in need of repair.
Neither proposed funding options.
Pelz has also devised work plans to reduce noise from Boeing Field and place underground utilities along the light rail line in the Rainier Valley.
He was instrumental in creating the Rainier Valley Youth Service Project, which pairs young offenders with adult mentors and businesses in the community giving them the opportunity to learn job skills and make restitution.
McIver has a similar public record featuring a long-time dedication to community development and affordable housing through work with SouthEast Economic Development, the Central Area Development Association and other neighborhood community development organizations.
Rainier Valley job fair a hit
BY VOICE STAFF
The Center for Career Alternatives teamed with Seattle Weed & Seed to present the “Career & Jobs Fair for Southeast” on Thursday, September 15 at the Emerald City Outreach Ministries in the Rainier Valley.
The job fair’s intent was to give Southeast residents exposure to local, regional and national employers, vocational and educational institutions and to offer job opportunities and skills training.
Community agencies such as Work Source Rainier, Asian Counseling & Referral Services and CCA along with educational programs such as the Apprenticeship Program of Western Washington Masonry Trades participated in the event.
Also represented were CLP Resources, Inc, which places workers with top construction contractors nationwide and offers educational opportunities for long-term employees, Airport Jobs, Key Bank, Bank of America, Washington Mutual and McDonald’s.
CCA Executive Director Al Sugiyama reported that approximately 250 people attended the fair—56 percent were between 16 and 36 and 44 percent were over 36.
“Overall I was pleased with the turn out, and it was good to have a mix of employers, colleges and schools and community agencies,” he said. “Unlike most job and career fairs we had food, entertainment, and door prizes.”
Sugiyama added that CCA would love to stage two events per year, but, hosting another depends on funding from Weed and Seed. Ninety-three percent of the people who filled the survey were interested in attending another job fair.
“What was interesting was that for 49 percent of the people, this was the first Job and Career Fair they had attended,” Sugiyama added.
The CCA-Seattle Weed & Seed partnership has worked towards providing employment and educational opportunities for low-income, at-risk youth in southeast Seattle for the past two years.
Health Notes
A column devoted to your well-being
BY PAM MCGAFFIN
Healthy Aging Partnership
Your digestive system is sort of like the engine in your car. When it’s running smoothly, you tend to forget about it. When it isn’t, it can really cramp your style, so to speak.
Heartburn, constipation, nausea and diarrhea can be your digestive tract’s way of telling you to pay attention to what you eat, according to the Healthy Aging Partnership, a coalition of 40 nonprofit and public organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of older adults.
You’re wise to listen to your gut. Your digestive system has the important job of absorbing nutrients, ridding our bodies of waste and toxins and helping fight sickness and infection.
If it’s not working right for whatever reason, malnourishment, digestive disorders and disease can result.
Older adults need to pay particular attention to their digestive health. As we age, our bodies produce less saliva and stomach acid, making it more difficult to break down and absorb some nutrients. Medication side effects and a dulled sense of taste and smell can lead to other problems.
HAP offers tips to help older adults keep their digestion on track.
For instance, be sure to eat foods with fiber. Choosing fiber-rich foods, which include colorful fruits and vegetables as well as legumes and whole grains, ensures a nutritious diet as well as good digestion. A high-fiber diet also helps prevent weight gain, constipation and diarrhea and can also lower your risk of developing colon cancer. When increasing your fiber intake, start slowly and work towards a goal of 20 to 25 grams of fiber daily.
Drink plenty of water. Water and healthy beverages such as milk and fruit juices keep you hydrated and help your body dissolve nutrients and process waste. It is particularly important to drink plenty of fluids if you are increasing your fiber intake. Limit alcoholic drinks to no more than one a day for women, two for men.
Cut the saturated fat. Eating too much fat, such as that found in red meat and fried and processed foods, bogs down the digestive system. This leads to heartburn, constipation and bloating, not to mention an increased risk of colon cancer.
Maintain good eating habits. Eat moderate portions, regular meals and take the time to chew—and enjoy—your food. If you gulp down your meals, you’re likely to pay for it later with bloating and excess gas.
Control your weight. Overweight people are more prone to constipation, bloating and digestive tract disorders, including acid reflux.
Get regular exercise. Walking and other aerobic activities, besides being good for you, stimulate the intestinal muscles, helping the body eliminate waste.
Stop smoking. In addition to upping your cancer risk, tobacco increases stomach acid and contributes to a number of digestive conditions, including peptic ulcers and Crohn’s disease or inflammation of the small intestine.
See a doctor if problems persist. If your digestive distress doesn’t respond to dietary or lifestyle changes or becomes more frequent or severe, see your doctor. You may have a digestive disorder that requires specific treatment.
For more health tips as well as information on other issues related to life as an older adult, call HAP’s free and confidential help line at 1-888-435-3377 or e-mail hap@seniorservices.org.
BY VOICE STAFF
Every day is a good day to think about how you can keep your home safe from fires, but with October comes a few additional reminders, thanks to national fire safety month.
The popularity of candles has grown dramatically in recent years with retail sales of over $2 billion in the United States annually. Over the last decade, candle fires have almost tripled.
The National Fire Incident Reporting System reports that nearly 85 percent of the candle fires were started because of misuse. Candles fires most commonly occur when candles are left unattended or inadequately controlled, when the candle user falls asleep or when some form of combustible material is left too close to the candle.
Candles are safe products, but may become hazardous when used improperly or in an unsafe manner. The National Candle Association recommends paying attention to safety tips when burning candles.
For instance, always keep burning candles within sight. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep. Always use a candle holder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain drips and melted wax.
Place lit candles where they won’t be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else, and keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper and flammable decorations.
Read and carefully follow all manufacturer instructions. Do not burn a candle for longer than recommended.
Remember, a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire in your home. Test smoke alarms each month and replace the batteries at least once a year. Practice your home escape plan frequently. These simple acts save lives.
For additional fire safety information check out the Seattle Fire Department’s Web site at http://www.cityofseattle.net/fire.
One to grow on
Garden tips for community gardeners
BY ANZA MUENCHOW
Special to the Voice
October is the month to plant garlic for next summer.
There are a number of garlic choices. Garlic varieties fall into one of two categories: hard neck or soft neck.
I enjoy the hard neck varieties because in the spring they will form a flower stock called a garlic scape. We enjoy harvesting the garlic scapes and eating them in soups, salads and stir fries. They are tender green, easily chopped and have a delicious garlic flavor.
The hard neck varieties often have larger cloves that are easier to peel. However, they will not store as well through the winter.
The soft neck varieties are the most common varieties found in the supermarket. They store well, peel easily and they make the best roasted garlic appetizer.
Select a large bulb, trim off the top of bulb so the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Let the bulb cool before serving and simply squeeze the bulb and a paste of roasted cloves will emerge. We enjoy roasted garlic on bread, crackers, pasta, baked potatoes, in salad dressings and other dishes.
If you would like to try making garlic braids, plant a variety that has “silver” in its name. They have pliable and strong stems. Garlic braids are a great gift and a beautiful kitchen decoration.
Garlic grows best in well-drained soil with moderate to high fertility, like sandy loam.
When planting, select a large garlic bulb and divide it into cloves. The larger cloves will produce larger bulbs next year. Besides a good amount of compost at planting, you’ll probably need to add extra fertilizer (side dressing or liquid fish emulsion) next spring when the greens start shooting up.
Never plant garlic or onions in the same beds two years in a row. A three- to five-year crop rotation is best to prevent fungal and pest infestations and ensure a delicious harvest.
For soft neck varieties, harvest when the tops fall over. For hard neck varieties, check the bulbs starting in early July. Dig before the cloves start separating from the bulb and expect to be fully harvested by the end of July. This will leave a space in your garden for a late summer/autumn crop of greens.
Fall is also the season to enjoy multiple varieties of winter squash. From the creamy smooth delicate squash to the coarse spaghetti squash, there are many dishes, sweet or savory, to try this fall.
Enjoy shopping in local farmers markets for an attractive and delicious selection of winter squashes. Baking whole squash and scooping out the soft pulp is the beginning of many soups, chilies, stews, pies, breads and muffins. All squashes are high in vitamin A and provide necessary dietary fiber.
My favorite in the squash family is the pumpkin. Besides curry-flavored pumpkin soup, I also enjoy pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread.
This year I am growing pumpkins also for their edible seeds. This is difficult to do in a mixed patch because pumpkin, squash and cucumbers will all pollinate each other, which will cause the production of strange seeds.
To avoid this, I isolated my pumpkin patch. I hope to harvest many soft-shelled, roastable pumpkin seeds from the “Kakai” variety I planted.
Pumpkins and squash are also great for decorating—I still make sure to carve at least one pumpkin every Halloween and light a candle against the winter darkness to come.
Enjoy the changing seasons and happy eating!
Anza Muenchow is a P-Patch volunteer and an avid gardener. If you have questions or comments, send her an e-mail at
Many downtown buses now running above ground
Special to the Voice
Metro’s downtown bus tunnel closed last month for about two years to allow Sound Transit to retrofit the tunnel to make it usable for light rail.
Because of this closure, all service in the tunnel moved to surface streets downtown, including Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth avenues. This means bus routes and stops for many lines have been changed.
In addition to the routes already on Third Avenue in both directions (the 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, 25, 27, 66 and 70), routes 41, 71, 72, 73, 101, 106 and 150 are on Third Avenue, along with buses on routes 26, 28, 34, 39 and 42. (These routes are being moved from Second and Fourth Avenue to accommodate more buses on those two streets.)
During the peak periods of 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., Third Avenue has become a “transit only” street between Stewart and Yesler streets, so buses will be able to get through downtown more quickly and easily. Police officers are directing cars off those streets and onto others.
Buses on routes 194 and 550 operate on Second Avenue southbound and Fourth Avenue northbound. Route 255 buses will also use Fourth Avenue on their northbound routes, and Fifth Avenue on their southbound routes.
Because there are so many buses on Third Avenue, Metro and the City of Seattle have worked together to create some additional bus stops and will use a “skip-stop” system to allow buses to move through town more quickly.
Buses on routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, 16, 25, 26, 27, 28, 36, 39, 42, 66 and 70 will use one set of stops, while buses on routes 41, 71, 72, 73, 101, 106, 150, 358 and ST 522 will use another.
Exact stop locations have already been identified, but are subject to change.
If you haven’t picked any of the new timetables, we encourage you to do so, along with the “Rider Alert” brochure.
You can pick these up anywhere timetables are available, including the new Customer Stop location at Fourth and University in the Rainier Square Complex. You can also get information online at http://transit.metrokc.gov or http://www.seattletunnel.org.
Jim Bush is a resident of the Seattle Housing Authority building Center Park and a longtime transit user.
Community notes
ESL for citizenship classes offered
Free ESL for citizenship classes are being offered at Park Lake Homes in White Center.
Learn English and civics for the U.S. citizenship exam and receive help completing the N400 application.
Services and assistance are offered in Somali, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Tigrinya and Amharic.
Please call Neighborhood House at (206) 461-4554 for more information.
Tutors and students needed
Helping Link is recruiting tutors and Vietnamese middle or high school students who are in need of an after-school tutoring program.
The program provides help in math, reading, language arts and science. It is located at 1032 S. Jackson St. #C in Seattle. If you are interested please call (206) 781-4246 or e-mail helpinglink2003@yahoo.com.
Free college tuition
You may be eligible to receive FREE tuition and books at Cascadia Community College (in Bothell just off I-405 at 18345 Campus Way N.E.) to start a new career or update your computer skills.
These benefits are available through Cascadia’s WorkFirst Program if you are a low-income parent holding any kind of paid employment.
They are also available through Cascadia’s Worker Retraining Program if you have been laid off and are currently receiving unemployment benefits, if you have received unemployment benefits within the last two years, if you are formerly self-employed or if you are a displaced homemaker who is no longer supported by the income of another family member.
Call (425) 352-8138 to see if you qualify.
Free home buyers class in Chinese
The International District Housing Alliance is offering a free class in Chinese on home buying on Sunday, October 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The class will take place at 606 S. Maynard St., suite 201 in Seattle.
A class in English will take place on Oct. 29.
In addition to basic information about the home buying process, the class includes information about the dangers of predatory lending, the role of home buying counseling and the availability of several down payment assistance options (including those available specifically to residents of Seattle and King County public housing).
For more information call (206) 623-0122.
TRANSLATED ARTICLES FROM THE VOICE
CAÙC TRÖÔØNG HOÏD CUNG CAÁP NHÖÕNG PHUÏC VUÏ CHO PHUÏ HUYNH KHOÂNG NOÙI ÑUÔÏC TIEÁNG ANH
Muøa töïu hoïc baét ñaàu, ñieàu quan troïng vôùi phuï huynh laø phaûi bieát ñöôïc nhöõng phuïc vuï coù saün ôû tröôøng maø con em cuûa mình ñang theo hoïc, ñeå giuùp hoå trôï cho vieäc hoïc cuûa con mình.
Khu Hoïc Chaùnh Seattle coù Trung Taâm Song Ngöõ Daønh Cho Caùc Gia Ñình, ñeå giuùp cho gia ñình vaø caùc em hoïc sinh maø ngoân ngöû cuûa hoï khoâng phaûi laø Anh Ngöõ. Nhaân vieân song ngöõ seõ giuùp hoï trong vieäc ghi danh, giuùp phöông tieän di chuyeån, hoïc baï, thi traéc nghieäm vaø caùc sinh hoïat hoïc ñöôøng khaùc. Hoï cuõng saün saøng thoâng dòch cho quùi vò ôû caùc cuoäc hoïp ôû tröôøng hoïc vaø thoâng dòch nhöõng taøi lieäu hoïc ñöôøng.
Trung taâm coù nhaân vieân noùi caùc ngoân ngöõ Amharic, tieáng Hoa, Laøo, Somali, Taây ban Nha, Phi, Tigrinia vaø tieáng Vieät.
Trung Taâm Phuïc Vuï Gia Ñình naèm ôû phoøng 104 ôû tröøong Aki Kurose Middle School, ñòa chæ 3928 S. Graham St. Giôø laøm vieäc töø 8:30 ñeán 4 giôø töø Thöù Hai ñeán Thöù Saùu. Soá ñieän thoaïi vaên phoøng laø (206)252-7750.
Khu Hoïc Chaùnh Belluvue coù Ban Coá Vaán Phuï Huynh Song Ngöõ/ hay Ngöôøi Da Maøu (ESL/Parent Of Color Advisory Council) vôùi muïc ñích naâng cao söï thoâng hieåu nhöõng khaùc bieät veà vaên hoaù xaõ hoäi toân giaùo cuûa caùc hoïc sinh ñeå giuùp cho caùc em thaønh ñaït (trong hoïc vaán) ôû trình ñoä cao nhaát. Ñeå bieát theâm veà ban nhoùm naøy, xin lieân laïc vaên phoøng hieäu tröôûng ôû soá (425) 456-4000.
Haõy nhôù raèng ñieàu quan troïng nhaát cho phuï huynh laø luoân coù söï lieân ñôùi vôùi vieäc hoïc cuûa con em mình. Haõy lieân laïc vôùi tröôøng hoïc cuûa con em mình ñeå bieát theâm tin töùc veà nhöõng phuïc vuï daønh cho mình.
Dugsiyada shaqo ayey qabtaan waalidiinta aan ku hadlin luqadda Ingiriiska
Dugsiyada waa muhim xagga waalidiinta inay ogaadaan luqadaha lagu shaqeeyo oo la heli karo xagga caruuetooda Dugsiyadooda Maamulka iyaga caawimaya kaalonaya cariirtooda waxbarasgadooda.
Maamulka Dugsiyada ee Seattle wuxuu qabaa qoysas laba liqadoodle ah taas oo caawimaysa waalidiinta iyo ardaydaba kuwaas oo luqadooda tahay mid aan ahayn I giriiska. Waa dhaqamo badan shaqaale idin caawi o doona xagga qoridda Dugsiyada , Gaadiidka imtixaannada iyo kuwo badan hawsha Dugsiyada ku saabsan. Waxay yihiin xitaa kuwa la hela turjumaan xagga shirarka Dugsiyada iyo turjumaannada Xasashiyaha Dugsiyada.
Xaruunta waxay leedahay shaqaale oo ku hadla luqadda Amxaarrada, Shiinaha, Latiinka, Soomaali, Sbaanish, Tagalog, Tigrigna iyo Fiyetnaam. Xarunta Qoyska waa qolka 104 Aki Kurose Dugsiga Dhexe 3928 S Garaham St.. Saacadaha Xafiiska waxaa weeye laga bilaabo 8:30 ilaa 4ta galabnimo Isniinta ilaa Jimcaha. Xafiiska waa la heli karaa 206-252-7750.
Maamulkka waxbarashada Bellevue wuxuu leeyahay ESL dadka waalidiinta midabka . La taliye kaas oo kaa caawimaya fahamka dhaqanka, dhaqaalaha, iyo Diinta kala geddisan wax badan oo Maamulka Sare Dugsiyafa la soo warsaday.
Xusyysnow waa wax muhim ah xagga waalidiinta inay lug ku yeeshaan waxbarashada caruurtooda. La soo xiriir cunuggaaga Dugsigiisa si warar dheeri ah oo hawsha la qabanayo oo kuu diyaar ah.
KCHA NEWS
The mission of the King County Housing Authority is to provide quality affordable housing opportunities and to build communities through partnerships. We encourage self-sufficiency and we protect the dignity of people with limited resources while safeguarding the public trust.
October 2005
KCHA considers rent policy changes
BY ASHLEY LOMMERS-JOHNSON
King County Housing Authority
The King County Housing Authority’s rent policy will have to change. The federal government is providing less money for public housing than it has in the past, so KCHA must consider ways to cover the cost of housing and services.
The Housing Authority wants your input and will gather focus groups to talk about the rent policy. The KCHA Board of Commissioners will make very difficult decisions about how much residents will have to pay toward housing costs.
The board has several options. While it could decide to provide housing to people with higher incomes, that is not considered a good alternative when there are so many extremely low-income households in need of a home. KCHA could also reduce services, but many are key to helping residents become self-sufficient.
No one living in public housing pays more than 30 percent of their income for rent. Some pay as little as 15 percent of their gross income. Some households, because of their very low incomes, pay no rent at all. On the other end of the scale, some residents with higher incomes choose to pay a flat rent, which is still much lower than what private landlords charge.
While current rents are fair and affordable for all, not all residents pay the same percentage of their income for rent.
There are important questions about KCHA’s rent policy that must be answered—these include questions about whether rent should be based on income or if there is another way to ensure that rents are affordable.
Should KCHA continue to provide income deductions for residents who get jobs? What about other deductions?
Commissioners will also consider whether every resident should be required to pay a minimum amount of rent and whether some or all households should be required to pay a greater percentage of their income for rent.
They’ll address whether some residents should be allowed to pay a low flat rent forever, even if their incomes are becoming relatively high and whether KCHA should increase the flat rents that residents pay.
This month, you will be invited to tell us what you think. KCHA will inform you when dates and locations for the focus groups have been set.
If you are interested in participating in a discussion please call (206) 574-1100 and leave your name and telephone number.
New homeowners find their American Dream
BY CLAUDE IOSSO
King County Housing Authority
Long Ly smiles broadly as he shows off his new home, a three-bedroom split-level house on a quiet street in SeaTac. There’s a sheltered porch, a finished basement and a kind of sunroom. Chan Dinh doesn’t provide a tour of his new home, but his sunny three-bedroom rambler in White Center speaks for itself.
After living at Park Lake Homes I for many years, the Lys and the Dinhs both took giant steps in September, buying their own homes for the first time. For these two refugee families, who arrived in the United States in the early ’90s, the path to the American Dream was not easy.
The parents worked and saved for many years, taking advantage of subsidized housing and services available to them at Park Lake. The International District Housing Alliance’s Homeownership 1-2-3 program and King County Housing Authority’s Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency Down Payment Assistance program finally made buying a home possible.
“The nicest thing is that the kids have a home,” said Dinh. Dinh and his wife Tham Le have four children—Tuan and Eric, now in college, and Crystal and Tony, still living at home. “At Park Lake, they felt they had no home of their own,” he said. “Also, seeing their parents work hard and succeed, the kids will want to work hard.”
Ly, his wife Ngocminh Nguyen and their daughter Ngoc Trang Ly all agreed that one virtue stands out about owning a home. After thinking a bit and talking briefly with his family, Ly said, “privacy.”
A home of their own for the Lys
The Lys left Vietnam in 1991 and settled in Burien, moving to Park Lake I in 1993. They have two children—Tuc, who is attending South Seattle Community College, and Trang, who is enrolled at Evergreen High School but is taking college preparatory classes at SSCC.
Ly has been a press operator for a print shop for nine years. Nguyen is a cashier at Sea-Tac Airport. Like the Dinhs, they worked and saved for many years, but Homeownership 1-2-3 and a ROSS grant made the difference this year.
The Lys live on a dead-end street in a quiet neighborhood. The neighbors are on good terms and look out for each other, Ly said.
The Lys have already made their house in SeaTac their own. Ly has installed a transparent plastic roof on the back deck, added vinyl flooring and hooked up a washer and dryer to create a bright utility room.
Freedom for the Dinh family
The Dinhs fled to the U.S. in 1992, settling in White Center. They moved to Park Lake I two years later.
“Freedom was the first thing I wished for when I came to the United States,” Dinh said. “The second thing was educational opportunities for my children.”
Dinh delivers food to the concessions at Sea-Tac Airport while Le works at a bakery.
Dinh’s children have made the most of their opportunities. Tuan goes to Whitman College in Walla Walla; Eric is attending the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. Crystal, in her senior year at Chief Sealth High School, is taking college preparatory classes at South Seattle Community College. Tony, who was born in the U.S., attends a Seattle elementary school.
Although happy at the home they rented at Park Lake, the Dinhs always wanted to have their own house.
A combination of factors made buying a house this year worth attempting. The demolition of Park Lake to make way for Greenbridge meant the Dinhs would have to move to private rental housing where rents, even offset by a Housing Choice voucher, would climb. IDHA’s Homeownership 1-2-3 eased the process of buying a home. KCHA’s ROSS program provided $13,500 toward a down payment.
“I want to thank KCHA,” Dinh said. “I dreamed of buying a house for a long time.”
For more information, contact IDHA at (206) 623-0122 or its partners, El Centro de la Raza at (206) 957-4633 and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle at (206) 461-3792, extension 3013. Park Lake residents can also get help from HOPE VI family support specialists, at (206) 574-1160.
KCHA calendar contest
BY TIM BAKER
King County Housing Authority
The King County Housing Authority is looking for young artists to draw illustrations for a calendar about ways to save energy and water. Youths, ages 5-17, are eligible to participate.
The 2006 calendar will feature 10 conservation tips accompanied by black-and-white sketches. Contestants should submit drawings illustrating one or more of the following energy savings tips:
• Set your thermostat to 68 F.
• Turn the thermostat down 5 to 10 degrees when sleeping or away from home.
• Close off rooms not being used.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Don’t leave water running when you are not using it.
• Clean the lint and dust under and on back of the refrigerator.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones.
• Turn off lights, televisions and appliances when you are not using them.
• Report to KCHA any plumbing leaks.
• In cold weather, open curtains or shades during daylight.
Winners will receive a $50 gift certificate to Fred Meyer. There is no limit on entries, so contestants can submit as many sketches as they wish. Artwork will be credited on the calendar.
Please send your or your child’s artwork, with your name, development, unit number and phone number to Juan Pinzon, c/o KCHA calendar contest, 22010 S.E. 51st St., Issaquah, WA 98029. All entries must be received by Friday, October 21.
The calendar is just one part of a “goody bag” that KCHA residents will receive as part of a Housing Authority energy savings project.
Residents will also receive thermometers and other items provided by the local utilities. KCHA anticipates that these goody bags will be distributed in early November.
Valli Kee unites at picnic
BY CLAUDE IOSSO
King County Housing Authority
The residents at Valli Kee Apartments are not a passive group. When incidents of youth violence occurred at the 114-unit, Kent-area family development this summer, parents and children decided to do something about it.
With help from Kent Youth and Family Services, which operates youth programs at Valli Kee, the residents were awarded a $500 mini-grant from the county and threw a community barbecue. More than 100 young people, parents and other residents gathered for the happy occasion on a sunny afternoon in late August.
“It was a wonderful event,” said Cyoon McBride, outreach assistant manager for KYFS. “It felt like a community coming together.”
He added that residents helped prepare for the event and also cleaned up afterwards.
Delores Brown, a Valli Kee resident who serves on the KCHA Board of Commissioners, said the barbecue was a great success. She also praised the organizers.
“It was just fantastic,” she said. “The kids were happy as clams and were still talking about the barbecue the next day.”
The King County Community Organ-izing Program, which works with community groups and coalitions to implement alcohol and other drug prevention strategies, provided the grant for the event.
McBride and Omar Ahmedi, the temporary recreation supervisor at Valli Kee, organized a game of Simon Says and a paper ring toss getting all the kids involved.
Residents were looking for a fun, safe way for the kids to interact and the picnic provided that, McBride said.
He joked that the people from many different backgrounds “had one common goal—to eat food.”
If you would like to have a picnic or other celebration in your community, KCHA Services Administrator Jessica Cohen at (206) 574-1187 can work with the service agencies in your community to apply for a KCCOP mini-grant.
The events they pay for are a great way for KCHA, service organizations and residents to work together to improve KCHA communities.
Plaza Seventeen recycles
BY JOEL GREGORY
King County Housing Authority
AUBURN – Just a month after recycling was introduced to Plaza Seventeen this summer, residents are already leaving bottles, paper and cans out of the trash. Instead, they’re setting them aside for disposal in big green plastic bins, destined for more life as glass, paper and metal.
As part of an effort to make all developments and offices more sustainable, the King County Housing Authority has been putting together a recycling program. The program was started as a pilot at Plaza Seventeen, a 70-unit mixed-population high-rise in Auburn.
To educate residents about the new way to deal with their garbage, staff from KCHA and the City of Auburn held two meetings with residents in July. It proved to be hands-on training, as residents brought different items and learned whether they were recyclable or not.
The pilot program is going great so far. Plaza Seventeen started with three 96-gallon totes, picked up once a week. By Sept. 1, the volume of material being collected for recycling necessitated four totes, picked up twice a week.
One of the keys to the program’s success was having a Russian translator at the introductory meetings. A majority of the residents at Plaza Seventeen are from Russia or Ukraine.
The program will likely be successful, as residents, staff and the City of Auburn personnel have shown a lot of enthusiasm. The residents were excited enough to think about repainting the garbage room a brighter, cheerier color.
KCHA is now considering introducing recycling to the family development at Burndale Homes in Auburn and to Park Lake Homes II in White Center.
Food Bank raises money
Pitching an idea worth digesting
BY STEVE FISHER
King County Housing Authority
The White Center Food Bank provides emergency and supplemental food assistance to approximately 4,500 individuals and more than 1,200 families every month.Members of the organization’s Board of Directors are working to make improvements to the food bank’s operation.
Their idea is to serve more people, more often (and at operating times when the working poor are able to access the service) with more nutritious, culturally relevant foods.
As a means of better serving the growing number of people using this resource, the food bank board of directors is in the process of making preparations for a huge fundraising event—the Annual Harvest Dinner and Auction.
The Dinner and Auction will take place at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center on Saturday, October 29, with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. There will be both a silent and live auction, with all proceeds going not only to the operation of the food bank, but also to its relocation.
Due to the HOPE VI redevelopment of Park Lake Homes, the food bank has had to relocate.
With financial and technical assistance from the King County Housing Authority, it will have a brand new home adjacent to the Southwest Public Health facility just off of Southwest 108th Street and Eighth Avenue Southwest in White Center.
The new facility will be twice as big. It will be able to handle more people and will feature a demonstration kitchen to teach proper nutrition and cooking techniques to the people it serves.
If you would like to join food bank staff members at this wonderful fundraising event and help in making their dreams come true, call Food Bank Executive Director Rick Jump at (206) 762-2848.
Southwest goes site-based
BY CLAUDE IOSSO
King County Housing Authority
Site-based management, the wave of the future at the King County Housing Authority, is coming to the Southwest area next month. It is believed that lessons learned from the introduction of site-basing on the South end last year will make the transition to other areas this year easier.
The housing administrators for KCHA developments in White Center, Boulevard Park, Normandy Park, Des Moines, Tukwila and Burien are moving to new offices at certain developments to more closely manage things.
With site-based management, management and maintenance staff will now be at your community on a regular basis. Your housing administrator is now your property manager, with an office in your community or one nearby. You’re going to see the same maintenance crew all the time too because they’re also assigned to your community.
The Southeast area is scheduled to move to site-based management in November; the Eastside in January; and finally on the North end in February or March.
For the Southwest area staff, based for many years at the Wiley Center at Park Lake Homes I in White Center, the changes that come with site-based management really began over the summer. With the closure of the Wiley Center in June for the HOPE VI transformation of Park Lake to Greenbridge, management was forced to move ahead of schedule.
Some staff moved to temporary quarters in reconfigured housing units at Park Lake I, but housing administrator Maureen Powers now has an office at Burien Park, where she will become property manager, and Lisa Hall is working from an office at Riverton Terrace in Tukwila, where she’ll base her operations as property manager.
When site-based management is in place, Lisa will manage Riverton and the Des Moines properties—Shoreham, Victorian Woods and Campus Court. Jennifer Woodhouse, with an office at Boulevard Manor in Boulevard Park, will manage Boulevard Manor, Munro Manor and Yardley Arms. Michelle Domenowske will manage Park Lake Homes II and the remaining units of Park Lake I from what will be the regional office at Park Lake I.
The new contact information is: Maureen Powers, Burien Park, (206) 957-1069; Lisa Hall, Riverton Terrace, (206) 957-3605; Soeun Put, Riverton Terrace, (206) 957-3606; Jennifer Woodhouse, Boulevard Manor (206) 957-4501.
Park Lake lunches focus on relocation, health
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
A public meeting for Park Lake Homes I residents to learn the latest about relocation for the Greenbridge redevelopment is set for Oct. 25.
The meeting, at a location to be announced, will include specific information about when residents have to move and about the construction already underway.
To ensure that all residents of Park Lake Homes I understand the relocation process, KCHA staff will meet with groups of residents over lunch every three months.
Staff members at the Greenbridge Family Services Office, 10006 Fourth Pl. S.W., have already met with Khmer, Vietnamese and Somali resident groups.
English speakers will have their first lunch meeting on Thursday, October 20. This will be a “senior gathering” with a focus on arts and crafts and will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the new Neighborhood House office, 422 S.W. 102nd St.
Family Services specialists already work with families to explore housing options, but the lunches cover more than housing.
At the late-August Khmer lunch, 45 seniors and families gathered at Seahurst Park in Burien. Co-sponsored by KCHA and the Highline Medical Center, the meeting focused on relocation updates, health education and community resources.
Highline medical staff introduced the seniors to healthy foods. The nurse practitioners advised the group to avoid beef, eat lots of vegetables and limit their rice intake to four times a day.
The group was also encouraged to drink at least eight cups of water each day and to exercise.
“I enjoyed working with this group of people,” said Kathy Henry, a nurse practitioner with the Highline Medical Center. “I hope our session today helps with prevention and provided ways for people to manage their health better.”
Famous sportswriter lived at Casa Juanita
Legendary scribe kept low profile in retirement
KING COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY
Jack Smith was very private, sharing little with his neighbors at Casa Juanita. On the odd occasions when fellow residents did see him, he was likely to be cranky. No one knew this man was a storyteller with a storied past of his own, a top sportswriter with the San Francisco Chronicle and then the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for nearly 20 years.
“Jack kept to himself and his health was very bad,” Support Services Coordinator Judy Lawler said. “He sometimes rode on the shuttle van to the grocery store, but other than that, he was rarely seen. I doubt anyone at Casa Juanita knew of his former life.”
Even Lawler, who traded stories with Smith about their native San Francisco a couple of times, had not realized he was that Jack Smith. On Aug. 27, Smith died of a head injury at a Kirkland hospital after he fell in his apartment. He was 70.
“It wasn’t until I saw the big article in the Post-Intelligencer on Monday (Aug. 29) that I put two and two together,” Lawler noted. “It was a sad situation.”
The King County Housing Authority strives to provide homes in mixed-population high-rises where seniors and people with disabilities can live independently. Smith, who occasionally visited with friends from outside Casa Juanita, may not have chosen the kind of retirement most of us would have. However, from the time in 2002 he moved into Casa Juanita, an 80-unit development in Kirkland, Smith lived his days as he wished.
From the newspaper accounts published about him in the days following his death, Smith harbored a strong sense of independence his whole life. P-I sports columnist Art Thiel wrote that Smith was a “gentle man buried in a battered soul, guarded by volcanic temper and steel-sword wit.”
Smith worked at several newspapers in the Bay Area before joining the San Francisco Chronicle in the early ’70s. Over the course of a decade there, Smith developed a reputation as a brilliant writer at work and a sometimes uncontrollable drunk away from the office.
He became friends with then-Raiders coach John Madden and other stars of the sports world. According to a column that ran in the Chronicle, Smith lost several jobs because of his escapades and landed others because of his talent. During his time in San Francisco, Smith lived in a variety of bizarre residences including his automobile and some sparsely furnished apartments.
In the late ’70s, Smith overcame his alcohol addiction and moved to Seattle. He joined the P-I in 1980 and served his longest stint there, covering Seattle sports until quitting in 1991. He was honored as Washington State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association in 1987.
Apparently Smith was a mystery not only to his neighbors at Casa Juanita. Thiel, the columnist, whom Smith had listed as a reference when he first applied for housing in 2000, struggled to explain his friend.
“Whatever led Jack to be what he was, it also kept him prisoner of its secrets,” Thiel wrote in his column. “It kept him single, kept him distant from many who would be his friends, kept him from the full flower of his talent.”
AmeriCorps team in action
King County Housing Authority
A new AmeriCorps team has swung into action, dedicated to tutoring youth, teaching biology at local state parks and helping King County Housing Authority residents learn English. This year, an AmeriCorps member will promote recycling at Springwood Apartments too.
Ten new KCHA Washington Service Corps AmeriCorps members began their 2005-06 term of service last month. The team will serve at KCHA communities in Auburn, Burien, Shoreline, SeaTac, White Center, Kirkland and Bellevue and in state parks in Auburn, Kenmore and Issaquah. An additional five members will join the team by Oct. 1.
As in years past, the AmeriCorps members will be teaching English to adults and children, and some of the members will work in after-school programs as educational assistants and mentors. Six members will be involved in environmental education activities at three parks, Flaming Geyser, Lake Sammamish and St. Edward, as part of a partnership with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and the Washington Service Corps.
AmeriCorps members are also participating in a statewide initiative called Road Map to Civic Engagement. AmeriCorps teams have pushed civic engagement at Mardi Gras and other developments in the past. This year, members will encourage youth to become more active in their communities.
The new project this year is a recycling push at Springwood Apartments in Kent. In partnership with Kent Youth and Family Services, Cassie Jones will help to develop a recycling program that will involve the youth of the community.
The 2005-2006 AmeriCorps team includes Mike Daggett (Flaming Geyser State Park), Tom Desmond (Paramount House/Ballinger Homes), Jim Doran (Lake Sammamish State Park), Jessie Hall (Green River/Burndale), Cassie Jones (Springwood), Gretchen Reinemeyer (Windsor Heights/Arbor Heights), Ana Russo (Cascade/Valli Kee), Marina Shats (Plaza Seventeen/Burndale), Meredith Williams (Juanita Court/Spiritwood) and Daisy York (Ballinger Homes).
Wayland gardeners prepare for new challenge
BY GENEROSA SCHAUER
King County Housing Authority
AUBURN – Tenants at Wayland Arms have worked hard to create gardens out of the land between the parking lot and nearby railroad tracks.
Once, it was neglected city property used for illegal dumping. But over the course of 10 years, the residents cleaned and leveled the ground, proving that if a tree can grow in Brooklyn, corn and tomatoes could grow here.
The first gardens were small and yielded little. As the years passed though, the gardens became more fertile, with a variety of produce. Tenants gardening now have been able to eat fresh vegetables through much of the year, with extra to share.
The tenants have continued gardening despite warnings from the city that the land they were using was going to be part of a major construction project to expand Highway 18. The gardens were spared when a new highway off-/on-ramp was built a few years back, but now plans to widen the road next spring have been finalized.
The precious gardens will be paved over, but Wayland Arms’ farmers aren’t giving up.
The city told tenants this would be their last planting season. The gardens must be cleared by the end of October. Realizing how important the gardens are to the tenants, the city offered the King County Housing Authority land for gardens about a block from Wayland Arms.
With assistance, the residents applied for and received a Neighborhood Matching Grant from the City of Auburn for construction of the new gardens.
Still, even with a $5,000 grant to develop the new garden space, raising vegetables there will be challenging. But Wayland Arms residents know how to overcome challenges.
The goal is not only to recreate the gardens but also to develop an area that is easily accessible to all residents and showcases the use of worm bins, rain barrels and composting.
The land needs to be leveled and fenced. Then soil, wood to frame the gardens, and gravel to create pathways will have to be trucked in. Volunteers will also be needed to help prepare garden beds for planting.
In addition, tenants are developing a water supply to supplement the rain collected in barrels.
The pride and joy the residents share raising vegetables and flowers is obvious. The opportunity to spend time outside doing something they enjoy is invaluable.
The tenants are very motivated to make this new garden work. The old pea patch has become quite beautiful and the new location would also help beautify the neighborhood.
Generosa Schauer is support services coordinator for Casa Madrona, Gustaves Manor, Plaza Seventeen and Wayland Arms. She can be reached at (253) 735-8721.
Park Lake seniors have new relocation help
BY CLAUDE IOSSO
King County Housing Authority
Seniors and younger adults with disabilities at Park Lake Homes I will turn to HOPE VI Family Support Specialist Michelle Farwell when they make decisions about relocation. Farwell, who replaces Chris Luedtke this month, has the experience to help them.
As assistant director and program manager at the Spokane Valley Community Center, Farwell worked with all kinds of people. Occasaionally pressed into service by her mother, a geriatric nurse, Farwell took her first job working in a convalescent home.
“I’m excited to get to know the clients,” Farwell said. “I’m really looking forward to working one-on-one with them. In Spokane, my job was becoming more and more administrative, and I missed the client contact.”
Farwell will work with on-site residents, including most English speakers, who are scheduled to move from Park Lake this year to the Greenbridge redevelopment. She will help them plan their moves and follow up with residents who have moved off-site to make sure they have adjusted to the change.
Luedtke, who has helped residents with relocation for the past two years, is leaving the Housing Authority for a graduate school internship. One resident he helped, Trudie Golden, said Luedtke has been a “nice guy and a good listener.”
KCHA is sorry to see Luedtke go, but residents will not be left without assistance.
Farwell knows the Park Lake neighborhood. As a child, she spent many of her summers in White Center with her father.
Married with three grown children, Farwell moved to the Puget Sound for the bright lights and the big city.
As for culture, Farwell knows she’ll have an opportunity to experience it firsthand at Park Lake, where there is far more cultural diversity than there was in Spokane. She said she is eager to learn about and connect with people from a variety of different backgrounds.
TRANSLATED ARTICLES FROM THE VOICE
KCHA waxay tixgelinaysaa kirada isbeddelkeeda
KCHA considering rent policy changes
King County Maamulka Guryaha siyaasadda cusub ee kirada way beddeli doontaa .Dawladda Dhexe waxay bisinaysaa dhaqaale yar xagga Guryaha Dadweynaha waqtiga la soo dhaafay. marka KCHA waa inay tixgelisaa sidii lagu dabooli lahaa qiimaha guryaha iyo hawsha iyadoo ay ku jirto beddelidda kirada.
KCHA Fuddigeeda waxay tixgelinayaan su;aalo badan ku saabsan goorta jirada sal looga dhigayo waxa idin soo gala mise waddo kale ayaa jirta oo kiro cadaalad ah oo la xamili karo.
KCHA waxay xitaa rixgelinaysaa ma wadi doontaa qiimo dhimidda dadka shaqeeya si loo dhiirigelliyo shaqaalana sii ahaadaan . Maxaa wixii kale oo jaridda ku saabsan.
Ma qasab baa qof kasta deggen inuu bixiyo lacag yar ( tusaale boqolkiiba 33 oo bolkiiba 30) dakh;igooda kirada?
Ma deegaanka loo oggolyahay inay kirada bixiyaan kiro yar weligood xitaa haddii dakhligooda kordho? KCHA ma kordhinaysa kirada?
Bishaan, waa laguu yeeri doonaa inaad sheegto dakhligaaga . Maxaa u malaynaysaa in KCHA neesha, taariikhda iyo bisha lagula kulmi doono. Haddii aad danaysayso inay ka qayb gashid doodad arrintaas deriskaaga shirkooda fadlan wac 206-574-1100 iyo dhaaf farriin telefoonka lagaa soo wici karo.
KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King
Cöùu Xeùt Vieäc Thay Ñoåi Veà Chính Saùch Tieàn Thueâ Nhaø Chính saùch tieàn thueâ möôùn nhaø cuûa KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King seõ phaûi thay ñoåi. Chính phuû lieân bang ñang giaûm ñi tieàn taøi trôï cho caùc khu housing coâng coäng so vôùi thôøi gian tröôùc ñaây, do ñoù KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King phaûi xeùt ñeán nhöõng phöông caùch ñeå chi phí cho housing vaø caùc dòch vuï, goàm coù caû vieäc ñieàu chænh laïi chính saùch tieàn thueâ nhaø.
Hoäi ñoàng quaûn trò KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King ñang xeùt tôùi nhieàu vaán ñeà bao goàm caû vaán ñeà tieàn nhaø, lieäu coù neân döïa vaøo möùc lôïi töùc cuûa quùi vò, vaø neáu coù phöông thöùc khaùc naøo ñeå laøm chaéc raèng möùc tieàn nhaø laø coâng baèng vaø coù theå kham noãi.
KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King cuõng seû xeùt tôùi vieäc coù neân tieáp tuïc chieát giaûm (tieàn nhaø) cho caùc cö daân coù vieäc laøm ñeå khuyeán khích hoï ñi laøm, vaø giöõ coâng vieäc laøm. Coøn nhöõng phaàn chieát giaûm khaùc thì sao?
Coù neân buoäc caùc cö daân traûsoá tieàn nhaø toái thieåu ? Coù neân buoäc moät vaøi hoä, hay taát caû caùc hoä traû tieàn nhaø vôùi möùc phaàn traêm cao leân ( thí duï nhö , 33 phaàn traêm thay vì 30 phaàn traêm) cuûa lôïi töùc cuûa hoï ?
Coù neân ñeå cho cö daân traû tieàn nhaø theo giaùñoàng ñeàu (flat rate) luoân maõi , cho duø möùc lôïi töùc cuûa hoï coù theå cao? KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King coù neân taêng giaù tieàn nhaø ñoàng ñeàu heát hay khoâng?
Trong thaùng naày, quùi vò seõ ñöôïc môøi ñeán ñeå noùi cho chuùng toâi bieát quùi vò nghó sao. KCHA-Cô Quan Caáp Phaùt Gia Cö Quaän King seõ baùo cho quùi vò bieát ngaøy vaø ñòa ñieåm sau. Neáu quùi vò muoán tham gia vaøo vieäc baøn thaûo vaø muoán vaøi ngöôøi haøng xoùm cuûa quùi vò ñeán döï cuoäc hoïp nhaém vaøo ñeà taøi naøy, xin goïi cho soá (206) 574-1100, vaø ñeå laïi teân vaø soá ñieän thoaïi cuûa quùi vò.