Holiday schedule:

DHA will be closed on the

following days in observance of

upcoming holidays:

Thursday, & Friday

Nov. 24th & 25th

Thanksgiving

Friday & Monday

December 23rd & 26th

Christmas

In this issue:

Front Porch 1

Health Fair 2

Town Hall w/David Price 3

HAP’nings 4

Highlights and News from Durham Housing Authority

Summer 2011 Volume 3, Issue 2

Housing Spotlight

National Night Out 5

Housing Conference 6

Message from the CEO 8

New construction (called “Goley Pointe”) will occupy 1.6 acres of land that is currently

vacant . This development will be a 20-unit multi-family, mixed-income rental development

comprised of townhome, garden style and detached single family units. The bedroom distri-

bution will include five (5) one bedroom, nine (9) two-bedroom and six (6) three-bedroom

units. The estimated total development cost is $2.9 million.

These 20 units will be occupied by

persons at or below 80% of the area

median income level. For a family of

three, that’s about $ $48,850

Twelve of the 20 units will serve homeless families. It is proposed that the development be

comprised of 14 public housing units, three (3) project-based housing choice voucher units

and three (3) market rate units. Construction is planned to begin in November 2011 and

end April 2012.

Front Porch – New Construct ion

In Other News …

Down Payment Assistance Still Available

For those families who qualify, DHA has funding to provide some assistance in making a down payment

on a first home. Grants of up to $8,000 are available to help families who are first-time home buyers.

These are grants; those families who receive the money will not have to pay it back. Multi-family homes,

investment properties and some homes offered for sale by the Housing Authority are not eligible for this

assistance. For more information about down payment assistance, please contact:

Resident Services

(919) 683-8596

housing

Health Fa ir

Get involved!

• Learn more about your

own family history by

asking your family

members about their

health history. Knowing

your parents’ and siblings’

history can help in

preventing Diabetes and

Hypertension.

• Go online and learn more

about screenings and

prevention of injuries at

WebMD.com

2

Resident Services held a very well-attended Health Fair

at Preiss-Steele Place on April 29th. The event offered

information and health screenings for Diabetes and

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure). There was great

information, donated refreshments (thank you spon-

sors!) and fun for everyone.

Good Health Means

Knowing Your A-B-C’s

A - If you are at risk for (or

have) Diabetes, have your

doctor check your A1C - that’s

a 90-day level of glycated hemo-

globin (related to blood sugar

levels).

B - Know your Blood Pressure.

You can get it checked free at

most pharmacies.

C - Get your Cholesterol

checked every year to prevent

heart disease and stroke.

Thank you

sponsors!

The Health Fair

featured lots of great

information and

offered something

for every age group.

Knowledge is power!

spotlight

FEEDBACK?

Yes, please! We’d love to

hear from you.

Jean Bolduc

Corporate Communications

Director

jbolduc@dha-nc.org

(919) 683-1551 ext. 386

Remember our

Customer Service

and

Fraud/Abuse

Tipline:

919-667-2120

Town Hal l Meet ing with Rep. Dav id Pr ice

3

Taking care of your health doesn’t have to mean spending

more … take advantage of free screenings at pharmacies and

grocery stores. They often have easy, free do-it-yourself

blood pressure testers and offer flu shots for reduced rates.

Rep. David Price (D-NC) and DHA CEO Dallas J.

Parks take a moment to catch up before the Town

Hall meeting at J.J. Henderson gets started.

On August 29, Congressman David Price met

with DHA’s Senior Citizens to give them an update

on the changes in Federal Healthcare laws that will

affect them. Residents from J.J. Henderson Housing

Center, Preiss-Steele Place, Forest Hill Heights and

Scattered Sites attended the event, held in the com-

munity room at J.J. Henderson.

Along with the opening remarks from Rep.

Price, the residents brought forward many excellent

questions about changes in Medicaid (health) Cov-

erage which is a program that is federally funded

but managed through state and local governments.

Rep. Price offered assistance through his staff and

the local Durham office for individual cases that may

need some “hands-on” attention. Those with spe-

cific questions about benefits are encouraged to call

the Congressman’s Durham office, located in the

N.C. Mutual Building (see below).

Need Help with Federal Benefits?

Call Rep. Price’s local office at:

411 W. Chapel Hill Street

NC Mutual Life Building

9th Floor

Durham, NC 27701

Phone (919) 688-3004

FAX (919) 688-0940

housing

HAP’n ings

4

A Word About Inspections

Every unit under contract with the Housing Choice Voucher

Program (HCVP) must be inspected annually. An inspector

will visit the unit (by appointment) and verify that it still meets

all Housing Quality Standards (HQS). In order for this proc-

ess to go as smoothly as possible, participants will need

to take steps to ensure the unit is accessible and clean.

As part of our commitment to quality, some units are

selected for a second inspection to ensure quality control.

DHA has contracted with NOVA Engineering to conduct

some inspections, so you may not recognize the inspector

who will visit your home. Inspectors representing DHA will al-

ways provide proper identification before coming into your home.

Inspectors will need to see all areas and spaces in the unit, includ-

ing floors and ceiling of closet areas, appliances and mechanical systems. For

everyone’s safety, please make sure that your pets are restrained in one of two

ways:

1) Secured with a leash 2) Enclosed in a cage.

The HCV program would like each inspection to be safe and efficient. Please inform the

owner or manager of the property of our expected visit. If there are repairs necessary,

inform your owner so the repairs can be performed before our visit. Please make sure that

all areas of your home are available for inspection – doors and windows are not blocked

by furniture or your belongings.

Inspectors will be unable to complete the required inspection if an adult is not present to

provide access, if an animal has not been properly secured or if your belongings are stored

in a way that prevents the inspector from viewing all spaces. This will result in delays or

failed inspections. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.

We Appreciate Your Calls, But …

Due to recent budget constraints and staffing reductions, it is much

more helpful to us if you can make your requests in writing. Also,

most changes that must be reported to the HVC program are re-

quired to be in writing. Send your changes or inquiries to:

Customer Service -HCV Program, P.O. Box 1726, Durham NC 27701

August 2nd - Nat ional Night Out

spotlight

RESIDENT SERVICES

For more information about

the many great programs

offered through DHA’s

Resident Services

Department, please call

(919) 683-8596

Remember our

Customer Service

and

Fraud/Abuse

Tipline:

919-667-2120

5

National Night Out, 'America's

Night Out Against Crime,' was

introduced by the Association in

1984, founded by Matt A. Peskin.

In an effort to heighten awareness

and strengthen participation in

local anticrime efforts, Peskin felt

that a high-profile, high-impact

type of crime prevention event

was needed nationally.

The first National Night Out was

introduced early in 1984 - with

the event culminating on the first

Tuesday in August.

That first year, 400 communities in 23

states participated in National Night Out.

The 27th Annual National Night Out last

August involved 37.0 million people in

15,110 communities from all 50 states,

U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and mili-

tary bases worldwide. This year over

15,500 communities took part.

While the traditional 'lights on' and front

porch vigils remain a part of NNO, activi-

ties have expanded considerably over the

years to include block parties, cookouts,

parades, visits from police, festivals,

neighborhood walks, safety fairs, contests, rallies and meetings.

This year’s National Night Out was a hot one, as usual!

NEED 2011

Photo

housing

The Durham Conference on Hous ing

6

In June, DHA sponsored a Conference on

Housing, attracting attendees from all over the

Triangle region. Focused on Affordable Hous-

ing, the event also examined the areas of Job

Training and Employment as well as Transpor-

tation and Planning. Where you work and how

you get there each day has a big impact on

where you choose to live.

Leaders from City and County Government as

well as Duke, NCCU and Durham Technical

Community College were among the expert

panelists. The event was held at the Sheraton

Imperial Hotel on June 15th.

Resident Council

Leaders also

attended. Helen

Walker

(Scattered Sites)

is taking some

notes.

DHA Staffers

Charles Lyon and

Randy Little

DHA CEO Dallas J. Parks and Mayor Bill Bell

review the conference program

spotlight

Remember our

Customer Service

and

Fraud/Abuse Tipline:

919-667-2120

7

(Left) Health Dept. Director Gayle Harris,

DHA CEO Dallas J. Parks and Commissioner

Ike Robinson.

(Above) DHA Commissioner Gloria Notting-

ham and Resident Services Director Jo-Ann

Davis

City Councilman Howard Clement III enjoyed

the conference so much he wanted to be the

first to sign up for the 2012 event.

At lunchtime, the conferees were serenaded by the DHA Choir.

What a Treat!

330 E. Main Street

P.O. Box 1726

Durham, NC 27701

www.durhamhousingauthority.org

Tel: 919-683-1551

TDD/TTY: (800) 545-1833 ext. 774

Fax: 919-667-2129

E-mail: customerservice@dha-nc.org

A COMMITMENT TO QUALITY LIVING

Board of Commissioners

Tom Niemann, Chair

David Haley, Vice Chair

Barbara Lofton

Gloria Nottingham

John Ramsey

Issac Robinson

George Quick

Chief Executive Officer

Dallas J. Parks

Housing Spotlight

PRESORTED

FIRST CLASS

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #654

DURHAM, NC

The Last Word f rom CEO Dal las J . Parks

The hard work to improve performance continues at DHA and we are happy to report some significant accomplishments. This year, DHA received an audit report from our Independent Public Accountant Auditor that The Durham Herald-Sun described as “whistle-clean.” The agency had no operational findings, no material management weaknesses and is in a more stable financial position. This important milestone was achieved through years of sustained effort on the part of our staff and our Board of Commissioners. With the agency on a more stable foundation, we are now ready to expand our horizons and to play a larger role as leaders for afford-able housing and community development.

Among our first steps was the Durham Conference on Housing, which took place on June 15th at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham. Experts discussed Financing, Community Partnerships, Transportation and Work-force Readiness. Durham has a wealth of expertise and we are very excited about bringing them together to improve the housing picture for Durham’s citizens. We will be issuing a conference report (both print and online) later this fall. Watch for more information about the conference on DHA’s website and at HOUSING2011.COM. We still have serious funding challenges, but with DHA’s stronger management and program stability will come more and more opportunities for us to serve the Durham community in meaningful ways. We are proud to serve the the community and look forward building on our success.

Dallas J. Parks