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A portion of $192,754 in capital improvement funds awarded to the Ilion Housing Authority by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last week will go toward parking lot and sidewalk repairs there.
That’s according to Jeffrey McTiernan, executive director of the Ilion authority, who on Tuesday said the annual funding award from HUD’s Capital Fund Program will also be used for exterior door and interior closet door replacements as well as bathtub resurfacing and bathroom flooring replacements at some of the authority’s 158 public housing units.
Additionally, the money will be used for the changing-out of exterior lights with energy-efficient lighting at a couple of the authority’s three public housing campuses: London Towers at 100 West Main Street, Remington Park on Cottage Street and Ilion Heights on Vosburg Street.
“We’re trying to minimize our energy footprint,” he said, noting authority officials’ overarching goal is to find the best way to leverage their capital dollars. They want to get products with longer life-cycles at reasonable prices.
The funding amount was announced late last week by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who said a pool of $326 million was awarded to hundreds of public housing authorities across the nation.
Also receiving local distributions were the St. Johnsville Housing Authority, of which McTiernan is also executive director, and the Herkimer Housing Authority.
The St. Johnsville authority was awarded $55,821.
The Herkimer authority will receive $197,633.
As noted in a July 14 news release from the federal agency, the funding is provided to all public housing authorities on an annual basis to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. The money is strictly for major capital projects or improvements.
McTiernan said an operating subsidy from HUD and rent revenue from tenants are used for day-to-day operations and routine maintenance of the housing facilities.
He said the lion’s share of the St. Johnsville authority’s capital improvement funds will go toward parking lot and sidewalk repairs at the St. Johnsville Housing Authority.
It will also pay for tub resurfacing and bathroom floor replacements in some of the Old Meadow Gardens’ 42 public housing units, he said.
There are nine residential buildings on the campus of the Old Meadow Road facility.
“By the time we get done, that’ll probably be the whole allotment,” said McTiernan.
Herkimer Housing Authority Executive Director Richard Dowe on Monday said there are 3,200 housing authorities in existence across the country.
Dowe said the Herkimer Authority will use the money for the upgrading and remodeling of interiors and exteriors at each of the authority’s three properties: Mid-Town Apartments on Prospect Street, which has 75 units; and Eastern Gardens on Harter Street and Creekside Court on Protection Avenue, both of which have 50 units each.
Specifically, Dowe said some of the money will be used for the demolition of a retaining wall at the rear of the North Prospect Street apartment complex and the construction of a walkway that will connect upper and lower patios for the residents’ enjoyment.
Additionally, the money will be used for extensive landscaping and replacement of trees and flower beds at all three sites as well as the cyclical painting of units.
Every unit at each of the authority’s three properties is painted on a cyclical basis, Dowe said.
As in St. Johnsville and Ilion, Dowe said the Herkimer authority will use the money for parking lot paving and striping and some sidewalk replacement on all three campuses.
Dowe said each authority has to obligate the money in two years and spend it in four. Across the board, HUD awards for capital improvements were reduced from prior years because of reductions in federal spending.
For example, McTiernan said the St. Johnsville authority in 2010 received $67,184 for capital improvements. This year’s award was about $11,000 less than last year’s.
Despite the reductions, however, “whatever we do get is very much appreciated,” he said.
McTiernan said all housing authorities are required to have residential advisory boards, which allow residents of the public housing units “to have a say” in the capital-improvement planning.
“This is the residents’ input to the process,” McTiernan said, noting that the authorities each year develop a five-year plan.
“We’re trying to move work items” up the list, he said, noting the projects funded in this cycle were added to the list some time back — and “a lot of time this year was spent planning for five years from now.”
Annual inspections help authority personnel determine the physical needs of each of the properties.
The Ilion and St. Johnsville Authorities’ advisory boards met with residents three times throughout the year, McTiernan said.
A portion of $192,754 in capital improvement funds awarded to the Ilion Housing Authority by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last week will go toward parking lot and sidewalk repairs there.
That’s according to Jeffrey McTiernan, executive director of the Ilion authority, who on Tuesday said the annual funding award from HUD’s Capital Fund Program will also be used for exterior door and interior closet door replacements as well as bathtub resurfacing and bathroom flooring replacements at some of the authority’s 158 public housing units.
Additionally, the money will be used for the changing-out of exterior lights with energy-efficient lighting at a couple of the authority’s three public housing campuses: London Towers at 100 West Main Street, Remington Park on Cottage Street and Ilion Heights on Vosburg Street.
“We’re trying to minimize our energy footprint,” he said, noting authority officials’ overarching goal is to find the best way to leverage their capital dollars. They want to get products with longer life-cycles at reasonable prices.
The funding amount was announced late last week by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who said a pool of $326 million was awarded to hundreds of public housing authorities across the nation.
Also receiving local distributions were the St. Johnsville Housing Authority, of which McTiernan is also executive director, and the Herkimer Housing Authority.
The St. Johnsville authority was awarded $55,821.
The Herkimer authority will receive $197,633.
As noted in a July 14 news release from the federal agency, the funding is provided to all public housing authorities on an annual basis to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. The money is strictly for major capital projects or improvements.
McTiernan said an operating subsidy from HUD and rent revenue from tenants are used for day-to-day operations and routine maintenance of the housing facilities.
He said the lion’s share of the St. Johnsville authority’s capital improvement funds will go toward parking lot and sidewalk repairs at the St. Johnsville Housing Authority.
It will also pay for tub resurfacing and bathroom floor replacements in some of the Old Meadow Gardens’ 42 public housing units, he said.
There are nine residential buildings on the campus of the Old Meadow Road facility.
“By the time we get done, that’ll probably be the whole allotment,” said McTiernan.
Herkimer Housing Authority Executive Director Richard Dowe on Monday said there are 3,200 housing authorities in existence across the country.
Dowe said the Herkimer Authority will use the money for the upgrading and remodeling of interiors and exteriors at each of the authority’s three properties: Mid-Town Apartments on Prospect Street, which has 75 units; and Eastern Gardens on Harter Street and Creekside Court on Protection Avenue, both of which have 50 units each.
Specifically, Dowe said some of the money will be used for the demolition of a retaining wall at the rear of the North Prospect Street apartment complex and the construction of a walkway that will connect upper and lower patios for the residents’ enjoyment.
Additionally, the money will be used for extensive landscaping and replacement of trees and flower beds at all three sites as well as the cyclical painting of units.
Every unit at each of the authority’s three properties is painted on a cyclical basis, Dowe said.
As in St. Johnsville and Ilion, Dowe said the Herkimer authority will use the money for parking lot paving and striping and some sidewalk replacement on all three campuses.
Dowe said each authority has to obligate the money in two years and spend it in four. Across the board, HUD awards for capital improvements were reduced from prior years because of reductions in federal spending.
For example, McTiernan said the St. Johnsville authority in 2010 received $67,184 for capital improvements. This year’s award was about $11,000 less than last year’s.
Despite the reductions, however, “whatever we do get is very much appreciated,” he said.
McTiernan said all housing authorities are required to have residential advisory boards, which allow residents of the public housing units “to have a say” in the capital-improvement planning.
“This is the residents’ input to the process,” McTiernan said, noting that the authorities each year develop a five-year plan.
“We’re trying to move work items” up the list, he said, noting the projects funded in this cycle were added to the list some time back — and “a lot of time this year was spent planning for five years from now.”
Annual inspections help authority personnel determine the physical needs of each of the properties.
The Ilion and St. Johnsville Authorities’ advisory boards met with residents three times throughout the year, McTiernan said.
