Central Falls Housing Authority
ANNUAL REPORT
October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010
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progress has been and will continue to be made as we move forward.
{ Mission Statement }
The mission of the Central Falls Housing Authority is to provide safe, decent and affordable housing and to establish programs that will educate, enhance and empower the lives of all the people in the community we serve.
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{ Message from the Top } Tina-Marie Sullivan - Executive Director I am pleased to share the Central Falls Housing Authority’s annual report. Through the visionary leadership and support of the Board of Commissioners, the Authority management, staff and our community partners, we have made great strides toward transforming the Authority and in meeting the needs of the residents, program participants and our community. The 2009-2010 fiscal years were successful for the Authority as we were focused on a number of key initiatives and policy objectives. These objectives included being designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a “High Performer” for its Public Housing Program as well as it’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Through these efforts we continue to strive as we work to transform housing in the City of Central Falls. With the valued support provided by our stakeholders and employees, and by our supporters across the country, we will continue to work toward a future where every person in Central Falls has safe, decent and affordable housing.
Julio Castillo - Chairman Central Falls Housing - Board of Commissioners During this past year, The Central Falls Housing Authority has continued to face many challenges. The unsettled political climate in our city as well as the ongoing economic crisis throughout the state continue to have a major impact on our day to day operations. Nonetheless, progress has been and will continue to be made as we move forward. With the addition of key staff members the year, Executive Director, Mrs. Tina Sullivan, with the support of The Board of Commissioners, has positioned the Central Falls Housing Authority to make this our greatest year. The dedication of our staff and the commitment of our Commissioners have made the difference. I would like to thank Commissioners Alice Bociek, Gladys Burns, Charles Coelho, and Cornelius Flynn for their dedicated service. I would also like to thank Mayor Moreau, the City Council, Police Colonel Moran, and the entire City Administration for their continued support of the Housing Authority. The upcoming year will be full of challenges and many opportunities. One very exciting change may be our transition to a Smoke Free Housing Authority. This will improve the safety and health of our residents while keeping the Authority in line with the direction HUD is going in. Let us remember that if we continue to work as a team, we will succeed in bringing our proud city back from these trying times.
Board of Commissioners â–ş Julio Castillo, Chairman Gladys Burns, Vice Chairperson Neil Flynn, Commissioner Charles Coelho, Commissioner Alice Bociek, Commissioner
 
Commissioners serve as the governing officers of a public-corporate entity, one which functions as developer and landlord of local low-income housing programs. There are five members on the Authority Board.
{ Financial Impact } The following financial reports shown below reflect the financial condition of the Central Falls Housing Authority for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010. Central Falls Housing Authority Local Economic Impact - 9/30/10 City of Central Falls PILOT $ 74,902 Payroll and Benefits $ 1,425,478 Supplies and Services $ 1,699,525 Utilities (Water, Sewer, Electric & Gas) $ 523,696 HA Payments to Property Owners $ 4,179,173 Central Falls Housing Authority Statement of Operations - 9/30/10 Total Revenue $ 8,307,465 Total Operating Expenses $ 6,860,175 Net Operating Income $ 1,447,290 Depreciation $ 582,365 Net Income $ 864,925 Central Falls Housing Authority Statement of Assets, Liabilities & Equity - 9/30/10 Total Assets Total Liabilities Total Equity (Net Assets) Total Liability & Equity
$ 11,088,157 $ 1,150,273 $ t9,937,884 $ 11,088,157
{ Public Housing }  
The Central Falls Housing Authority is a public agency that provides subsidized housing to low and moderate income individuals and families. In addition to conventional public housing within the City of Central Falls, the Authority administers rental assistance programs such as the Section 8 program. The Authority receives federal and state assistance in order to operate these programs and, as such, is governed by any applicable housing regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Authority owns and manages 327 units Public Housing in two housing developments: - Forand Housing Development 202 Units - Wilfrid Housing Development 125 Units
{ Public Housing Demographics } Public Housing Leasing Rate of 98% for the 2010 fiscal year. FORAND MANOR COMMUNITY Income Levels# of Households Extreme Low Income • Very Low Income • Low Income •
186 40 14
Resident Ages # of Residents 21 • 50-61 58 • 62> 194 • <50
Ethnicity # of Households • Non-Hispanic • Hispanic
180 93
Head of Household by Gender # of Households • Female 170 • Male 103
WILFRID MANOR COMMUNITY Income Levels# of Households Low Income 84 • Very Low Income 37 • Low Income 12 Resident Ages # of Residents • <50 7 • 50-61 20 • 62 > 119 Ethnicity # of Households • Non-Hispanic 121 • Hispanic 25 Head of Household by Gender # of Households • Female 104 • Male 42 • Extreme
{ Leased Housing } The Central Falls Housing Authority operates a Section 8 Low-Income Rental Assistance Program, which is intended to help families afford safe, decent and sanitary rental housing from private landlords. Eligible families are given a Voucher, which can be used to rent a house or an apartment from a participating landlord. Under the Voucher Program, the tenant will pay at least 30% and no more than 40% of their adjusted gross monthly income in rent at initial lease-up. The Authority pays the remainder of the negotiated rent directly to the Landlord under a Housing Assistance Payments Contract. Housing Choice Voucher Program: Annual Budget Annual Budget Percentage of Funds Utilized Annual Leasing Rate Year to Date Average Housing Assistance Payments
$4,312,486 95.69% 91.80% $677.39
Designated Vouchers Families Under Contract in Central Falls Under Contract in other Communities Administered for other Authorities
553 525 480 44 11
{ Family Self-Sufficiency } The objective of the FSS Program is to reduce dependency of low-income families on welfare assistance and Section 8, public housing assistance, or any Federal, State or local rent or homeownership subsidies. Under the FSS program, low-income families are provided opportunities for education, job training, counseling and other forms of social service assistance while living in assisted housing, so that they may obtain the education, employment and social skills necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. The Authority measures the success of a local FSS program not only by the number of families who achieve self-sufficiency, but also by the number of families who, as a result of participation in the program, have family members who obtain their first job or who obtain higher paying jobs; no
longer need benefits received under one or more welfare programs; obtain a high school diploma or a higher education degree; or accomplish similar goals that will assist the family in obtaining economic independence. FSS participants work closely with the FSS coordinator who helps connect them with resources they need to break through the societal and individual barriers facing them. While enrolled in the FSS Program the participants are monitored to ensure that they are meeting their goals as outlined in their five year FSS contract. The FSS Coordinator offers guidance and support to encourage participation in job training programs, ESL, GED, and secondary education as well as counseling and money management which will assist in attaining the employment and social skills necessary to achieve self-sufficiency.
{ Successful FSS Participants}
{ Resident Services } The Resident Service program was established by funding provided by the 2007 HUD ROSS (Resident Opportunity Self-Sufficiency) grant for elderly and disabled residents of Central Falls Housing Authority. The program employs one full time Resident Service Coordinator. The RSC is available and has offices in both Forand and Wilfrid Manors. The goal of resident services is to provide an assessment of individual needs, provide referrals for services needed and ensure that services are provided in order for residents to remain in their homes as long as possible without needing a higher level of care, allowing them to age in place with dignity. The Resident Services Department of the Central Falls Housing Authority introduces and links residents with a range of programs and services which help provide stability, strengthen individual and family functioning and offer opportunities to increase and maximize individual potential. This department also strives to enhance the quality of life, to further independence, to improve upward mobility into the broader community, and to empower the lives of all we serve. Resident Services also works with many organizations and agencies within the local community and statewide. The following are agencies that have partnered with CFHA over the past fiscal year in order to better service our community: Central Falls Police Department Central Falls Fire Department Ralph J. Holden Community Center Blackstone Health Inc. East Bay Community Action Program Blackstone Valley Community Action Program Department of Elderly Affairs Genesis Healthcare Bayada Nurses of RI Generations Adult Day Health Center Activities/Outreach- Resident Services has worked with above mentioned agencies in continuously providing services and activities to the residents of CFHA. CFHA has sponsored Boston Red Sox Day with the Boston Red Sox game on big screen TVs and had cookouts for each building. The office of the Attorney General presented to residents the most up to date information regarding identity theft, fraud and scams. “Generations Adult Day Health Center” provided information regarding services and activities provided by the health care center. “Bayada Nurses of Rhode Island” have provided the CFHA with a registered nurse to be on site for both Forand and Wilfrid Manors twice a week for two hours in each building. The nurse’s hours provide residents the opportunity to have their blood pressure monitored as well as been seen by a medical professional to triage their needs before contacting their doctor or calling 911. There have been flu clinics at the beginning of each flu season in each building, flu shots were provided by “Memorial Hospital of Pawtucket” and “Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI” also provided a flu clinic for uninsured residents.
Community Service / Resident services has afforded a number of residents the opportunity to complete community service hours within the CFHA, and not requiring them to leave the building. This has been a positive experience, as it promotes a more neighborly feeling among residents as they are helping each other. In addition to residents that have volunteered their time, local schools have allowed students to complete community service hours; these students have assisted with outreach and activities while visiting and socializing the residents of CFHA. Number of Individuals Served: The following report shows those served from January 2010 through October 2010: TOTAL RESIDENTS SERVICES Residents Served (unduplicated) 80 Resident Contacts (duplicated) 364 Total Services Delivered 576
{ Award of Merit } The Central Falls Housing Authority is pleased to announce it received an award for its “Wii Bowl for Fitness” program from the following agencies: - -
National Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) New England Regional Council of NAHRO
This program was designed to help elderly/disabled residents increase socialization and fitness. The “Wii Bowl for Fitness” program helps provide a socialization outlet and fitness program to keep residents active and maintaining their strength.
{ Our Community }
{ Maintenance Update } The Maintenance Department’s mission is to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing to the Central Falls Housing Authority by responding to all emergency work orders within 24 hours and completing all routine work orders in 48 hours. The Maintenance Department’s commitment is to focus on the made-ready time of units and effectively communicate with other departments to keep the turnaround time to less than 15 days. We continue to control and track maintenance turnaround time using several management reports, making each site accountable for performance and improvement.
Our departmental goal is to maintain our “A” rating from HUD.
{ Modernization } During the prior 2009-2010 fiscal year, the Authority was pleased to develop and oversee the following capital improvement activities at its housing developments: Replace and Upgrade Authority Generators
$698,000.00
The Central Falls Housing Authority (CFHA) partnered with Red Cross, and the Central Falls Fire Department for the safety of the residences and the community. This partnership is trusted to help save lives, be there in times of disaster and increase personal safety and security. The design included (1) large new external emergency generator for Forand Manor and (1) at Wilfrid Manor. The design for larger capacity emergency generators and switchgear allowed for the powering of the existing life/safety loads, the entire first floor level of each building, including Laundry Rooms and Community Kitchen, all elevators, and selected interior and exterior lighting. Becoming the emergency shelter, the CFHA will be recognized by the American Red Cross. The kitchen sites will provide nutritious meals and provide electricity to those individuals with medical and priority needs on site without requiring evacuation. Upgrade the Authority Boiler System Exterior Building Caulking and Sealing
$219,895.00 $519,039.00
On February 25, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocated almost 75 percent of the $13.61 billion available to it under the stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) created new sources of funding for public housing in the United States. With the funds awarded to the CFHA, the Authority was able to the sealing and caulking of its exterior building.
{ Meet the Staff }
{ Meet the Staff }
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we continue to strive as we work to transform housing in the City of Central Falls.
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30 Washington Street Central Falls, RI 02863-2842 (401) 727-9090 www.cfhousing.org