MILWAUKEE - November 10, 2013, MPA LLC Consumer Protection Group of Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC is in the process of review of Milwaukee Section 8 Voucher Housing, WHEDA funded properties, Rent Assisted housing, senior assisted and family housing funded by federal awards.
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM)
Mission
The Housing Authority will provide decent/quality, safe and
affordable housing with transition options for those who desire them.
“Transition option” is defined as the opportunity for residents to
self-determine their interest in, and have access to, housing options that
support long-term self-sufficiency.
· --Lease, maintain, and improve public housing units
· --Issue and renew rent assistance certificates and
vouchers
· --Inspect privately-owned housing units for rent
assistance contracts
The Housing Authority has developed a number of award-winning programs that focus on the development of healthy communities, which provide safe environments for families and their children. It measures the impact of its programs by looking at changes in property values, educational levels and income. The budget reflects five major initiatives: 1) economic self-sufficiency initiatives, 2) home ownership, 3) public safety, 4) health care services, and 5)physical improvements to ensure the long-term viability of city housing.
A Look @ HACM
Over the last year, concerns and issues of safety, health, amenities, unfair treatments, mice and insect abatement, oversight, roles and responsibilities have gone to Mayor Tom Barrett, Common Council President Willie Hines, City of Milwaukee Housing Authority Board - Commissioners Michael Van Alstine, Sherri Daniels, Lena Mitchell, Filiberto Murguia and James Witkowiak, the office of Executive Director/Secretary Antonio Perez, Milwaukee HUD office with John Finger, Program Coordinator and Caleb Kopczyk, Public Housing Revitalization Specialist, regional HUD office with Director Antonio Riley, WHEDA's Executive Director Wyman Winston, and Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones and Secretary Shaun Donovan.
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| Mayor, City of Milwaukee Housing Authority Commissioners, Executive Director Milwaukee Housing Authority, HUD & WHEDA Administration Staff TOP L-R, Shaun Donovan, Maurice Jones, Antonio Riley, Caleb Kopczyk. Middle L-R, Tom Barrett, Willie Hines, Michael Van Alstine, Sherri Daniels Bottom L-R, Wyman Winston, Lena Mitchell, Mark Wagner, Filiberto Murguia, James Witkowiak and Antonio Perez John Finger (not pictured) |
There seem to be a culture/climate that supports, "we do what we want to", "we do not respond to inquires"; and, "we are too big for scrutiny". We disagree.
Areas of Concern
The city of Milwaukee Housing Authority is granted large sums of federal funds to provide housing that is safe and affordable to the public. We feel that for the most part the funding provides modern dwellings. The acquired land and contracting with private companies bring into focus additional rules and regulations for to ensure that the client and landlord (city or private) have guidelines that ensure that the funding is maximized and many-after-many needed families can receive code-acceptable housing and are not in harm's way. This includes sharing rules and regulations that are fair, understood and enforced so that all parties are accountable for the People's funds.
We are concerned about cronyism of those who are able to get contracts and are given special privileges using City of Milwaukee website and special funding organizations.
We are concerned about the lack of training of all involved, enforcement of rules and regulations, level of need-to-know knowledge and training of oversight board and committees, HUD and WHEDA enforcing oversight regulations, HUD and WHEDA engaged to see that wrongdoing is not after-the-fact (year or years), that monitoring representatives are forthcoming every quarter (4 quarters per year) to the public and oversight bodies.
We are concerned about the lack of training of all involved, enforcement of rules and regulations, level of need-to-know knowledge and training of oversight board and committees, HUD and WHEDA enforcing oversight regulations, HUD and WHEDA engaged to see that wrongdoing is not after-the-fact (year or years), that monitoring representatives are forthcoming every quarter (4 quarters per year) to the public and oversight bodies.
We are concerned about WHEDA funding to private companies that fail to train staff, staff lack of customer service and appearances of discrimination of Section 8 Housing tenants. We are concerned about staff members lacking in training and updates for roles given. We are concerned that the head staff person, Executive Director - Secretary Antonio Perez, refuses to provide courtesy response (s) and expected response (s) to inquiries as a public servant employee.
We are most concerned when Secretary Perez fellow staff member sign written documents on his behalf.
We are concerned that the Chairman of Housing Authority of Milwaukee/ Alderman/Common Council President Willie Hines fails to be forthcoming with oversight and his failure to respond to safety and health concerns to his constituents as an Alderman in the 15th District.
We are concerned that Alderman Willie Hines wears 4 (alderman, common council president, appointed member of board and chairman of board) hats in the administration and operation of the City of Milwaukee Housing Authority.
We are concerned that Alderman Willie Hines wears 4 (alderman, common council president, appointed member of board and chairman of board) hats in the administration and operation of the City of Milwaukee Housing Authority.
We are concerned when the above do not do their job and Mayor Tom Barrett fails to represent his office as the CEO and who appoints the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee Board of Commissioners for the City of Milwaukee.
We are concerned that the members of the Housing Authority of Milwaukee appear to not be knowledgeable of their roles and responsibility, fail to implement HUD rules; and, most of members do not have email addresses as well as telephone numbers for contact.
Additional Concerns
There are issues of quality assurance, risk management, protocol, client intimidation, client retaliation by city staff, private landlord and private staff of landlord, city staff and private landlord misuse of power, city staff and private landlord failure to follow best practices, failure to ensure that customers are in safe properties owned by the city and owned by landlords doing business with the city of Milwaukee, landlord failure to act, landlord failure to pass required property inspection but given a pass for years, rodent abatement and health/safety repairs going unmonitored, and failure of response by chain of command in city-state-region-national government representatives for use and dissemination of federal funds.
Our investigation is now over a year old. We are receiving more and more complaints.
Accountability
MPA LLC Consumer Protection Group is Milwaukee-based. We work on behalf of residential and commercial consumers. We seek organizational partnership. Our Reporting during our investigation is to oversight committees in Congress, partnering groups as well as media reports to the public.
Our investigation is now over a year old. We are receiving more and more complaints.
Accountability
MPA LLC Consumer Protection Group is Milwaukee-based. We work on behalf of residential and commercial consumers. We seek organizational partnership. Our Reporting during our investigation is to oversight committees in Congress, partnering groups as well as media reports to the public.
We are quite concern about the lack of response on ALL levels and the stench of cover-up and lackadaisical manner in which one particular case has been handle for well over a year. MPA LLC reform includes steps for inform-reform-oversight-reporting and legal address for better/best Affordable Housing and quality of life.
Just as the recent public exposure and critique that has come and is coming now from members of Congress, the Internal Revenue Services/IRS and now Health and Human Services/HHS, it is evident that Housing and Urban Development/HUD is in need of an appearance before financial and oversight committees for house cleaning that deals with practices that affect TRUST with the public, quality services promised the public and most of all providing needed public affordable housing for those the Section 8 Voucher, WHEDA and Rent Assistance recipient without imposed duress.
We have added Reporting to the Public Square as a service so behaviors/Code of Conduct are known and that we can outreach for service to others with similar and same issues; as well as, to findout about things that are going A-OK.
Law update
Wisconsin state statute has an update schedule for immediate release that deals with Landlord Tenant 704. It is 704.45.
...a landlord in a residential tenancy may not increase rent, decrease services, bring an action for possession of the premises, refuse to renew a lease or threaten any of the foregoing, if there is a preponderance of evidence that the action or inaction would not occur but for the landlord's retaliation against the tenant for ... making a good faith complaint about a defect in the premises ... complaining to the landlord about a violation of s. 704.07 or a local housing code ... exercising a legal right relating to residential tenancies.
from Wisconsin Statute 704.45,
Stay tuned.
"Retaliatory Conduct Prohibited"
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SURVEY
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