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Public housing caught in neighborhood cross-fire
(by Joan Demirjian - September 11, 2008)
Public housing caught in neighborhood cross-fire
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Chagrin Falls Park residents in Bainbridge have sent letters to the Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority asking for help with issues they said involve the agency's apartment units.
About 30 letters were sent to GMHA, according to DeAnna Tenney, director of the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center.
One of the problems has involved people from out of the area staying with tenant families but without permission from GMHA, she said. Some of those people are causing problems within the community, Mrs. Tenney said. Overall safety is an issue, and the community advisory council's goal is to develop a safe and secure community, she said.
"We lose our peaceful environment. And GMHA is not communicating with this neighborhood," Mrs. Tenney said. "We just want a line of communication."
Representatives of the Park are hoping to meet with Bainbridge Township Trustees to discuss safety issues, she said.
Former Bainbridge Trustee Samuel Desiderio, who is active in Park concerns, said, "I'm sure a good job of screening is done by GMHA of individuals before renting an apartment. The problem arises when some of those tenants invite friends or relatives to stay with them. They would not pass the GMHA screening process."
Melvyn Kirschnick, director of GMHA, said the agency has evicted one family. "It's difficult to tag people not on the lease," he said. In the one case, police followed some young people to the unit and found marijuana, he said. "We knew people other than tenants were in the unit." They eventually were evicted, he said.
The agency had an on-site manager for the apartment units in the Park. "But she wasn't welcome in the community," Mr. Kirschnick said. "People would not report their problems to her. It was not a good experience for us."
He said GMHA also is having a problem in renting apartments. Four are vacant, even though they have been renovated, he said.
He does not believe the tenants of the apartments are causing the problems, Mr. Kirschnick said. "We witness a lot there, and it's not our people. There are suspected drug deals in the streets."
In regard to the letters sent by Park residents to GMHA, Mr. Kirschnick said they were reviewed by GMHA and sent to the agency's attorney.
Although there were many, Mr. Kirschnick said, "Due to the fact they were form letters, they lacked the information required to proceed with any additional actions." The form letters also included comments written in by residents.
In order for GMHA to proceed with lease violations or terminations of tenancy, letters must describe events as specifically and with as much detail, as possible, Mr. Kirschnick said. Names and addresses of individuals, dates, times and any police reports substantiating alleged incidents are needed to take any action, he said.
If GMHA receives enough verifiable information, it would proceed to resolve the situation, he said. "In some cases that may mean issuing termination-of-tenancy notices." But while GMHA may issue a termination notice, the tenant still has the right to an informal and formal hearing before termination can proceed to court, Mr. Kirschnick said. Then it is the judge's decision, he said.
He wrote in a letter to Mrs. Tenney that GMHA "will make every effort to work with you and the community, as we are able."
Mrs. Tenney said other issues not related to GMHA need to be addressed as well.
The community center's new advisory council is working on safety goals so that residents feel supported and comfortable, she said.
"Our roads get a lot of traffic, and we want to plan for sidewalks," Mrs. Tenney said. Woodland Avenue receives a lot of foot traffic, with residents walking back and forth, especially in the afternoon, she said. "We need to look at whether it would be a good investment."
There are also buildings in the community that are vacant and deteriorated that need to come down, and they will work on getting those removed, she said.
About 130 families live in the Park.
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