Housing authority approves flat-rate for rent
The Fayette County Housing Authority approved the flat-rate rent for some tenants to be in compliance with the federal government.
On Thursday, the authority’s board of directors unanimously voted to approve the new flat-rent schedule through the 2014 Appropriations Act, which requires rents to be no less than 80 percent of the fair market rent established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Board members Beverly Beal and Kerri Baker were absent from Thursday’s meeting.
Mark Yauger, the authority’s executive director, said the authority had three years to bring those residents to the 80 percent rate.
Yauger said while there are many different variables of rent for units, an example would be if a one-bedroom unit has a fair-market rent of $653 a month, the renter would have to pay $526 per month to meet the 80 percent requirement.
However, Yauger said, very few tenant chose to pay the flat rent because renters have an option to either go with the flat rent or pay 30 percent of their income for rent.
The 30 percent option won’t change and neither will the minimum rent of $50 per month for those who have no income coming in.
Yauger said the fair market rent will fluctuate year to year, but he doesn’t expect it to be more than a few percent.
The new rent schedule will go into effect Nov. 1.
In other business, the board received an update on the White Swan Apartments renovation project on West Main Street in Uniontown.
Yauger said the project will include making the apartments larger, upgrading the utilities, making the building handicapped accessible and a little bit of historic renovation to the front of the 90-year-old building.
Currently, the authority is awaiting approval for their demolition disposition application. They hope to start the project in January or February and complete it by mid-2018.
The financing plan includes $13 million in tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
Lora Beth DiDominic, the authority’s director of admissions and continued occupancy, said the authority met with all the tenants in April to inform them of the project. Tenants have the option to be relocated to their choice of three other buildings and will receive a Section 8 voucher to help with their rent.
DiDominic said 17 of the 76 tenants at the building have already moved out.
Because the renovation will reduce the number of apartments from the current 78 to 47, only people 62 and older will be allowed to live in the updated building. People 50 and older are currently allowed to live in the building.
Yauger informed the board the authority is on track with the project and said if construction bids come in by December, they will have a special meeting to open and award bids.
The next meeting of the Fayette County Housing Authority is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 10.