New federal rules threat housing rehab program
A new requirement by the federal Housing and Urban Development department will translate into fewer houses being repaired annually by the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority. Because of what authority executive director Raymond C. Polaski called an “unfunded mandate,” the authority must now meet lead-based paint assessment and removal requirements when rehabilitating houses with federal funds.
“We were told to do it but not given any extra money,” Polaski said.
Because lead-based paints were produced until 1978, and most of the homes in the county were built before 1978, “lead paint in houses in Fayette County is everywhere,” Polaski said.
Polaski said currently the maximum loan amount for eligible low-income participants is $15,000. However, he said the average amount that is spent on each home is $12,000. At his request, the authority voted to amend the housing rehabilitation program to increase the maximum loan amount from $15,000 to $22,500, to allow for extra work to test for and remove the lead-based paint.
Polaski said staying in the housing rehab business is not an easy proposition to deal with. But he said the options are to either deal with the requirements or drop rehabilitation and put the money toward new construction.
Rehabilitation director Karen Miller said she would hate to see the county get out of rehab.
“I have a lot of little old ladies that need furnaces,” she said. Miller said the company Environmental Resource Management of Pittsburgh is qualified to do the lead-paint tests and extraction and said seven local contractors have received certification from ERM.
Miller said the waiting list for rehab houses, which stood at 1,465 Wednesday morning, would take years to get through. Although the authority will be able to rehab fewer houses, Miller said they should stay in the rehabilitation business.
Miller said about 60 homes are done a year. She said she has seen homes without electricity and homes where children are putting their feet in the oven to keep warm.
“It’s sad. We need more money,” she said.
Polaski said with the new regulations, the decision to remain in the rehab business will make it difficult if not close to impossible.
“This is no longer going out and pounding nails,” he said. Polaski said other communities have chosen to eliminate rehab and Fayette County may do so in the future. He added that if the work cannot be done in five days and the family doesn’t have use of all the facilities in the home, they have to be relocated.
In other business at its monthly meeting Tuesday, the authority voted to hire Thomas E. Baxter as community development specialist at an annual salary of $26,552. Polaski said 44 applications were received for the position and six interviews were conducted.
Polaski said Baxter was an intern in the authority office in 2001 and part of 2002. He said he received both a bachelor and master’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the American Planning Association.
“He has done a real good job as an intern,” Polaski said.
The authority took action that will bring sanitary sewer lines to more than 300 families in the Smock Hill and Smock areas. Polaski said the area has needed sewer access. He said the project, which includes lines and a new sewage treatment plant, represents a cooperative effort between Menallen and Franklin townships.
The authority awarded the $492,000 contract for the project in Smock Hill to D.T. Construction of Dunbar. It was the lowest of six bids submitted for the project.