Housing authority prepares for budget changes

The Sidney Housing Authority held its monthly meeting on site.

While they sat at Western Heritage Apartments, they board discussed both that complex and Sioux Village.

The net worth of Western Heritage has increased, but the city spent $46,000 for hail damage repairs and painting. Continued renovation projects are part of the next year's budget, as well.

In addition, tenents compound repair problems by not following proper form in turning in work orders. The board frowns on the hiring of outside contractors to perform routine repairs that their maintenance department should be completing. Yet some tenants that attended expressed their frustrations at the lack of response when they do call the office in Scottsbluff to report issues. They complained to the housing board that they felt the office may not care about their needs.

The Sidney Housing Authority contracted the Housing Authority of Scotts Bluff County to help with the operations of Western Heritage and Sioux Village apartments. Nancy Bentley from the Housing Authority of Scotts Bluff County said that she will be looking into the allegations.

“There is always a possible communications problem when working with the public, but it is something that I want to follow up on to see if there is a problem,” she said. “This is always important to us to have an accuracy tracking system on work orders, for lots of reasons. We maintain the property in good conditions making sure tenants are being serviced quickly courteously. That those requests are logged properly that they are treated with respect and then to make sure maintenance is capable of following up.”

In anticipation of Housing and Urban Development cutback discussions, the board also addressed the possibility of reducing rent subsidies by 5 percent. Finding reductions in next year's budget would, conceivably, put the Sidney body at an advantage should Congress vote in favor of cuts.

“HUD is talking about reducing the subsidy,” board member Scott McDaniel reported. “Because of sequestration cutting everything across the board, what I was suggesting is to be conservative so we don’t have to react later to a reduction in the budget. So if Congress comes around saying 'no' to the cuts then we don’t have to worry about it. Otherwise we would have to scramble in January and February because we are getting less money.”

The uncertainty of the situation caused some debate. Many board members hope they are not forced to cut back.

“Lets plan on it happening now, and if it doesn’t happen then great,” McDaniel said. “It will reduce income for the year for Western Heritage.”

He assured those in attendance that, should rental assistance drop, the city would not ask tenants to make up the difference.

“Obviously you have to cut somewhere and there are fewer things you can do,” he pointed out. “But I don’t know the impact without looking at our budget and seeing where we stand. That is why I asked we postpone the vote until September. Something I really would like to study.”

Any reduction ordered from HUD would take effect in 2014. The housing authority budget is set and takes effect in October.

The Sidney Housing Authority is a volunteer based board ,with appointments being made by the Sidney City Council.

“One of the main thing as commissioners we are reminded, and remind the tenants, that we are the policy makers,” board member Tamara Nelson said. “We’re not management, we’re not the ones who make sure that policies are followed.”

HUD offers training to the staff and contract staff for programs that HUD requires for rent subsidies and accounting.

“This is project based HUD housing, so we do go to special training,” Bentley explained. We have specialized software, programs for the rent, how the rent is figured into budgets so we send staff to those.”

Training is budgeted through the housing authority.

Sidney Housing Authority board meetings are held every third Thursday of the month at Western Heritage Apartments.