The Newberg Graphic Online

County sells low-rent housing units, moves tenants out

Affordable housing — Finding a new home is a difficult task for some after HAYC begins liquidating low-income units

• By: Amanda Newman  
• Published: 11/4/2009 11:06:43 AM

   It might not be a seller’s market in real estate right now, but the Housing Authority of Yamhill County is pleased to be selling its houses — in fact, the agency looks at it as an opportunity.
   Two years after deciding to sell its low-rent public housing units, HAYC is well on its way. And while moving scores of families from their homes and putting them up for sale sounds like a daunting task, it has proceeded fairly smoothly.
   HAYC owned 70 low-rent public housing units, including 12 single-family homes and 58 duplexes in Newberg and McMinnville, when, in 2007, they decided to sell. The program saw continuing reduction in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the units were expensive to maintain — not a great combination, explained Cliff Hardy, HAYC housing supervisor.
   When they learned HUD was allowing agencies to apply to sell their units and use the proceeds, “We realized it would be time to look into this opportunity,” he said. “Funding from HUD was slowly dwindling down and we had an opportunity to (sell) and take that money and funnel it back into affordable housing.”
   In February 2007, the Housing Board of Commissioners applied to HUD to release the units. The next month, HAYC sent a letter to its tenants informing them of the agency’s intent to sell and held public meetings with the tenants to discuss the issue.
   “We started the (notification) process early on so everyone knew what was going on,” Hardy said.
   In May 2007, the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution authorizing the sales. In March 2008, HUD approved the request. But HAYC wasn’t about to leave its tenants out in the cold. After hearing of HUD’s decision, the agency applied for a number of Section 8 vouchers to continue to provide housing; they were awarded 40.
   Although 70 households can’t easily share 40 vouchers, Hardy pointed out, there was no problem: some people went off the program and others found ways to purchase the homes they were living in. When all was said and done, the 40 vouchers were sufficient, he said.
   HAYC sent another notification to tenants, explaining the process and giving them the option to purchase the homes they were in, if they could. On July 1, 2008, they stopped reoccupying units that went vacant and began selling.
   Since then, the agency has sold nine duplexes and seven single-family houses — three went to tenants. An additional eight houses are pending. HAYC has assisted 23 families in finding alternative housing, mostly through their Section 8 vouchers.
   But for some, like Darrell Gadberry Jr., finding a new place to live is not so easy. The Newberg man lives in a HAYC duplex and has been told he has to move out. For a quadriplegic — Gadberry broke his neck in a car accident 16 years ago — that’s no simple task.
   “It makes it difficult for me, because I don’t get out much,” Gadberry said. He explained that he received a housing voucher from HAYC, but has had trouble finding a place. He needs three bedrooms (he has children and a grandson living with him), and he needs a ramp.
   That rules out most houses available for rent. If there isn’t one existing, “it would be a little difficult getting a ramp up to your front door,” he said. Still, he doesn’t blame HAYC for moving him out: “I don’t want to give them (any) hassle, because they’ve been so good to me for 15 years,” Gadberry said.
   Hardy said he couldn’t disclose information about specific tenants, but his agency is giving extra help to tenants with disabilities. “We do have staff going above and beyond on that,” he said.

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