Page 2 / January 2003 Owners Update

TMHA 2002 Initiatives and Activities

Clay Village Apartments – On December 9, 2002 TMHA’s side by side
non-profit entity Tuscarawas Affordable Housing Services Corp. acquired
Clay Village Apartments in Uhrichsville. The non-profit has taken over the
Rural Development low interest loan on the property. Tuscarawas MHA will
manage Clay for the non-profit owner. With the purchase of Clay Village,
the housing authority and the non-profit help to preserve and maintain this
housing for low income families.
During 2002, the housing authority has been maintaining its “baseline”
maximum number of units that can be put under lease with available funds. This action has the effect of maximizing the amount of funding mad available to our local area, while not exceeding the leasing limits given to us by HUD. The housing authority maintains a waiting list of approximately 250 families waiting for housing assistance.
In the spring of 2002, TMHA completed a construction project to upgrade the
TMHA administrative office to ADA standards by installing a wheelchair lift
and re-doing the front entry ramp. Funds for this project come from the Tuscarawas Co. Community Development Block Program and TMHA administrative reserve funds.
Another construction project to the administrative office is due to begin
soon to add a conference room and increase the number of available offices. This project is being funded through a low-interest Rural Development Community Facilities loan.
In 2002, TMHA launched a web site for our tenant families, program owners, and the general tax paying public. Visit us on the web at www.tuscarawasmha.org and find information about our people and programs.

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

Family Self Sufficiency is a work incentive program for our Section 8 clients, to assist them in attaining life sustaining employment, with a goal of leaving assistance and achieving home ownership. Through their employment efforts, clients can amass an “escrow account” that becomes a nest egg to help them establish themselves when they successfully complete the program and leave assistance.

FSS Statistics of Note

38 families are currently enrolled in FSS
24 current FSS participants have escrow accounts with a combined value of $82,551
147 families have left participation in the FSS program since inception in
1993
$165,818 in Escrow has been paid out to graduating FSS participants
4 FSS participants have won $500 OHAC scholarships
48 families have successfully completed their FSS Contract of Participation
12 participants are currently enrolled in GED, college, or vocational
training programs
33 FSS families have completed their FSS Contracts of Participation since
October 21st, 1998 which reduces TMHA’s required FSS program size from 76 participants to 43 participants according to the requirements of the 1998 QHWRA legislation.
16 participants are currently working in paid employment