[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 83 (Thursday, June 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1109-E1110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             A NEW DIRECTION AT ST. LOUIS HOUSING AUTHORITY

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                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 14, 2001

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to share 
some very happy news about the St. Louis Housing Authority. Just two 
short years ago, the St. Louis Housing Authority had the distinction of 
holding the worst federal ranking--14.25 out of 100--of any big city 
housing authority and the Department of Housing and Urban Development 
was threatening to take over the agency. But then, fortunately, Cheryl 
Lovell was named Executive Director of the agency and good things began 
to happen. Last month, the St. Louis Housing Authority achieved a 
federal ranking of 70.3 and by all accounts things are improving for 
the residents of St. Louis public housing.
  I commend Cheryl Lovell for her dedication and achievement and would 
like to share the following article ``City Housing Raises Its Grades'' 
which appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on June 13, 2001.

           [From the St. Charles County Post, June 14, 2001]

               Affordable Housing Options Will Be Studied

                           (By Ralph Dummit)

       A consultant has been selected to conduct a study in St. 
     Charles County on the availability of affordable housing. The 
     consultant is Paul Dribin, who served for several years as an 
     official in the St. Louis office of the U.S. Department of 
     Housing and Urban Development.
       Dribin Consulting was picked by St. Charles County 
     Executive Joe Ortwerth from among five or six applicants for 
     the $45,000 contract.
       Social service workers across the county have sought 
     answers to the question of available housing for low-income 
     residents for many years. They have contended that not only 
     is it difficult for poor families to rent houses but that 
     affordable houses for sale to the poor are in limited supply. 
     They are concerned that development is geared more to large 
     houses on large lots than to building houses or apartments in 
     a more modest price range.
       Dribin is no stranger to housing matters in St. Charles 
     County. The Farms apartment

[[Page E1110]]

     complex off Kisker Road had been a property insured and 
     subsidized by HUD when neighbors began to complain about its 
     poorly maintained and rundown condition.
       As a HUD official in St. Louis at that time, Dribin sought 
     to solve the problem at The Farms. He was able to acquire $8 
     million from HUD to repair the project and got a voluntary 
     deed from the owners in lieu of foreclosure, then conveyed 
     the property to St. Charles County. Today, the property--now 
     called Sterling Heights--is well maintained and provides 
     affordable housing to dozens of families.
       In previewing his job for the county, Dribin wrote that the 
     problems of affordable housing are increasing in rapidly 
     growing areas such as St. Charles County. Most residents are 
     benefiting from the expanding economy, but ``the working poor 
     are finding housing options more limited.''
       Dribin may rely on Development Strategies Inc., to gather 
     census data for his study. The county had hired Development 
     Strategies after the Flood of 1993 to study ways to provide 
     replacement housing for the hundreds of people left homeless 
     by the flood.
       Dribin said that after the census figures are analyzed, he 
     will prepare a comprehensive report ``detailing the housing 
     conditions and the overall need for affordable housing'' in 
     the county.
       Further, based on the identified needs of the community, 
     Dribin will present to the County Council ``a detailed 
     proposal outlining alternative strategies for implementing an 
     affordable housing policy.''
       The consultant added, ``Forming a housing authority is only 
     one option in a range of public and private sector 
     alternatives to address (the county's) housing needs.''
       Dribin expects to have an initial report completed by mid-
     August and to issue a completed report by the end of 
     September.
       Recently, business leaders have joined in voicing concern 
     about providing more affordable housing for their employees.
       Gregory D. Prestemon, president of the county's Economic 
     Development Center, said late last year that he had heard 
     from almost all of the county's larger employers ``that they 
     see a need for housing to fit the needs of people of all 
     income levels.''
       Ortwerth has told the County Council that although state 
     law authorizes a county housing authority--such as the one in 
     the city of St. Charles--to construct, acquire, lease or 
     operate housing complexes, that is not his goal.
       Ortwerth said a county housing authority should concentrate 
     on working with the private sector to promote the 
     construction of affordable housing. He contends that such 
     housing can be built so that it will maintain its value and 
     does not depreciate the value of other residential properties 
     in a community.
       One purpose of studying the county's housing needs is to 
     qualify under state statutes to form a county housing 
     authority. Earlier, Ortwerth had hoped such an authority 
     might be able to take over the voucher program administered 
     by the North East Community Action Corp., also known as 
     NECAC.
       In a related move, Ortwerth last year filed suit seeking a 
     declaratory judgment on whether NECAC or the county should be 
     eligible to administer Section 8 housing assistance to low-
     income individuals and families.
       No judgment on the suit has been rendered.
       Meantime, NECAC traditionally has administered the Section 
     8 program in the county--at least 575 vouchers at present--
     excluding the city of St. Charles. The vouchers are the 
     equivalent of holding cash as low-income people search for 
     suitable and affordable housing in the county. But even among 
     the holders of the vouchers, many give up when they are 
     unable to find places to rent.

     

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