SHA officials say 'technicality' led to bad score

Thursday, April 30, 2009
By Brian Mosely

Officials with the Shelbyville Housing Authority were surprised to learn that a recent article in USA TODAY identified SHA as one of 61 agencies across the country that was "faulted by auditors for mishandling government aid, but still receives federal stimulus money."

While officials were completely unaware of the story until informed by the Times-Gazette, the director of the authority was able to explain why the agency appeared on the list in the first place.

Director Hershel Thrasher said the authority appearing in the USA TODAY audit was due to changing federal regulations and a "technicality."

Thrasher explained that a few years back, the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) needed a "better report card" on housing authorities so that Congress could be informed how well the federal agency was doing their job.

HUD set up the Real Estate Assessment System, which is made up of a list of items that housing authorities are graded on. Among the indicators that were graded on was the financial condition of the authority.

Thrasher explained that one of the entities budgeted by Director of Operations Ron Tillman ended its fiscal year during a different month than the other items budgeted, but that Tillman was require to report all the financial figures at one time.

So with two fiscal years ending on different months, this caused a discrepancy in the figures, Thrasher said.

In fiscal year 2006, the authority received a score of 72 out of 100, and Thrasher said that no one in the authority was happy with the score. But the next year, the authority got a score of 89.

Tillman said that HUD has now made a change so that the fiscal years in question now end on the same date. As a result of the change, in the 2006 report, the authority got a 15 out of 30 under the financial category, but in fiscal year 2007, the score for financial was 27 out of 30.

"As far as the list that USA TODAY was referring to, it's an old list," Thrasher said. "On the new list, we're almost at an 'A' ... a high 'B.'"

While the list compiled by USA TODAY shows stimulus grant money going to the Shelbyville Housing Authority as $829,593, other housing agencies under scrutiny, such as the Chicago Housing Authority, will receive nearly $144 million in federal funding.

Shelbyville's agency was the only housing authority in Tennessee listed in the USA TODAY audit as being cited "at least three times for problems managing federal money."

The USA TODAY audit was conducted by reviewing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) data that summarized thousands of audits completed since 2004 with help from Boston College business professor Elizabeth Keating.

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I am not surprised.And no I do not nor have i ever lived there.

-- Posted by Thatsmystory on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 11:24 AM

I'm sorry but I truly think fixing up these apartments and many other just like them around the country is a bad waste of stimulus money. I mean, just look around at the ones here in our town that have been fixed up over and over again and they don't regulate or maintain supervision over the apartments enough at all because the people that live in them are allowed to destroy them over and over again and who pays for that being fixed up??? Yep, the working folks of America! I say there should be monthly inspections of all apartments that are government financed and if it shows they are not taking care of them then put them out. I'm tired of seeing our tax dollars go to support non-working, non-caring individuals over and over again! clean up the housing projects and make the people who live there respect them!

-- Posted by picmoma on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 11:34 AM

I agree. Why waste money fixing them up.

-- Posted by honda14 on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 12:03 PM

I agree with picmoma...........people usually don't respect nor care for what they have never invested in. If you spend your hard earned $ for it then you tend to take better care of it........those who recieve the free ride rarely contribute since they know someone will come along and fix it for them. Not everyone on assistance lives that way and they appreciate the help but in my opinion that is a small number.

-- Posted by Go Figure on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 1:49 PM

It is a shame that money provided for improvements are used for trips that the SHA Association take throughout the year. Staying in expensive hotels, eating at plush resturants. If the community was really interested in what the SHA is doing with funds they should attend some of their meetings. Seems to me people really don't care, because it doesn't affect them. Contrary to some peoples belief, it takes a person 2 paychecks to pay their monthly fees living in public housing. You are charged for yard fees year round, and who mows in the winter? Cable is not free, you pay for that along with any overage that is used for electricity, gas and you pay your own water. So it is not a cheap place to live, believe me. I lived there for years and worked and paid my way. Hard times can come to anyone, so some people need to get off their high horse and stop criticizing people who live there, everyone is not lazy and do have pride in where they live.

-- Posted by blessedlady49 on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 1:56 PM

I agree picmoma, it seems like a complete waste of money to spend money fixing up these units if they aren't going to inspect the units on a regular basis to ensure proper upkeep. I mean, if these people lived in regular apartments, they would be expected to maintain the dwelling in a proper fashion. But, to be fair, there are lots of folks who live in the projects who take very good care of their apartments. They plant flowers and take pride in their home. Unfortunately, those people are the minority.

-- Posted by jtjustice30 on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 3:16 PM

Go picmoma! 100% agree! When someone gives me something i appreciate it and take care of it! All this is doing in enabling the people to continue to trash these homes they have been given. If they are allowed to do this then why not! Some of them consider it their right live here and it is not and until that is fixed your cleanliness / maintenance issue wont be either!

-- Posted by ahamama on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 4:25 PM

all you felf rightous folks need to understand that a majority of people who live in housing are low income or disabled single parents just trying to make ends meet doing the best thry can and to say they shouldn't up DATE THEM is WRONG !!!!\

Don't judge until you've walked a mile in their shoes

the apts are in need of upgrades and while some folk my tear things up the most are very thankful for afforable housing

-- Posted by wanderingme on Thu, Apr 30, 2009, at 9:58 PM

to jtjustice you obviously sound like you know a lot about housing officials and what they do maybe you were a former official yourself? Or how about you going to one of their meetings since you seem to know so much then come back and give some accurate statements

-- Posted by francisco23 on Fri, May 1, 2009, at 8:14 AM

I KNOW there are several people who are in the housing projects that are there for legitimate reasons ie: loss of work, disabled children or themself, fixed income elderly, etc. and THEY are not the ones I speak of when I say they need to be respectful of what they have been able to receive in their time of need. the ones who continue to just get state assitance because they DON'T want to work, or refuse are the ones I speak of. Our 'HELPING" programs have been abused for many years and that needs to be stopped.

I've been in the projects on several occassions over the years with my employment checking on disabled elderly and such, and have seen the disgrace that some of these people allow their residence to become.

These are the ones who need to be regulated, maintained and made to have respect for their rsidence. There's no reason for ANYONE to be filthy, dirty and nasty....a little soap and water and a mop in your hand go a long way!

-- Posted by picmoma on Fri, May 1, 2009, at 2:23 PM