Thursday, April 25, 2024
While housing options for lower income residents in Gatesville may seem to be few and far between, one option that provides a lifeline for both families and single adults is housing offered by the Gatesville Housing Authority.
Kerry Magee, executive director of the authority, recently gave a presentation to the Gatesville City Council. He said the nonprofit – which is a public entity that is not governed by the city – had 84 units under the direction of the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development and an additional 72 units through Rural Development, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
While more than 150 local units might at first glance seem to be plenty to house those needing that option, Magee said demand outpaces availability.
“We stay full,” he said. “As fast as we can get one, it turns around (and is rented).”
Funding is provided through the federal government.
“Our only income is rent and rural assistance,” Magee said. “HUD gives you operational funds plus the rent you take in. You can get a lot more funding from HUD (than the USDA provides through Rural Development).
“There are also captivated funds each year that we receive as a grant, and based on the age of our units, there is a constant need to remodel them. Also, the percentage of people who damage property is high. It didn’t use to be that way.”
Although units are available for elderly or disabled residents, “nearly all the applicants are young – younger than they used to be,” Magee said. “They’re all on disability or trying to get on disability.”
Gatesville City Councilwoman Barbara Burrow asked about the status of the applicants.
“We don’t get many applications from elderly couples,” Magee said. “Most of those needing a two-bedroom unit are young women with children and nowhere to go.”
He said the housing authority has a long waiting list for its units.
“Every housing authority has a waiting list,” Magee said. “Ours is generally a year to three years. The number of units we have is the maximum (the federal government) would give us assistance on.
“To add more, we would have to partner with the private sector – that’s what HUD is trying to do now. We have not done it. We haven’t even looked at it because it’s too much uncertainty.”
Councilman Claude Williams asked about upkeep requirements for residents.
“They come in and they’ve got kids – you can see toys all over the outside. It’s a matter of how hard a line do I want to take.”
Williams noted that a lack of residents keeping their units in an orderly state “has an effect on the entire neighborhood,” adding it’s not just toys that clutter some areas, but trash.
“We try to work with the housing authority,” said City Manager Bill Parry. “We’re not trying to enforce other than to get things cleaned up.”
Magee said it’s “a never-ending deal with couches and chairs thrown out – it’s a constant eyesore.”
Williams said he understood the difficulty of the situation.
“I think you have a good heart caring about people and giving them a place,” he said. “It just looks bad. We have an organization that cleans up neighborhoods. What would you suggest we do?”
Magee said getting residents of housing authority units “involved in anything is pretty difficult to do. We had it cleaned up but we don’t have time to chase those who have a messy front yard. Maintenance responds to emergencies. I hate to see it reflect back on me. I don’t like it but don’t want to evict them.”
Poverty is a common condition among residents, Magee said, noting that most of them have only Social Security or disability payments and have $12,000 or less annual income.
“There’s programs available (for additional help) but many of them don’t want that,” Magee said. “A lot of people we take in wouldn’t get in somewhere else. HUD inspected us one time and couldn’t believe we had that many residents with that low of income. But isn’t that what we’re supposed to be?”
