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The Burlington Housing Authority (BHA)
is a designated "High Performer" and does not require financial assistance from
the City of Burlington. BHA supports an affiliate nonprofit organization,
Burlington Supportive Housing Initiatives, Inc. (BSHI), which has 501(c)(3)
status. The purpose of this nonprofit is to develop affordable supportive
housing initiatives and to expand the resident service programs of the BHA.
CEDO's Assistant Director for Housing has been appointed as the City's
representative on the founding BSHI Board and presently serves as the board
president. The City will work with BSHI to increase funding for resident service
programs for BHA program participants, including the Family Self-Sufficiency
Program, youth mentoring, homeownership, independent living and service-enriched
housing.
The City supports the implementation and expansion of BHA's
Section 8 Homeownership Option Program and encourages BHA to fully
utilize its ability to project-base Section 8 vouchers in support of
new affordable housing development. BHA is the City’s designated
housing agency responsible for preserving the existing stock of
moderate and substantial rehab Section 8 properties and ensuring
that they remain part of the affordable housing inventory. During
the period that ended June 30, 2006, BHA was nearing completion of
the acquisition of an 11-unit Section 8 property known as Randall
Apartments.
The following are highlights of BHA’s accomplishments for the
year ending June 30, 2006:
- Maintained status as 'High Performer' for both the Public
Housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Programs
- Through efficient program management, BHA continued to
assist the maximum allowable number of families under the
Section 8 Voucher Program (1,711), despite new restrictions in
federal funding
- Assisted 11 households to become homeowners under its
Section 8 Voucher Homeownership Option Program, which has
assisted over 70 households to date
- Provided escrow opportunities and case management support
for over 100 households participating in the Family
Self-Sufficiency Program
- Obtained a ROSS grant to expand Wellness Program activities
for its elderly and disabled public housing residents
- Obtained a Neighborhood Networks grant to establish a
computer training and resource center at Decker Tower which will
be available to all BHA program participants
- Continued its successful efforts to acquire privately owned
Section 8 project-based developments in order to assure their
perpetual affordability
- Initiated a program to assist offenders returning to the
community to find and maintain appropriate housing
- Obtained funding to hire a Somali Bantu case
management/interpreter to address the housing and service needs
of a growing African immigrant population
- Acquired a property (76 Cherry St.) to be developed as
transitional housing for returning women offenders
- Acquired a property (adjacent to Franklin Square) to be
developed as service-enriched housing for battered women
Page last updated August 22, 2006
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