Evictions from public housing near

Starting Friday, the Atlanta Housing Authority will begin evicting tenants who are not working, in school or in a work force training program.

The authority, which began notifying residents about the new rule last fall, said it is trying to end concentrated poverty by encouraging public housing tenants to become more self-sufficient.

Critics of the new rules, however, fear the plan will create a new generation of homeless people as a result of thousands of evictions.

"This is going to mean that you will have so many people on the streets homeless because the job market is so bad," said Louise Watley, 72, the former longtime president of the Carver Homes Tenant Association and a public housing advocate.

Housing Authority Executive Director Renee Glover, however, defends the tougher rules.

"We don't desire, or expect, that everybody is going to be turned out on the streets," Glover said. "I am expecting that most people are going to step up to the requirement and achieve it."

Because it has been designated a "Moving to Work" program by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Atlanta Housing Authority has great flexibility to design and test ways to promote self-sufficiency among families receiving assistance. AHA's program has been named CATALYST.

Last October, residents between the ages of 18 to 61 and not disabled who lived in the 13 traditional public housing units and in Section 8 houses were informed they would face eviction if they were not working, going to school or in a work force training program.

According to AHA figures, about 13,935 adults live in traditional public housing and Section 8 housing who are being required to work under the CATALYST requirements.

The AHA reports that of the 2,845 households in government-built dwellings affected by the rules, fewer than half are in compliance. In Section 8 housing, where tenants get federal vouchers to rent private dwellings, only about 3,498 of the 8,826 affected households are complying with the rules.

The new policy is "Draconian," said Sheila Crowley, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a Washington-based group dedicated to ending the affordable housing crisis.

"Public housing is the only housing available to those at the lowest income," Crowley said. "We have a huge shortage of places for people to live. When we are attempting to prevent homelessness, to have a housing authority purposely taking people with the least capacity and putting them on the street is wrong."

But Glover said there are jobs for people who want to work. The AHA is working with the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency to encourage residents to seek employment. The agency also administers grants for child care assistance.

"What is needed is that additional push to encourage people to spread their wings," Glover said. "To me, the greater consequence of not working is becoming more dependent on government subsidies."

According to the state Department of Labor, Atlanta's 3 percent unemployment rate is well below the state's 5.2 percent jobless rate.

In the past six months, the work force development agency has trained more than 600 people who live in public housing. Executive Director Deborah Lum said the four-week program offers computer classes, life skills training and resume workshops while specifically training people in everything from customer service to carpentry.

Every Tuesday, the agency hosts a job fair promoting thousands of openings at construction sites, the airport and in customer service.

"Almost 70 percent of our clients are placed, and the 30 percent who aren't placed don't want to work," said Lum, adding that most jobs require background checks and drug tests.

"There are 20,000 jobs at the airport through construction alone. We have a good projection of jobs in the city over the next five or six years."

But Diane Wright, president of the Hollywood Courts resident association, said most of the residents --- mostly single, young women with children --- in her complex are having a hard time getting those jobs.

"A lot of them were working, some got fired. Some got laid off," said Wright, who has lived in Hollywood for 16 years. "CATALYST to me is a way to destroy families. Where are these girls going when they get evicted?"

At midday Tuesday, Hollywood Courts was teeming with women and children. Many claim that they have tried to get jobs and will have no place to go if they get evicted.

"Most people are trying to find jobs, but can't," said Latisha Thomas, 23, who is five months pregnant. "They are being too strict on us. I don't think it is possible for everybody to find a job by their deadline."

Thomas, the mother of two, is not working and said that by the time she enrolls in school, she will have to drop out to have her baby. She is, however, in a twice-a-week literacy program working toward her GED. Watching from a second floor window, Pamela Shanks said that she, her daughter and two grandchildren might end up on the streets.

"I can't get a computer job or work as a secretary," said Shanks, 40. "The only work I can do is in a warehouse or in housekeeping, and I can't even get that. And now these folks want to kick my family out on the streets."

But across town at University Homes, 76-year-old Verna Mobley has little sympathy.

"I think it is the greatest thing that ever happened," Mobley said of the CATALYST program. "This new generation can wear hairdos and walk around smoking dope, but can't pay their rent. I am glad, and all the older people think it is great."

Mobley has lived in Atlanta public housing for 45 years and in University Homes since 1965.

Although she is well above the targeted age that CATALYST requires for working, she still works regularly and on her off days, patrols University Homes' laundry room, keeping outsiders away.

"I still get up everyday and go to work. I like to work. Why should I not work?" Mobley said. "But it is quite a few up there who are not working. Sure, they can go to work. If you are the head of your household, you should be working."

Using federal Hope VI money, Glover has torn down several crime-ridden, dangerous and oppressive housing projects and replaced them with mixed-income apartments with swimming pools, tennis courts and manicured lawns.

The notorious Techwood Homes became Centennial Place. Carver Homes is now the lush Villages at Carver. East Lake Meadows, once known as "Little Vietnam," is now a golf course community called the Villages of East Lake.

The old Perry Homes is being transferred into West Highlands, where an 18-hole golf course will anchor the $300 million to $400 million project in southwest Atlanta. It will include a charter school, library, a YMCA and 2,211 housing units on 462 acres.

But not everyone who lived in one of the so-called "projects" was welcomed back.

Once a complex is razed, anyone who previously lived there has the option of coming back. But fewer than 50 percent of the units are earmarked for them, and moving back in comes with rules.

There is a criminal background check. No staying home and refusing to work. No lease violations. No history of trouble.

CATALYST, in effect, is an extension of the rules, touching on the people who live in the 13 yet-to-be-converted complexes and in Section 8 properties.

"We believe, fundamentally that human potential is unlimited," Glover said. "The worst thing you can do is set expectations at a lower level. I am expecting positive outcomes."

I teach Computer Science classes at a local community college. The college has in place a program to get those on public assistance into school and, eventually I assume, into the work force. So every semester that I teach the core requirement computer intro class (I have NEVER seen on of these students in an upper level class), I have at least one of these students. I know beacuse I have to fill out special forms so those in charge of the program can track these students' preformance.

I have as yet to have any of these students actually complete my class. Most of them have children and cannot make it to class because the child is sick, or the baby sitter did't so up or _______ (you can fill in the blank). Most rarely make it to more than 10% of the classes and those who do either come in late, or for some reason unknown to me, feel that after 45 minutes, they can get up and walk out, even when I'm in the middle of the lecture!!

Many, though not all, of them have the ability to do the coursework, but none have the maturity and/or motivation to actually complete my class. Now, I do not dumb down my classes. I also teach at a local university and I teach all my classes in the same way. Students have to work for points which translate into their final grade. And everything the students do, ie attendance, homework, quizzes, exam, must be done to get enough points for a passing grade. My classes are tough, but I feel that they are fair, you work, you earn.

A perfect example form this last semester. One young lady in this program came to class for a total of 3 weeks. I did not see her after March 1st and class ended May 9th!!! The only reason why I even gave her a grade at all, an Incomplete - not really even a grade, for the class was beacuse she dropped off the majority of the course homework, in my mailbox, on the last day of class. Never took any tests or exams, but I figured that I would leave the door open and if she wanted to, she could contact me and I would let her take the test (yes, I tend to be way too generous)

What I got from her was a scathing e-mail ranting about how dare I not give her a real grade, she had done the homework and felt that that was enough for a grade, and all her other teachers had given her a grade and it was going to be my fault if she lost her financial aid and didn't I know she was a single parent!!

I don't know what got me more upset, the fact that she actually expected me to give her a grade, or the fact that the other instructors had!!!

The "I want something for nothing mentality" floors me, even after teaching for years!

How about work farms - dormitories or similar housing, and farm work, so they can grow their own food? It could even be private charities that do this. Of course, no drugs or alcohol.

***

I don't remember them, but my parents told me that during the Great Depression, there was some government program in place -- I forget the name now, but if you were unemployed, you could do things like pick up trash, sweep the streets, etc. etc. Nowadays, it's like pulling teeth to get a lot of people on assistance to work -- in fact, trying to do so could result in lawsuits -- violation of their rights to lie around and make babies at your expense, I guess.

At the private agency I worked for, we had a placement department that attempted to put folks into jobs. Getting the interviews lined up was easy. The difficult part was getting folks to show up for the interview, accept the job, and then show up for work regularly. They really had no clue.

I worked with the seriously disabled prior to that. What I found was that you can train most people to do something. The real issue is always attitude.

However, some folks are so disabled that they cannot work a full time job, or even a part-time job because of physical and mental limitations (as opposed to behavioral limitations). These folks are usually the most heartbreaking to work with. They want to work so bad, but it is just not in them.

Then there are those who work the system, going from one 'program' to the next. Those folks just piss you off.

I had to get out of the Vocational Rehab field. Too frustrating for me.

How about work farms - dormitories or similar housing, and farm work, so they can grow their own food? It could even be private charities that do this. Of course, no drugs or alcohol.

The old county farms. They were a good idea and should be brought back..........but who is going to do it? Are you up to the task? We need more doers and less talkers.

I have a house full of ex cons I am trying to help. We require them to work, go to church once a week, have a mentor, and go to a mid week Bible Study.........life is never boring for me.

You are walking the walk, for sure.

I have 5 acres out in the boondocks with a second cabin (other than the one I live in) and a couple of trailers - I help out friends who need a hand, let them stay for cheap (or would for free for a while) while they get on their feet. Had two sets of people staying so far, a third family will be here in a while.

Obviously no drugs or alcohol allowed!

If more people did whatever each could do - large or small - the world would be a very different place.

Golden rule applies to everyone, whether they know it or not.

"At the private agency I worked for, we had a placement department that attempted to put folks into jobs. Getting the interviews lined up was easy. The difficult part was getting folks to show up for the interview, accept the job, and then show up for work regularly. They really had no clue.

"I worked with the seriously disabled prior to that. What I found was that you can train most people to do something. The real issue is always attitude."
***
A friend of a friend had the responsibility of finding work for people on public assistance. She once had the task of getting something like 25 or 50 or so applicants to interview for jobs with a company that made and assembled drapery rods and other such hardware. She contacted the applicants, made appointments for them, even offered transportation and child care. Still out of all the prospective applicants, only three actually showed up for the interviews.

As for the disabled -- I had a friend, Bill(now deceased) who was born with cystic fibrosis...terribly debilitating disease. Yet, he graduated from college and worked in the payroll department of a local company. Bill could have stayed home and collected a check, and no one would have faulted him for doing so, but he refused to be dependent on anyone. When he could not longer go into the office, Bill's employer arranged for a computer and modem to be installed in his home so he could work when he was able. He worked until about a week before he died.

When I see these moochers not making any effort to be responsible for themselves, I think of Bill...and I get really mad (at the lowlifes, not Bill).

Oh I wish they would do this here in Philadelphia...

I'm astounded that this is happening in Atlanta. I was under the impression that Atlanta's municipal government resembled that of Philadelphia or Detroit. This is awesome. It rocks. I'm also gobsmacked that such a favorable article appeared in the knee-jerk liberal Journal-Constitution -- and this is for sure a sympathetic article, one that mentions Atlanta's 3 percent unemployment rate (wow, another thing I didn't know) and features that mini-interview with the still-working 76-year-old Verna Mobley.

What I want to know is, who gets credit for this? Is it a federal initiative pushed by HUD, as the inclusion of Section 8 housing might indicate? Does the Georgia state government control the Atlanta Housing Authority? I want to know, because this is awesome.

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