Copy of Email About Misuse of HPRP Program

Copy of my email to the local "community action" that is using federal money for HPRP and basically trying to find a way to force me out of town by refusing to use the money in any manner possible to prevent a homeless situation:

RE: housing‏
From: cam huegenot (cameocares@live.com)
Sent: Tue 4/20/10 8:28 AM
To: lindap@cdcac.org; juliek@cdcac.org

Hello,

I wanted to ask for your assistance with finding a place as, I think, that is the point of this program.

There are people who will rent to me for around $1,000-$1,600 a month but no one in the lower ranges at this time. In this situation, I am absolutely precluded from being able to get into housing.

I feel it was unnecessary for me to have to remind anyone what this program is about and found it strange that you didn't even want to check on the place I told you about, even after I said it was less money than you thought. I wanted to talk with him and try to work something out and you didn't even want to pick up the phone.

I also asked if we could all call the federal program number to go over the rules for more clarity about the program and no one would do this.

You say you have something from Seattle that specifies how the money is to be used in the State of Washington, about guidelines. Sarah told me that she couldn't send it to me because it was in an email form and only you had this. So since there IS something in writing, I would like to have a copy of this please. I believe it's a document subject to public disclosure as this is grant money you applied for from a public government source and is intended for the public.

If you would submit the email or send it along to this address, that would be great. I am going over some things with another agency that may be able to assist in the interpretation of guidelines.

From all of the federal information I've read, the point of this program is to immediately prevent homelessness and there is no requirement that any person rents a cheaper place.

You tried, or Julie tried to tell me it was "not fair" if I rented a place for $1,600 and someone else only rented for $700. You gave me quotes for Section 8 housing which are outdated and not applicable to this program, nor are they an accurate reflection of real housing costs here because I checked with several realtors about going cost and market values.

Julie was trying to say I wasn't "fair" to others when it was an illogical and incorrect statement to make and she and you both know this. I said, in reply, that I was aware this money is not just for "cheap housing" but provides each applicant with a pot of money which they can either use to:
A. pay $2,000/mo. in rent and exhaust funds more quickly, or
B. pay $400/mo. in rent and extend funds up to 18 months.

The program allows money to be spent to PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, not to ensure people get into the most practical and cheap solution possible. What is "practical" and "justifiable" on a normal basis, has nothing to do with what is practical when the lower end housing is not available.

I said if it's unfair for me to use $1,600/mo for rent and only have money for rent for 6 months, it is UNFAIR for others to have all of this "extra time" to extend this program and "unfair" that I only get 6 months instead of 18 months.

It is up to the person how they use the money. It is no more "unfair" for me to choose to use more of the money for a shorter period than it is for someone to use less for a LONGER period.

I find this kind of argument unnecessary and counterproductive to good faith.

I am also concerned about the fact that Linda talked to one landlord who was ready to rent to me right away, and she told him at that price she could only pay for 3 months. Then I went in, after he told me this, and she said you were not going to authorize it at all.

I don't believe you have the authority to choose which place you authorize apart from making sure the house or apartment is safe and in good repair. The allocation or decision in how the money is spent is up to the recipient, and it is against the program goals to tell me that if no one rents to me at bottom dollar, you choose to have me on the street or homeless instead.

If the only way to avoid homelessness is through paying more for a larger house or apartment, for a shorter period of time, then this money is to go to immediate and emergency needs of housing.

I already told you I have applied to every place possible through craigslist and other media. You are aware that the only people who would or could provide a place are asking for more money.

I also told you I don't care if using more money means the program will not last as long. If I didn't try to defend myself and my rights, you would have me out on the streets period and who cares about the "length" of the program. If it were up to you, the way you are treating me, you would have me out of housing, forced out, immediately.

I am therefore writing to remind you of our conversation and the fact that there is no way for me to get custody of my son and even advocate for myself in any normal fashion, when I don't have housing and have to worry about this instead.

You know very well about my legal situation and what I am trying to do with getting my son back and you also know that being "homeless" doesn't help my case. You also are aware that as long as you keep me in limbo over housing, I cannot settle down enough to get anything done.

So if you know about this situation, which you do, and you know there are only a few days at the hotel, as you do know, then I would ask that you do something productive about trying to secure housing and if you do not, then that you do not BLOCK me from accessing the alternate forms of using this program. You claim you cannot "justify" my using more of the money for rent and yet you have no problem "justifying" throwing someone on the street with nothing when this is a direct violation of the point of the program. You even told this last guy that you WOULD pay for at least 3 months and then you backed out on it.

You also tried to push and force me into housing for severely mentally ill people, at a "transitional" place, or homeless shelter, for the mentally ill. I even, in good faith, went there and looked around, and the fact that your organization would do such a thing, is not going unnoticed by me. I went to that place and every single person there was severely mentally ill, I was harassed at the first visit, it is immediately next door to a law firm that is an opponent (which I'm not comfortable with) and you tried to tell me this is the only place you would pay for, when the point of your program is to get people OUT of homeless shelters, not INTO them, and certaintly, not into shelters where I would be the only person there with any marbles. I am beginning to question whether some of your own workers and if state workers in general, should be required to submit to a psych eval including an MMPI and maybe an intelligence test too. If there is a screen for ethics, it would do no good because most of you know how to lie to make something sound right when it is necessary.

You have no right to refuse housing for any reason other than direct violation of the housing program rules. If you must pay for more rent and less time, then that is what you should do and it is not your prerogative to be a social worker or manager--it is NOT your job to decide whether you think someone will be self sufficient or not in a period of time. You are to use the monies as the federal government provides, in the manner in which they are provided.

If you have different "state" guidelines, as you've claimed, I need to see this in writing.

Please email me what you have, which Sarah said only you have.

I would also like to set up an appointment to do a conference call with HUD over the HPRP because perhaps you are not clear about the directives of this program. I am making a formal request here, for a conference call and please let me know what times you have available.

Thanks.

Cameo Garrett
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:33:38 -0700
Subject: housing
From: lindap@cdcac.org
To: cameocares@live.com
CC: JulieK@cdcac.org

Goodmorning Cameo
I just want to remind you that your motel stay through Martin's program is for one week only. There will be no more motel assistance at the end of the week. You need to find a place that qualifies with rent reasonableness and that I can do a walk through inspection before you take possession. I am leaving the office this morning and will be back in tomorrow if you have any questions please feel free to contact me tomorrow. I am forwarding a copy of this email to Julie the Deputy Director of our agency. She is the lady that you spoke to on Friday.

--
Linda Price
Housing Program Director
Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council
620 Lewis Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801
509-662-6156
509-662-1737 FAX
http://www.cdcac.org/