Chairman

       Director

        Events

        Services

    City of Fort Myers

          FMPD

    Resident Info

        HOME

Introduction

The Housing Authority of the City of fort Myers looks back over the past year with pride in its accomplishments.  With the dedicated efforts of the staff and the Board of Commissioners, many changes have taken place.  Through their unwavering determination and implementation of innovative programs, the quality of life for low and moderate-income citizens has improved greatly.

Over the years, the Housing Authority has realized that the key to successful public housing not only deals with creating structures to provide homes for people, but also includes developing opportunities to build people.  The Housing Authority has developed and adopted innovative programs to assist residents in achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency.  These types of programs are not implemented by any one source.  They are successful because many partnerships are created throughout the community.  'Embracing community spirit, the Housing Authority has developed strong relationships with a wide range of social and recreational service providers who also are dedicated to helping people lead more successful lives.  These community links have broken down the barriers and hopelessness felt by some of our residents and has created a framework for a brighter more successful future.

The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers has taken the liberty to find more imaginative ways to overcome the enormous challenges to provide its residents with opportunities for independence.  In the following pages you will find that a myriad of programs are outlined that have been successfully developed and implemented.  The need to seek creative ways to reduce expenses and to develop new roles in addressing public housing has brought local, regional and national attention to the Housing Authority.

The Housing Authority overview and annual report is dedicated to our elected officials, Housing Authority Staff and Commissioners, residents and organizations that chose to make a difference.

Structure

The Fort Myers Housing Authority is governed by a seven member volunteer commission.  These Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Fort Myers from the Lee County community and are subject to confirmation by the Fort Myers City Council.  The Executive Director of the Housing authority is retained by the Housing Authority Commissioners and is directly responsible to them.  The Executive Director is responsible for all other employees and the day-to-day operations of the Housing Authority.

The Housing Authority owns and manages several properties:

The mission of the Housing Authority throughout the last decade has been particularly challenging due to substantially diminished federal funding.  The Fort Myers Housing Authority seeks creative mechanisms to minimize expenses and to develop innovative methods to address housing requirements independent of federal finding.   These goals must be accomplished while simultaneously providing residents an improved quality of life with expanded opportunities to become contributing members of society.

To that end, the Fort Myers Housing Authority utilizes many tools to continue to ensure an adequate budget to maintain and in some instances increase its services to residents.

back to top

Financial Summary

back to top

Property Management

Providing clean and safe housing for people is an on-going task.   While the Housing Authority is consistently improving and renovating their existing developments they are also concerned with developing opportunities for residents to eventually participate in the American Dream by becoming homeowners.

In the last 36 months, tremendous changes have occurred in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), necessitating substantial adjustments in local housing authorities.  One of the most important changes has been the reduction and limitations of federal operating subsidies needed to provide low-income housing.  As part of the transition toward the federally mandated welfare reform, housing authorities throughout the US have been urged by HUD to balance their assets, and where possible acquire non-federal subsidized properties.

The Housing Authority has been doing just that over the last five years.   The board created a separate and independent non profit organization, Alliance of Casa La Linda.  The Housing authority works with the Alliance of Casa La Linda to acquire and manage properties.  The key to empowering residents to move upward is to give them the opportunity for advancement.  By having access to market value rental and then single-family homes, residents through credit rebuilding, home ownership classes, and consistent employment can reach this goal.

The properties acquired by Alliance of Casa La Linda to date:

While these properties are owned by Alliance of Casa La Linda, the Fort Myers Housing Authority has a contract to manage the properties, those management responsibilities include but are not limited to: on-site managers, maintenance, accounting services and leasing.

The management team at the FMHA is overseen by the Director of Housing Management who in turn reports to the Executive Director.  Each manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of their assigned development.   This includes maintenance, rent collection, landscaping, capital improvement coordination, and tenant issues.

back to top

Lease Enforcement

The Lease Enforcement Office is responsible for the following programs:

As a whole, the lease enforcement department maintains a liaison between residents and the Fort Myers Housing Authority staff on all housing issues and represents resident views to the Fort Myers Housing Authority Executive Director.

The department follows up on delinquent rent and other charges by working with individual site managers.

The department works with staff in reviewing questionable annual, special and interim recertifications of resident income, family status, and related issues, and is responsible to ensure that all residents are properly housed in accordance with occupancy policies.

This department also coordinates tenant transfers with Managers, and is responsible to provide comments on acceptability of residents for transfer.

They inspect FMHA grounds on a daily basis and note issues and/or problems in writing for property managers, which in turn may or may not generate work orders depending on the issue.

The department works with property managers in preparing late notices, arranging rent payment agreements, and gives assistance in filing eviction papers.

All members of the department counsel residents and refer them to the proper local, state or federal agencies.

This is a cooperative program between the Lee County School Board and the Fort Myers Housing Authority.

This program investigates allegations of housing fraud stemming from unreported income, unreported residents, and fraudulent claims resulting in false deductions, fraudulent statements on applications or recertification.

The goal of fraud investigations is to identify and recover lost revenues from fraud and past due rentals on move outs and evictions.  To date fraud investigations has been able to uncover in excess of $60,000 in unreported income for the Fort Myers Housing Authority since December 1999.

Additionally, the lease enforcement office provides a liaison with law enforcement and prosecutors in local, state and federal agencies.

      back to top

Capital Improvements

The Fort Myers housing Authority is provided funding for capital improvements through Comprehensive Grants funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  Some of the projects completed in these fiscal year were:

back to top

Resident Initiative and Drug Elimination Office

This team of dedicated staff work together to serve the needs of the residents in public and low income housing.  This department is responsible for:

1. Collecting and inputting the necessary data supporting the daily activities of the Fort Myers Police assigned to public housing.

2. Recording the data of all the police incidents occurring in housing.

3. Developing and implementing youth/adult and community activities and special programs.*

4. Monitoring and implementing grants.

5. Counseling residents

6. Assisting the resident councils and providing them with the necessary tools for developing and maintaining a successful council

7. Assisting residents in obtaining and successfully maintaining employment

8. Providing transportation for residents to and from important appointments

9. Performing needs assessments for the youth, families and elderly residents.

*Some of the programs that our residents were able to participate in this year were:

Performances at the Arcade Theater in Downtown Fort Myers (tickets were donated by the Florida Repertory Board)

The Jennifer Craig foundation donated tickets for a band concert at the Cypress Lake High School of the Performing Arts

Big Help Week, sponsored by Nickelodeon and he local Big Brothers and Big Sisters agency, assisted the residents of Palmetto Court with planting trees and plants.   Burger King and Subway donated food for the participants.  Home Depot and the City of Fort Myers also contributed to the big event.

"Preventing Crime in the Black Community" conference was held in Orlando.  Several resident youths and adult resident leaders were able to attend with staff.

The Red Sox organization provided free tickets for resident youths to attend spring training games throughout the month of March.

The Sea Dragons have donated tickets to various basketball games for residents to attend.

Quality Life worked with resident youths to include them in their marine program.

back to top

Youth Programs

Residents had expressed their concerns about the lack of structured activities and adequate facilities available for recreation for their children.  In response to this, FMHA began a program that would address these concerns.  Through collaboration, the Housing Authority was able to pursue partnerships which led to youth programs.

FMHA Employee Reading Program - This program was established to provide more interactions from FMHA staff to residents.  Children ages 1-5 can participate in the afternoon reading program where a FMHA employee will take up to one hour and read to the children.

Kids Speak Out - This youth organization gives inspiration and information to resident youths to make positive changes for public housing residents.  They aspire to discover real ways to make the public housing environment a safer and more equitable place to live.  They focus on doing what it takes to make things better in a positive manner.  Kids Speak Out motivates and invigorates resident youths to join in.  This program is new this year and is a pilot program at Michigan Family Development.  The goal of Kids Speak Out is to expand to all family developments and incorporate a youth resident advisory board to the Fort Myers Housing Authority.

Summer Feed Program - This is a cooperative program between the FMHA and the City of Fort Myers Parks and Recreation Department. This program provides lunch and snack for children 18 and under and live in the housing developments.

Breakfast Program - Ruth Cooper Center provided the staff and coordination in providing breakfast for Michigan Family Development youths before school.  The program is funded through a grant and donations received from the Community Cooperative Ministries.

Palmetto Court After School Program - This after school program was designed for children of working parents.  The program assists the children with homework and provides an atmosphere of learning and security.

Quality Of Life Job Training - This program is conducted from the Carrie Robinson Center and provides job training and after school programs for resident youths.

Summer Camp - This provides an innovative program of education and recreation.  "Camp Shining Star" was last year's theme.   The program was a cooperative partnership between FMHA and the Police Athletic League.  Over 125 resident youths, between the ages of 5 and 13 participated in the program.

Seal's Swim Team - Through the dedicated efforts of Lee Pitts, the Fort Myers Housing Authority had their first swim team.  Sponsored by Quality Life Center, First Union Bank, and FMHA, this team took first place in their league.  The team is open to any public housing resident who will commit to the schedule and practice.

Youth Empire Services - A new youth organization in Lee County, they are a not for profit, licensed Child Welfare Agency which provides comprehensive services for children and their families.  Their objective is to serve as positive role models, maintain a referral network of community-based services and to provide guidance, counseling, therapeutic services and educational resources.  They have located on site at Michigan Family Development in unit 529.  They work with the Kids Speak Out program in providing youth leadership development, community youth volunteer development, and much more.  In addition, their services also include medication monitoring, psychiatric evaluations, tutorial services, academic/job training, after school programs, internship programs, mentoring services, individual and family counseling/therapy, substance abuse testing, mental health assessment, rehabilitative services assessment and psychosocial evaluation.

Youth Explosion - Held October 31, 1999, this very successful program was a collaboration with the Mount Hermon Baptist Church youth department.  Held at Michigan Family Development over 700 community and development residents participated.  The event included an afternoon and evening of music, food, skits, and games.

Boys And Girls Club - Teen Supreme Center partnership established to bring more organized youth activities to public housing family developments.  Located on site at Michigan Family Development in units 613/614, this club organizes youth sports, educational and interactive programs.

back to top

Grants

Adequate funding is an important element for a successful program.   Proper funding is essential for the Housing Authority and their many partner organizations.  The FMHA continues to remain foremost in Southwest Florida with its dedicated team of staff and consultants n obtaining grants to enhance the lives of public housing residents.

Through grant funding resident services, police protection and recreational activities have been expanded.

back to top

Committees

The Fort Myers Housing Authority has developed seven committees that deal with different aspects of the operation of the Authority.  Each committee has a minimum of two commissioners (one acting as the chairperson) assigned and the appropriate staff as members.  These committees meet on a regular basis to review pertinent issues and make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.  The standing committees and their members are as follows:

Finance Committee:  Charles F. Taylor, E. Bruce Strayhorn, Matt Smith

This committee is responsible for reviewing the finances and PHMAP scores of the FMHA along with the monthly financial report prepared for the Commissioners board meeting.

PHMAP (Public Housing Management Assessment Program) scores for 1998 were 86.66% (scores are available in July of the following calendar year).  This was a significant increase over 1997 score of 47.61%/

PHMAP is the scoring system that HUD utilizes for rating public housing authorities and their developments across the nation.  There are eight areas that HUD scores: Vacancy rate, Capital improvement schedule and budget, Cash reserve levels, Security, Resident initiatives, Work order compliance, Annual unit inspections, and Rent collections.

Human Resource Committee:  Matt Smith, Jetta Glover, Sharron King

This committee is responsible for developing and reviewing the employee policies and handbook along with making themselves available for the Executive Director to discuss unusual employee issues that are outside the scope of the normal day-to-day employee issues.

Building and Grounds Committee: Mark Alexander, E. Bruce Strayhorn, Matt Smith

This committee meets on a monthly basis to review issues that relate to capital improvements and maintenance of the FMHA developments.  They review annual budget and improvement schedules along with reviewing monthly reports provided to the commissioners at their board meeting.

Tenant Relations Committee: Lodovic Kimble, Sharron King, Jetta Glover

This committee was established to work with development resident advisory boards and the Resident Advisory Board.  They make themselves available to counsel and direct inquiries from the various resident organizations.

By-Laws Committee:  Jetta Glover, Matt Smith, Chuck Taylor

This committee was established to review and make recommendations for updating the current FMHA By-laws.

Revitalization Committee:  Mark Alexander, E. Bruce Strayhorn, Matt Smith

This committee was developed to investigate opportunities for redevelopment of FMHA developments and to work with the board of the non-profit Alliance of Casa La Linda on the development of their undeveloped land.

The committee recommended and received approval from the FMHA Board to hire James Economou and Associates to review Michigan Family Development and make recommendations on how to add recreational facilities, develop more productive landscape plan and de-concentrate buildings.

Preliminary layout with recommendations was presented to the FMHA Board at their monthly meeting on May 24, 2000.

Ethic Committee:  Matt Smith, Charles Daniels (employee representative), Larry Justham (alternate)

This committee was established to produce an ethics policy and procedure to review complaints of ethic violations against FMHA Commissioners.

back to top

Recognition and Community Participation

Thanksgiving - Meals were contributed to the FMHA by the local Publix while transportation and storage was donated by Sam Galloway Ford and Suncoast Beverage Sales.  The anointed Word Deliverance Church provided volunteers to assist the FMHA Commissioners and staff in distribution of the meals at the developments.   Additionally, the Fort Myers Police Department delivered additional meals to needy families.

Christmas - The FMHA youth group Kids Speak Out coordinated a picture with Santa and gift program that was taken to each family development.  Mr. Howard West of the Ruth Cooper Center was Santa Clause and through the group's efforts, over 300 presents were donated by the community.  Kids Speak Out youths wrapped each gift and delivered with Santa all the gifts to children at each development.  J.C. Penny Company was gracious to provide gifts and generous discounts to acquire additional presents.  Fresh oranges were also donated by Sun Harvest.  The Lee County YMCA donated gifts for 40 resident youths.  The Salvation Army distributed food and toys to families from their site and Community Cooperative Ministries provided meals and toys for many of our resident families from their new site on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.  

The FMHA staff sang Christmas Carols throughout the  public housing developments.  With the assistance of the City of Fort Myers Fire Department who lent the fire engine for Santa to ride on, Mount Herman Baptist Church who provided their youth choir and a trolley provided from LeeTran for the choir to ride through the development and bring Christmas songs to the residents.