AGENDA - San Antonio Housing Authority

TRANSFORMATION PLANthat a child’s zip-code is not the primary indicatorof success. The EPN has developeda strong partnership with the San AntonioIndependent School District, the six schoolswithin the EPN footprint, and a collaborativeof partnerships both public and private,along with neighborhood and businessrepresentatives. The Eastside Choice andPromise neighborhoods have aligned theirRELOCATION AND RE-OCCUPANCYOverall Strategy: Maximizing thenumber of Wheatley Courts familiesthat return to the revitalizedcommunity will be a top priority forSAHA, MBS, and community leaderscurrently involved in the redevelopmentplanning process. Any relocationand re-occupancy that maytake place will be conducted in accordancewith the requirements ofthe Uniform Relocation Assistanceand Real Property AcquisitionPolicies Act of 1970, as amended,and the Housing and CommunityDevelopment Act of 1974, as applicable,and will fully comply withHUD’s right to return policies.goals and visions to ensure the work of bothinitiatives is carried out both effectively andefficiently.As families access the Eastside Choiceframework, children will be evaluated to determineneed and appropriateness of a dualgeneration approach to achieving educationaland developmental outcomes.Resident Preferences: Many residentsare anxious about the relocationand re-occupancy process, thusa significant amount of time hasbeen devoted to this topic. Trinitylearned through their data collectionprocess that many residents aresuspicious of the process of relocation,and thus a work group wasformed around this topic to bothelicit additional information fromresidents and to educate residentsabout the process. Three surveyquestions addressed the relocationand housing issue:• Do you consider WheatleyCourts your home (61%), or justa temporary place to live (38%)?• Would you like to return afterthe revitalization is complete?(77% responded yes)• During the process, would youlike to remain in public housing(29%) or receive a Section 8voucher (79%, some answeredboth)?To minimize displacement andencourage residents to remain inthe neighborhood, SAHA and MBSare planning to phase the housingdevelopment in a manner thatwould only require one move fromtheir current housing to a revitalizedunit.Right to Return: Wheatley Courtsresidents have been informed duringpublic engagement meetingsthat a revitalization effort is underwaythat could cause displacement,but SAHA and MBS are workingdiligently to minimize displacement.The right of all lease complianthouseholds to return to theredeveloped site, and be providedfirst priority for all on- or off-sitereplacement units has been clearlyarticulated. This will continue to becommunicated in all written noticesand during all relocation briefingsessions in the event that phasingwill not allow the one move goal.Counseling and Support: Priorto any necessary relocation, SAHA’srelocation staff and Urban Strategies’case management team willwork with each family to developa housing plan, identifying thefamily’s desired housing situationand any potential obstacles thatmust be addressed to ensure thefamily’s housing goal is achievable.Each Wheatley Courts headof household will be interviewedpersonally by SAHA relocation staffto determine housing needs, payingparticular attention to senior residents,residents with special needsor any family that is hard to house.Urban Strategies’ case managerswill review tenant history, notingany past issues related to leasecompliance and any vulnerable areasthat may need to be addressed movingforward. The case manager willEASTSIDE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION PLAN41