Plaza East residents told the Housing Authority’s commission that they remain uncertain about redevelopment plans and need clearer, timely communication and support. The public-comment session and a subsequent staff presentation focused on resident concerns about unit conditions, staffing and the timing of repairs.

Resident testimony: Martha Hollins, president of the Plaza East tenants association, said residents are “stressed” because they do not know what will happen with Plaza East redevelopment and requested a meeting with the Housing Authority to clarify next steps. Resident Calvin Sudeen described rodent problems in his unit and said management initially did not address the issue to his satisfaction. Online commenter Dennis Williams urged the Authority to prioritize local BIPOC contractors and raised procurement and Section 3 compliance concerns.

Management update: Ron Bowen of the John Stewart Company reported that staffing at Plaza East has improved (an assistant manager hired Nov. 12 and an offer made for a maintenance technician) and that operations completed a record 205 work orders during the reporting period. Bowen said vacant-unit repairs are being addressed through an RFP that closes the day of the meeting (about 3 p.m.), with scoring planned and an expected commission action next month; work is anticipated to begin early in 2025.

Follow-up and commitments: Commissioners agreed to convene a follow-up meeting just after the Thanksgiving holiday that will include the resident council, the Development Advisory Committee (DAC) and partner agencies so the Authority and residents can review capital plans, service dollars and pending RFP awards. The Authority said capital-improvement dollars and service funding remain a priority and acknowledged limits on the Authority’s budget and HUD approvals for offline units.

What residents asked for: clearer timelines for repairs, access to capital-improvement receipts and accounting (residents asked for accounting of previously allocated capital dollars), more responsive service providers and procurement practices that allow local contractors meaningful opportunities.

Next steps: Staff will schedule the December follow-up meeting and said it will provide additional documentation on the RFP and capital expenditures; commissioners closed the discussion by thanking residents and noting ongoing efforts to improve services.