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Housing authority reports flooding, safety-system fixes and progress on overdue HUD payments
Summary
Staff reported repeated flooding at Willow Heights, standpipe systems at Hillcrest Towers that had not been recently tested, ongoing camera installations and electrical upgrades, and progress catching up on 2023 housing-assistance payments (HAP) with $200,000 in city funds deposited to a new account.
Fayetteville Public Housing staff told the board on Sept. 25 that recent record rainfall has caused repeated flooding at several properties and is driving an increase in offline units, particularly at Willow Heights. Shonda, the housing staff lead in the meeting, said the city is collaborating on mitigation plans and that staff have temporary housing arrangements for affected tenants while they determine whether flooded units can be cleaned and returned to service.
Shonda described safety and security work funded by a grant: electrical repairs and camera installations have started at Willow Heights, Lewis Plaza and Hillcrest Towers, and a handful of cameras are already in place at Hillcrest. She also reported supply-chain delays for a server and fob-access system ordered for building access control.
At Hillcrest Towers, staff raised concerns about the standpipe (internal fire water) system, which Shonda said had not been tested in years. The housing authority has engaged the fire department, the fire marshal and a vendor named Trenchless to inspect and bring the system up to standards.
On finances, Shonda said the board-authorized $200,000 grant from the City of Fayetteville has been deposited into a newly opened bank account. She also outlined progress on a backlog of Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) tied to Morgan Manor, which she described as a RAD-converted property on a PBRA contract: staff recently submitted overdue vouchers for 2023 (including November and December 2023) and reported that payment for earlier submissions has been received or is pending approval.
Shonda said the agency is nearing the end of a forensic audit and expects auditors to present to the board next month. She also noted the Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) program is sunsetting and staff are planning to transition eligible residents into the Housing Choice Voucher program where appropriate.
Board members asked whether emergency placement vouchers or relocation to Hillcrest can be offered when units are taken offline; staff said they are exploring emergency placement options and preventive transfers for qualified residents.
Next steps: staff will continue coordination with the city on flood mitigation, complete standpipe inspections, finish camera and electrical installations, and pursue the remaining overdue HAP vouchers.
