News from Delaware Tenants

The Housing Journal, Winter 2001
News from Delaware Tenants
Greenfield Manor Elects Council Board	Faced with possible mass eviction in September of next year, the residents of Greenfield Manor have formed a resident council for the assisted units of their Section 8 development in Bear. At an election on December 1, 2000, this slate of resident council board members was chosen: OFFICERS Diane Berry, PRESIDENT Debbie Dillon, VICE PRESIDENT Kathy Ciconte, SECRETARY Dorene Spence, TREASURER AT LARGE Shawyetta Hinson Donna Mroz Marie Starling The election process was a cooperative effort among the residents, the Delaware State Wide Association of Tenants, Horn & Associates of Chicago, and the National Alliance of HUD Tenants. Monitoring the entire election process were June McArtor and Pat Todd of the New Castle County League of Women Voters. Many thanks to all who made the election possible and congratulations to the newly formed council, which has chosen its officers and is drafting bylaws. Thanks also to Deb Gottschalk of Community Legal Aid Society, who is working with the council on issues related to their obtaining "enhanced vouchers" under the new HUD regulations, allowing them to stay at Greenfield Manor.
A Tenant Letter on Improving Housing	We must realize management has an important and difficult job to have a clean building and a good environment with a lot of effort from the tenants. We should work with management, that way we can do so much. Management must also understand how important security is to all of us. We could have a suggestion box for tenants to give some ideas as to their needs. We will have long term stability and continuity. To achieve quality services to everyone without help from everyone will be a long hard road, With help we will achieve our goals. Tenants should not be talked down to such as "you people have it good here." Or: "If you don’t like it here move," Or: "You should be glad to have such a nice place to live." We must reach across to one another in compassion on solidarity to go forward. We can’t be divided. Some suggestions follow. ‘Our office is closed every day at lunch time. It seems to me that, one at a time, staff could go to lunch could go to lunch. When people came to deliver or repair men for T.V. or phone’s they can’t get in. Sometimes you have to wait several days for them to return. ‘ If called to the office, it is wise for you, as a tenant, to take someone with you. ‘ Better living conditions can be brought about if management will work with tenants. ‘ No discrimination should be tolerated in our complex. ‘ Good janitor service is a goal to work for. ‘ A tenant list of things to be corrected should be addressed by management. ‘ There should never be any talking down to tenants. ‘ The need for security is a critical issue for the elderly. John Roderick Chelten Apartments Tenant Association
SWAT Organization Gaining Strength	In the last year, the Delaware State Wide Association of Tenants has added three expiring-use multifamily developments to the list of resident councils that have formed and joined SWAT: Chelten Apartments, Greenfield Manor, and Lexington Green. During this same time, SWAT has consolidated its all-tenant board, whch is meeting monthly and working with Messrs. Steve Daniels and Parth Munshi of Skadden, Arps, Meagher, and Flom, who are working pro bono to complete the incorporation and nonprofit process for the tenant association. The SWAT Board now consists of the following tenant representatives: Doris Bolgar, New Castle Cynthia Chandler, Harrington (Vice President) Winnie Cooper, Smyrna (Secretary) Patrice Hollis, Lexington Green* Donna Mroz, Greenfield Manor* Sadie Nance, Smyrna, (President) Shekeena Philips, Bridgeville John Roderick, Chelten Apartments* Vergie Trent, Clarks Corner* Barbara Winder, McLane Gardens* (Treasurer) * = Resident Council Representative The tenant association has also received its first major independent grants. SWAT was awarded a first year grant of $29,000 from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Both the Campaign and the Administrative Commission on the Speer Trust have, for the past four years, supported the DHC effort to launch a state-wide tenant association. The tenant organizing effort has also received a $60,000 first-year, Outreach and Technical Assistance Grant (OTAG) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant is to enable DHC and SWAT to lend more support to Section 8 project-based developments whose contracts are in danger of expiring. While this grant was awarded to DHC, it will provide the transitional funding to the tenant association that it requires to become an independent entity. Both the CCHD and OTAG grants are the first year of three-year support for state-wide tenant organizing.