NEWS DETAILS

Message From the Executive Director/CEO

Happy New Year!

Winter is well underway and we hope you are keeping warm and making the most of it. As part of our continuing effort to enhance and provide excellent customer service to our residents, MHA partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to install a new mailbox on our grounds. We were only able to get one mailbox, so we did our best to select a location that would be convenient for both Spring Brook and Spring Valley residents. The mailbox will also be used by the general public and motorists, so we did not want that activity to block our limited parking spaces or affect the safety of our residents. Therefore, we decided to locate the new mailbox just a little northeast of the Spring Valley Management Office/Community Building on 11th Avenue Court.

MHA was awarded a Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) grant for the very first time ever. MHA was selected from over 60 applicants to be one of the new FSS grant recipients. The FSS program will be managed by an FSS Coordinator. MHA has since hired Ms. Jozett McCoy as the FSS Coordinator. The FSS program will help residents and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program participants of the Moline Housing Authority (MHA) increase their earnings and build financial assets.

Residents and HCV Voucher holders participating in the program are known as FSS participants. The FSS program has two key features; A financial incentive for residents and HCV Program participants to increase their earnings in the form of an escrow account that increases as FSS participants’ earnings increase. The escrow account helps participants build savings that they can use to improve their quality of life and advance their personal goals. Case management or coaching to help FSS participants access services they may need to overcome barriers to employment, strengthen their financial capability, and address other challenges holding them back from achieving their goals.

The FSS program is voluntary for residents and HCV Program participants who choose to enroll in the FSS program and work with the FSS program coordinator who will help participants identify a series of intermediate and long-term goals and the steps they need to take to achieve those goals. Steps include services participants may need to access, such as job training, financial literacy, or adult education. Each participant will have his or her identified goals and steps to achieve those goals. We are excited about this new program and chapter in MHA’s history, and we encourage as many residents and HCV program participants as possible to take advantage of the FSS program and enroll. We are counting on your cooperation and support to make the program successful.

Further information will be made available in the coming weeks, so watch out for it. My door is always open, and I appreciate your thoughts and opinions on issues that matter most to you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at 309-277-0283 or email me at jfa@molinehousing.com or stop by at any time to see me.

However, if your concerns are particular to your tenancy, please first discuss the issue with the respective department and/or manager. If, after that, you are still not satisfied, then by all means come see me. I also take this opportunity to remind you that the Moline Housing Authority is an equal opportunity housing provider and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexuality, creed, age, color, or religion. Thank you for your support and cooperation, and thank you for choosing the Moline Housing Authority as your housing provider. We are here to serve and provide housing and opportunities. Take care and have a great winter and stay warm.

New FSS Coordinator—Meet Jozett McCoy

The Moline Housing Authority welcomes Jozett McCoy as its new Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinator for both the Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) programs. This is a new program that will enable our residents to move toward financial independence.

Jozett has lived in the Quad City area for over 30 years and is a graduate of Moline High School. She attended Western Illinois University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She resides in Moline and is looking forward to helping families find jobs and increase their earnings so they can support their goals and dreams. Jozett’s office will be located in the Spring Valley Community Building.

Information about the FSS program and its opportunities will be communicated through our website, postings, newsletters, and by personal contact from Jozett. Participation in the FSS Program is voluntary for all, but space may be limited. Jozett can be reached at 309-764-1819.

Section 8 Info—Annual Re-Certification

Be sure you have all documentation required, and be sure that all household members over the age of 18 attend the interview.

MHA will notify each family of their re-certification approximately 3 months before the anniversary of their initial move-in date. At the interview, the MHA staff will check to see that all information provided about income and family size is correct. MHA is required by federal regulations to review each voucher participant’s income and family size.

Maintenance Corner—Preventing Mildew and Mold

Mildew and mold are often confused but are naturally occurring everywhere. Factors that affect their growth are temperature, light, air circulation, and most important, moisture. Management commonly observes evidence of mildew in bathrooms, which are naturally moist. Unvented, warm showers in a closed, small bathroom will increase moisture levels dramatically. We also observe mildew forming around windows where wet condensation from the cold outdoors beads on the cool glass surface. This condensation drips onto the window sills and walls.

If not mopped or cleaned up, mold can form, especially on walls underneath windows that are next to furniture. The furniture acts to block airflow around the damp wall and also cuts off the light. Further, because it is hidden by the furniture, mold forming on the wall is easily missed by residents until it becomes so large that is finally noticed. You can minimize mildew and mold problems with some simple steps.

1. Vent moisture in the house or rooms as much as possible and increase air circulation by opening windows (only when above freezing and someone is present)
2. Allow natural light into your unit so that it is not dark
3. 3) be observant and inspect window sills and exterior-facing walls that are hidden by blinds, curtains, and furniture
4. Regularly wipe and clean suspect areas with Dawn dish detergent rather than a bleach mix.

If the problem persists, please contact our maintenance department so that we can consider other solutions.

Tips from Housing—Pets at the MHA

Responsible pet care extends beyond providing food and shelter for the pet. Residents with pets have extra responsibilities that run to the neighbors and to MHA. The Pet Policy is an important part of the lease and is in place for the safety of all.

Your responsibility to the housing authority starts with identification and registration of the pet, and in the case of dogs and cats, proof of veterinarian care such as shots for rabies and other diseases. MHA’s policy has size and number limitations, and perhaps, monetary obligations such as a pet deposit. But, proper registration is just the start of your pet commitment with MHA and fellow residents.

As with visiting guests, you are responsible for the behavior of your pets. A loud animal that disturbs the neighbors is the same as a complaint that you are disturbing the peace and quiet of your neighbors. Pet waste left on the grounds or scattered about your unit will also lead to housekeeping violations and possible maintenance charges. Of course, any pet that appears vicious or dangerous to people is not going to be compatible in our community, no matter how loving they may be to the owner.

MHA will give you a decal for a properly registered pet. The decal is to be displayed on your entrance door and is readily noticed by our staff whenever they visit your unit. If an animal is encountered in a unit that does not have a decal, the animal is presumed to be unregistered and you will be asked to comply or explain.

Updates for your pet registration are also reviewed at your annual rent recertifications with management. If you have any questions about pets or the MHA Pet Policy, you are welcome to contact the management office at any time.

Important Dates