Digging Deeper: RHA, city leaders mulling over future public housing locations

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

WREX 13 By Kelsie Passolt 13 News is digging deeper on a controversial subject in Rockford that right now has no solution — public housing. When it comes to changing public housing, Rockford aldermen are asking questions.  They have been for months and Rockford Housing Authority is responding.  But, after all this time, many elected leaders say they still don’t understand. “At this point, I don’t have enough information to go forward with any type of vote,” says 14th Ward Alderman Joe Chiarelli. One of the Rockford Housing Authority’s biggest ideas– knocking down Fairgrounds Valley and breaking it up into three locations of mixed-income residents. Those addresses aren’t finalized, only suggested. “‘Where are these buildings going?’ ‘Well, we don’t know,’ Well, we can’t vote on anything like that,” says 1st Ward Alderman Tim Durkee, recounting his thoughts back in January, when RHA first asked City Council for help in getting federal funding to revamp public housing sites like Fairgrounds Valley. RHA CEO Ron Clewer says, “Because there are so many moving parts, we don’t have all that answers on paper yet.” Clewer wants aldermen to help fill in the blanks.  Ald. Chiarelli wants to see a different approach. “We have a major amount of stock of housing that’s vacant and dilapidated and those could be used for this; having the clients have some pride in these properties and put sweat equity into them,” he explains. Clewer says this is an option RHA is considering.  He’s concerned if the City of Rockford has enough money to hold onto its vacant properties until public housing residents could move into them. Ald. Durkee doesn’t have specific sites in mind, but if and when RHA tears down Fairgrounds, in rebuilding the units, Durkee wants to see housing options outside the City of Rockford.  Durkee says it’s RHA’s responsibility to come up with plan details, since it has the closest relationship with the federal government.  The feds would provide funding sources to redevelop Fairgrounds. Clewer says he’s looking into in nearby cities and villages.  But, it’s a challenging request. “The locations are either not good, meaning they don’t have nearby services like employment, access to transportation, etc., and there are a couple locations that are very good, but unfortunately, the cost of those properties is too much to make the numbers work.” Results will have to be worked out soon.  A summer deadline is approaching for a City Council vote on RHA’s plan to redevelop Fairgrounds.  By July, RHA says it’ll need to go to aldermen for approval on that plan. Read the article and watch the news story here.]]>