Council hears presentation on city program
City of Downey Mayor Anne Bayer made a proclamation and announced that it will be Fair Housing Month in the city. Also a presentation was made to the city council last Tuesday on an update of the city’s Senior Paint and Fix up program.
Bayer also presented the Downey Rose Float Association new Miss Downey and Miss Teen Downey and princesses and was honored by receiving the city’s pin.
The proclamation was tied into the presentation of the city’s Senior Paint and Fix up program. The Council wanted to receive an update on the program and the effects it has had on the city and its residents.
“We are asking each resident of the city of Downey to support efforts to put into practice the principles of freedom, justice and quality upon which this great Nation was founded,” Mayor Bayer said.
This year marks the 37th anniversary of the Federal Fair Housing Act, the original legislation targeting the elimination of housing discrimination in America and since the adoption of the fair housing legislation in April 1968, April has been designated Fair Housing Month.
Each year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Fair Housing Foundation organize events and activities during this month to focus attention on the issue of equal opportunity in housing.
In the Administrative Report, Mark Morris, Housing Planner for the city, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Senior Paint and Fix-up program. He said the program was originally started to help maintain property values in the city, but has been a great benefit over the years to the senior population.
The program has been running for 23 years now and was started through a Community Block Grant through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Morris said as of last Tuesday the program has completed 997 homes and by May there will be 1,000 homes will be complete.
The Senior Paint and Fix-up is designed to help senior citizens who are low income and 62 years and older. It is free to residents and is a once in a lifetime participant, meaning that the resident is only allowed to participate in the program once. This program gives the homeowner a chance to have the exterior of their homes painted, smoke alarms and deadbolt locks installed, broken windows and deteriorated screens replaced, and other minor repairs performed free of charge. Morris also said that their primary participant is usually a senior who has paid off their home and are widows who cannot keep up with the maintenance that their property. He has talked to seniors that have participated in the program and they always tell him that they are very hesitant when it comes to contractors working on their homes because of the horror stories they have heard.
The participants are allowed to pick out what color of the house they would like and other things that they might need maintenance on. “One lady picked out pink for her home because she loved the color,” Morris said.
He pointed out to the council members and the residents in the audience that this program has improved relations between the homeowner and the city. Also it becomes a benefit to the community by cleaning up the yards and the outside of the homes to make the homes in Downey more welcoming.
Morris finished by saying, “This is one of the unsung programs in the city and he hopes this starts a mushroom effect in the city by getting more people involved.”
Mayor Pro Tem Meredith Perkins asked if the program that was presented is the different than the Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program which is loan program that the city also offers to residents that involves major projects such as roofing. Morris responded by saying that this program is different than the loan program because the Senior Paint and Fix up is free to residents and it does not offer major repairs on the homes.
Council member Kirk Cartozian said, “We get lots of letters every year from residents that have participated in the program and its all positive.”
In council member reports, Perkins wanted to commend Police Chief John Finch and his officers that investigated into a resident’s concern that checks were being stolen from her mailbox and possibly others too. The resident had come to the city council last month about her concern. He said the police were able to identify the suspect by a thumbprint on one of the stolen checks and the suspect confessed to stealing and cashing the checks and was arrested.
