OSWEGO – Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow has unveiled a list of comprehensive reforms to the city of Oswego HUD Section 8 Rental Assistance Program to the Common Council with a scheduled public hearing and official vote by the council on December 11, at Oswego City Hall.
“I am committed to reforming the city of Oswego HUD Section 8 Rental Assistance Program to incorporate a workforce development component for workable families, to transition the assistance from a government subsidized ‘handout’ program to a constructive ‘hand up’ program,” said Mayor Barlow. “I want to create an avenue that removes the stumbling blocks and better connects individuals utilizing the city’s Rental Assistance Program to workforce development agencies that can assist with conducting a job search, preparing a work resume and finding meaningful employment, ultimately setting individuals on a path to self-sufficiency.”
“I’ve already taken a step in this direction by executing a Memorandum of Understanding between the city of Oswego and Oswego County Workforce Development Board, to refer and encourage clients to participate in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program and employment-related programs,” Barlow added.
The four key proposed updates and revisions to the city’s Section 8 Administrative Plan include:
1. Re-prioritizing the ranking system used to place individuals on the program to offer priority to households with members that are currently working part-time, are enrolled in education, or participating in a vocational training program. The changes to the ranking system will also place military veterans higher on the priority list, while placing individuals from outside the city of Oswego at the lowest priority.
2. Implementation of uniform housing standards, upgrading the Rental Assistance Program’s inspection standards to meet the city and state codes. Specifically, mandating landlords who accept HUD vouchers to obtain rental permits from the city of Oswego and to abide by the city and state codes to provide better living conditions to individuals receiving HUD assistance, while holding landlords who accept HUD vouchers as payment more accountable.
3. Implementation of fees charged to landlords participating in the rental assistance program for properties that fail the required Housing Quality Standards inspection. If a property on the HUD voucher program fails a required inspection and needs to be re-inspected, a $100 fee will be assessed on the landlord after the first re-inspection, with an additional $50 fee imposed for every subsequent failed inspection. This will help ensure that the landlords are maintaining compliance with the Housing Quality Standards in a timely manner.
4. Expanding the review of the criminal background check to prohibit individuals applying to the program that have been convicted of a felony in the past five years involving violent criminal activity, illegal substance abuse, or alcohol abuse. Previously the criminal background checks reviewed records from the past three years.
“By offering more resources to individuals, prioritizing those working, going to school and raising a family, improving living conditions and raising expectations for housing units on the HUD program throughout the city, we are better positioning our neighbors and community members to succeed,” Barlow said.
The scheduled public hearing on the proposal will be held at 7:05 p.m. and will be voted on by the Common Council during the regular council meeting at 7:30 p.m., Monday, December 11.
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Great ideas Mayor Barlow.
BUT while they are being ‘assisted’ in the new program,where will the funds come from? CITY taxes, or a Federal or State funding?
THIS region is severely economically stressed with JUST health related funding from County coffers! JUST those, are stressful in the Medicaid program that was taken from the State and it is my understanding the Counties have been responsible for these programs for several decades (and other regions have re-located their disabled individuals for a better quality of life in smaller communities like Oswego vs. urban areas with the smaller communities having to fund the relocation AND the medical and daily needs of these individuals). These new transfers do benefit from our slower paced lifestyle, but the funding adds additional stress to already stretched tax dollars on residents who are paying higher taxes for our lack of industry in Oswego City and Oswego County).
HOW will this impact Oswego COUNTY, and OSWEGO CITY taxpayers? We need more information that needs to be forthcoming before this program is implemented.
The idea is wonderful! But HUD recipients are often the working poor. They ARE already working or going to school. Those unable to work are often on PA, with only some HUD help. And many have the emotional/psychiatric/and physical disabilities that HUD assists with, but their incomes are too great for PA (through their SSI benefits/Disability benefits, etc.).
So…..where do you think these people will work? WalMart and Dunkin can only employ so many. The reason we have so many apartments is because people left here to find work. Now, to fill the housing stock the landlords have been using Section 8. Until there are more livable wage jobs here, this will be a on going problem.
It all may sound good on paper but the realistic aspect is that if Oswego starts limiting this program they will see many more vacant houses. Yes you can rent to students but then what happens when they get done? I also believe the mayor had mentioned affordable housing with his poverty rfps so isnt this doing the complete opposite from that?
As a former resident of Oswego, I feel these are all great ideas. This mayor is trying to improve his community. All I see are people that want to tear him down for financial reasons. I understand that when he cut down the number of firefighters there were many disgruntled people. The ones that created MOST not all of that particular problem were the highest paid employees soaking up MOST not all of the overtime. Here he has a good idea to try to improve the quality of the tenants for the landlord by creating a system that will help those that are struggling, yet willing to improve there position in life. Before you grill him on budgets remember that Cuomo and the rest of the politicians running this state regardless of party affiliation send disproportionate amounts of money to Buffalo, Albany, and NYC. Why? It is because they are the most densely populated areas in this state and they only three places politicians need to stay in power. At least this kid is trying to make a difference, unlike all the empty promises that get spoon fed to the majority of registered voters every time someone is up for election.
piece meal jobs that’s all that is here. He needs to bring back good paying factory jobs now is not the time to reform HUD bad move he will not get my vote again and many of my friends vote to
How about an overhaul of the troubled DPW instead
How about an overhaul of the water/sewer rates?! Must be everyone in town enjoys paying for some of the highest rates in the country…and they’re going up again real soon too!
I am disabled . Never can work again. How about concentrating on real issues . Snow removal is a million dollar industry in this city ALL the overtime and road wear ( rt48) purchase a snow melting machine and run through waste water and out to the lake . That is what they do in bigger cities . You and the common consul swamp should be drained. You all have no vision OH wait for it another year of dug up roads .