HUD visits Trinidad Housing Authority amid numerous complaints

by Bill Knowles
TRINIDAD — Over recent months, complaints of noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) under Title II, have been building against the local public housing authority, until officials from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) visited housing authority projects in Trinidad, Thursday, July 23 to act on those complaints.  
In a meeting held in the commons room at the Corazon Apartments several residents voiced concerns to Michele Hutchins, Equal Opportunity Specialist in Program Compliance of Region 8. She is from Salt Lake City, Utah.
The complaints, two federal and one state complaint, centered around lack of compliance to Title II of the ADA which sets the standards relating to accessibility for the handicapped and disabled.  Under the Fair Housing Act, Section 8 and public housing must be made accessible. Failure to do so constitutes a violation of the law.  The housing authority must also set aside accessible units for ADA, according to HUD.
“When I moved to the Corazon Apartments, I asked if there were wheelchair accessible apartments available, and Rosemarie Shire said there were.  When I saw the apartment I was to move into, I knew It wasnʼt [accessible],” Stephen Hamer, a activist for the disabled and handicapped community in Trinidad, said.  “When I brought this up with Rosemarie Shire, she said, ʻYou have to live with it.ʼ They have to accommodate according to section 504 of the ADA.”
An inspection of the building showed fire extinguishers mounted six and a half feet from the floor; they need to be 48 inches from the floor along with light switches and thermostats.  Other grievances showed the disabled were never allowed to participate in making decisions about needed accommodations or lack of compliance and showed housing authority staffʼs lack of interest in working with the disabled.
“They had to gut out some of my apartment in order to allow me to make my bed while I was in a wheelchair,” said Hamer. “That didnʼt work out.  I still canʼt get my bed made even with help from my care giver.  They spent around $20,000 on my apartment and it still isnʼt in compliance with the accommodations I need.”
The units in Trinidad were all built prior to 1988 and, as such, are at the maximum extent feasible in terms of building specifications.  So, if bathrooms arenʼt as big as they should be because the building was erected before the new codes became active, HUD deems that to be passable, according to  Hutchins.
However, other complaints centering around the operations and staff-to-resident relations and possible discrimination will be collected over the phone throughout the rest of the month. “Thatʼs what fair housing is all about,” Hutchins said.
In a previous inspection in 2011, the housing authorityʼs assessment score was 88 making them a standard performer.  The Trinidad Housing Authority manages a total of 198 units, with 83 listed as Section 8 housing.
The World Journal left voice mail for the executive director for the Trinidad Housing Authority but was not able to reach Rosemarie Shire for comment.