CHA FAVORS SAFE HOMES FOR RESIDENTS

It's not often that the Chicago Housing Authority is criticized for
being excessively concerned about the safety of public housing
residents, but that's essentially what Mark Brown's July 16 column
did ["When good isn't good enough, at least for CHA"].

Under our new housing choice voucher policy, we will not approve
residents living in homes surrounded by open drug dealing, abandoned
buildings and vacant lots. We do not subsidize irresponsible
landlords with substandard apartments. Instead, we require landlords
who receive federal dollars to be accountable to their tenants and
their communities.

We adopted this policy in March after hearing from civic groups,
community leaders and public housing advocates who felt that our
efforts to help residents relocate into healthier communities too
often fell short as residents were being lured into unsafe, isolated housing.

The problem, Brown suggests, is that some residents might find a unit
in such conditions and voluntarily choose to live there anyway -- so
who are we to say no. Well, first of all, we work for the public, and
we have an obligation to taxpayers to make good use of their money.
Allowing unscrupulous landlords to cash in on a federal low-income
housing program does not meet that standard.

Second, we have an even greater obligation to our residents to
provide the highest quality housing possible. Experience tells us
that a building surrounded by drug dealing and physical decay is
doomed, even if that particular building is in pretty good shape.

Finally, the policy reflects our broader belief that quality housing
is more than a sound roof overhead and a good floor underfoot. A good
home must also be part of a strong, healthy neighborhood.

Under the Plan for Transformation, we are trying to end the isolation
of public housing residents. To every extent possible, we encourage
residents to live in mixed-income communities, side by side with
professionals and working families. Drug houses and vacant buildings
do not support this vision, and we therefore adopted this policy.

Like any policy, it is subject to interpretation, and we have some
latitude in how it is implemented. In fact, of the 2,400 units
inspected since March, less than 10 percent were rejected because of
the new criteria.

But, the underlying reasoning behind this policy is very clear: Safe,
decent, affordable homes are the building blocks of healthy
communities that offer real and meaningful opportunities for people
to live rewarding and productive lives.

Chicago Housing Authority