The Denver Housing Authority has put about 100 families on notice – and may evict up to three dozen this year – for failing to meet a federal requirement that public-housing residents do monthly community service.
The authority has already evicted one tenant – a first in the nation under the rarely enforced rule, housing advocates say.
“It’s incredible they’re actually evicting people,” said Linda Couch, deputy director of the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Washington, D.C.
Three more Denver tenants are slated to be tossed out this week for not meeting the eight- hours-a-month requirement for volunteer work or participation in an activity, such as job training, leading to self-sufficiency.
Dozens more are expected to move out on their own – at least 21 families already have – rather than comply with the federal government demand, authority director Sal Carpio said.
“We have some people who are so far behind that they just leave,” Carpio said.
Rather than battle eviction in April, Gladys Barraza, 24, simply walked away from the apartment she had held rent-free for a year at northwest Denver’s Quigg Newton Homes, court records show.
A single mother of two, Barraza said she was caught between a lost job and an ailing mother.
After asking for time to make up her obligation, which is allowed, she couldn’t keep an appointment to sign the papers, Barraza said.
“I was surprised they wanted me out,” she said.
The law – the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 – was implemented in October 2003 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A HUD directive said the aim is to ensure that public-housing residents “give something back” to their communities or “improve their own economic and social well-being.”
“This is just 15 minutes a day; this is not an undue burden or stress on those individuals required to perform it,” HUD spokeswoman Donna White said.
Barraza agreed. “You’re already getting the help of a home and allowing you to be there without a job,” she said. “You should help the community.”
The rule exempts tenants older than 62, younger than 18, those on Social Security Insurance or welfare, and those who are disabled or working more than 30 hours a week.
As a result, only 522 of Denver’s 15,000 public-housing residents must comply with the rule.
Still, housing advocates see it as a chore.
“It’s a hassle to implement and applies to such a small population, it’s draconian,” said the housing coalition’s Couch.
Tenants are required to provide proof of their volunteer service or that they are engaged in a self-sufficiency activity, such as English-proficiency classes.
Monthly DHA rent statements show tenants the hours owed by each household member.
At the end of the year’s lease, tenants can sign an agreement to make up unmet hours – plus any new ones – under a new lease. If they fail again, rules say they cannot renew the lease.
A family can still face eviction if any eligible family member doesn’t complete the required hours, even if everyone else in the house does.
“We’ve had six families evict a relative who hadn’t complied in order to prevent their own eviction,” said Esther Campbell, DHA’s head of public-housing operations.
DHA records show about one in six are meeting the monthly requirement – many just haven’t filed the paperwork.
Others simply ignore DHA requests. “It’s like pulling teeth; they just don’t want to do it,” Campbell said.
Staff writer David Migoya can be reached at 303-820-1506 or dmigoya@denverpost.com.
