Housing Highlights: Volume 4, Issue 6

WHA Newsletter

Housing Highlights: Volume 4, Issue 6

Housing Highlights
For Residents of Washington Housing Authority
Volume 4, Issue 6 January - March 2022

Congratulations to Tiara Woods
Washington Housing Authority's Employee of the Year
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 Employee of the Year
2 A Message from the ED
3 In Loving Memory
4 60th Anniversary Celebration
5 Homeownership Counseling & LIEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Payments)
6 Winter Energy Savings Tips
7 Black History
8 FSS and ROSS Coordinators
9 & 10 Scholarships
11 STEM
12 Upcoming Projects
13 FYI
ATTENTION Graduating Seniors!

Help Keep Our Kids Safe!
Please be mindful of this while traveling in residential areas

A Message from the Executive Director

A Message from the ED

Last year, Washington Housing Authority (WHA) adopted a new slogan, "So Much More than Housing". We set out with the task of providing our residents with not only decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, but an improvement on their overall quality of life as well. We were awarded the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator grant. This grant funds a position that would enable you-our residents to have someone to coordinate services for them that leads to self-sufficiency and enhances their overall quality of life.

WHA's Family Self-Sufficiency program was funded another year and we are excited to introduce our new FSS Coordinator Kimberly Grimes to our community.

WHA launched our first community event in Old Fort, the 3on3on9th Basketball Tournament. This community event brought about a positive outlet for our kids to play and compete. This tournament supported our newly established Torch Scholarship for graduating high school seniors. WHA will award our first graduating seniors in Spring 2022.

Washington Initiative to Support Homeownership (WISH) was founded in a partnership with the City of Washington. This program will assist residents in public housing and participants in the Housing Choice Voucher program to purchase their first home. The home must be purchased in Beaufort County or in Washington. Participants in this program will have the opportunity to repair their credit, receive down payment assistance, and more. This is a wonderful partnership with the City of Washington.

This is only the beginning of what WHA has planned. I am excited to introduce new housing opportunities to the families we serve. We are resident centered and community focused.

Enthusiastically,

Vanessa L. Dunn

In Loving Memory

In Loving Memory of Pamela Starkie
Pamela Starkie was a member of the Washington Housing Authority Staff for five years and was loved and respected by many. She was the Housing Manager of East Haven, Eastern Village, and Eastern Village Annex. We love and miss her dearly and she will forever live in our hearts.

60th Anniversary Celebration

60th Anniversary Celebration

Homeownership and LIEAP

Homeownership Counseling
Do you desire to own your own home?

Home ownership is an attainable goal for so many people, yet "Where do I start?" or even "How can I own a home?" seem to be burning questions. WHA has partnered with Greenville Housing Authority to connect our residents to the best resources to help them work towards home ownership. GHA's home ownership program addresses everything from credit counseling to savings to the entirety of home buying process. Housing counseling services available include homebuyer preparation, homebuyer workshops, mortgage default counseling, debt management, loss mitigation, fair housing assistance, renter assistance, and building and repairing your credit. Tenants may request more information by contacting GHA's certified housing counselors: Tomeka Edwards (252-329-4036) and/or Kimberly White (252-329-4056).

LIEAP
(Low Income Energy Assistance Payments)

Do you need help paying your heating bills?

The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) may be able to help you. Households with a person age 60 or older or a disabled person receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) who currently receives Food and Nutrition Services and received LIEAP during the 2020-2021 LIEAP season last year may qualify to receive an Automated Payment this LIEAP season. These households will be notified of eligibility in November and do not need to apply for this benefit. Beginning December 1, 2021 any household with a person age 60 or older or disabled person receiving DAAS services who did not receive notice of an Automated Payment are encouraged to apply practicing social distancing by submitting a paper application through the U.S. Postal Service or via fax to their local Department of Social Services. Applications may also be dropped off at the local Department of Social Services. Applicants may contact their local DSS for information on how to obtain a paper application. All other households may submit applications beginning January 3, 2022. The application period continues through March 31, 2022 or until funds are exhausted. Households do not have to go into the agency to apply.

To be eligible for the LIEAP program, a household must:

• Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria
• Have income equal to or less than 130% of the federal poverty limit
• Have resources, such as saving and checking accounts and cash on hand, at or below $2,250 (resources will not be counted for 2021-2022 LIEAP season)
• Be responsible for their heating cost

Households can apply online through the ePASS portal at epass.nc.gov, by phone or by submitting a paper application through mail, fax or dropping it off at their local DSS, without having to go into the agency to apply. Individuals may also contact their local DSS to apply.

Winter Energy Savings Tips

Winter Energy Saving Tips
1. Let the Sun in During the Day- the sun is a fantastic source of free heat to naturally heat your home. Close your curtains at night to prevent cold chills from cooling your home.
2. Eliminate Air Leaks and Drafts- use caulk for cracks and openings between stationary objects like door and window frames. You can use weatherstripping around anything that moves, like the door itself or window sashes.
3. Close Doors and Vents in Unused Rooms- if you have a room in your house that people rarely enter, close off all vents in the room and shut all doors. This will prevent you from paying to heat uninhabited space.
4. Stay Warm with Clothes and Blankets- It's much more cost effective to warm your body than your house. Keep the thermostat low and compensate by wearing a nice sweater and warm socks around the house. Stay toasty at night under a thick blanket, comforter, or duvet.
5. Keep the Air Circulating- Normally, ceiling fans rotate counterclockwise, pushing air down and producing a slight wind chill effect, allowing you to feel cooler. However, most ceiling fans have a reverse switch that will enable them to turn clockwise, producing an updraft and moving the warm air that collects near your ceiling down into the rest of the room.
6. Use Space Heaters- Space heaters are excellent for heating closed-off areas that you only occupy for shorter periods. However, when it comes to heating your entire house, space heaters are less efficient than a natural gas furnace or a heat pump.
7. After Using the Oven, Leave the Door Ajar- Heating your home entirely with your oven would be an impractical waste of energy. However, if you're using it anyway, there's no sense in letting heat go to waste. After taking dinner out of the oven, leave the door cracked open and allow that extra heat to escape and warm your kitchen.
8. Lower the temperature in Your Home- Lowering the temperature in your home by just a couple degrees can result in significant long-term savings. Turn your thermostat down to the lowest temperature you find comfortable.
9. Turn the Thermostat Down When You Go To sleep- According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save 10% on your energy bill just by turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day. Turn down your thermostat when no one is home and when everyone is asleep. You'll stay toasty warm under your thick blankets while saving money.

Black History Is American History

Black History Is American History
Nine months before Rosa Parks, there was a young woman named
Claudette Colvin.
On March 2, 1955, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was riding home on a city bus after a long day at school. A white passenger boarded, and the bus driver ordered Claudette to give up her seat. Claudette refused. As she later told Newsweek "I felt like Sojourner Truth was pushing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman was pushing down on the other. I was glued to my seat." Colvin was arrested and eventually put on indefinite probation. Though Colvin's courageous act occurred nine months before Rosa Parks' similar protest, the NAACP chose to use the 42-year-old civil rights activist as the public face of the Montgomery bus boycott. Colvin later joined three other women as the plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the case that ultimately overturned bus segregation in Alabama.
James McCune Smith was the first African American doctor
James McCune Smith was the first African American to hold a medical degree and the first African American to run a pharmacy. Because no American university was willing to admit him, he was forced to travel to Scotland to earn his degree from the University of Glasgow. After graduating in 1837, he practiced medicine for nearly two decades at the Colored Orphan Asylum in Manhattan, contributed papers to scholarly journals, and was widely respected as an intellectual. He was an abolitionist who helped enslaved peoples escape and find their way to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
Jane Bolin made history over and over.

Jane Bolin is the first African American woman to graduate from Yale Law School, earning her J.D. in 1931.In the 1930s, Jane Bolin became the first African American woman to serve as assistant corporate counsel for New York City. In 1939, Jane Bolin became the first African American female judge in the United States. She devoted her career to fighting for children's rights, taking cases related to juvenile delinquency, child abuse and segregation, wives and children who were in dire need of assistance, adoptions, and child welfare. Bolin defended justice and equality for women and children from the bench of New York's Family Court for four decades.
Railway Telegraphy
A prolific inventor, Granville Woods developed the railroad telegraph, a device that transmitted messages, through static electricity, between moving trains. In 1885 Woods began working on what he called "telegraphony," a device that allowed users to switch between two forms of communication, voice, or Morse code, to transmit messages. Based on "telegraphony," Woods invented the induction telegraph in 1887. The induction telegraph used static electricity from the existing telegraph lines running parallel to the train tracks, making messaging possible between moving trains and rail stations. He created an overhead conducting system for rail and trolley cars to run on electric current instead of steam power. He also improved the automatic air brake used by railroad cars. His patents were eventually bought and used by General Electric and the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.

https://www.rd.com/list/facts-about-black-history-month-you-didnt-learn-in-school/
https://explorethearchive.com/black-history-month-facts
https://www.invent.org/inductees/granville-woods
https://www.biography.com/political-figure/jane-bolin
https://ignitenational.org/blog/the-life-and-legacy-of-judge-jane-bolin

FSS Coordinator and ROSS Coordinator

FSS Coordinator
ROSS Coordinator
Greetings everyone,

My name is Kimberly Grimes, your new Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Coordinator, and I have joined the Washington Housing Authority family. I am excited to bring my case and project management experience to housing where it can benefit each one of you. This is a massive transition from the Washington Police-Fire Services. However, I am excited to help as many people as possible.

For those of you who may know me, I grew up in housing and understand firsthand some of the challenges one can face. But I believe that with hard work comes undeniable success. I look forward to serving you and helping you reach your potential goals, such as homeownership.

My motto is: "Scars remind us of where we have been, but it does not dictate where we are going" ...
Author unknown.

Greetings residents!

My name is Alecia Rhoe. I am the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Coordinator of Washington Housing Authority. I am someone who loves to see community elevate and am elated to be in a position where I am able to work with an amazing team to be sure that our residents reach their highest heights. As someone who has worked in public housing before, I count it an honor to say that I have worked with great tenants in eastern North Carolina in the past and look forward to working with you to reach self-sufficiency, whether it is related to acquiring a degree or certification, employment, an understanding of financial literacy, or creating stable, living conditions.

If you're interested in learning more about the ROSS program, please contact me at 252-644-6055 or you may email me at alecia@wha-nc.org

Scholarships

Anthony Goodson Jr. ECARHO Scholarship

ECAHRO has implemented a scholarship program for graduating seniors preparing to pursue additional educational goals. We support the growth, development, and educational pursuits of deserving public housing residents.

The Anthony Goodson, Jr. Scholarship will provide available funding for residents of assisted housing being administered or managed by a Public Housing Authority. An eligible recipient must be an immediate family member who resides in publicly assisted housing.

Individuals must plan to attend a technical school, vocational school, or an accredited community college or university.

The scholarship fund will be administered by the ECAHRO Scholarship Committee, and the funds will be sent directly to the school that the recipient will be attending.

Torch Scholarship

The Torch Scholarship program was created to provide post-secondary educational financial assistance for graduating high school seniors currently residing in the following communities:

• Clifton Meadows
• Eastern Village
• Eastern Village Annex
• Oakcrest
• Old Fort
• Westbrooke

Seniors participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) are also eligible to apply. Torch Scholarships will be awarded annually to up to 2 graduating high school seniors attending a university, community college or technical school on a full-time or part-time basis. Qualified applicants must complete an application, which includes an essay on long-term goals and provide a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor or staff person (that is not a member of the Torch Scholarship Committee) and a copy of a recent transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted). Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be eligible for consideration.

The WHA Torch Scholarship Committee will review and score all Torch applications and the applicants with the highest scores will receive an award of at least $1,000.00 each that will be sent directly to the school that the recipient will be attending. Torch Scholarship winners will be recognized at an award ceremony by July 2022.

STEM: Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics

STEM: Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics
SATURDAY ACADEMY

The Saturday Academy will consist of three programs: Drones, 3D Vehicle Engineering and the Planetarium, primarily focusing on Geology. Unlike the summer camp, the Saturday Academy is a free program with a required minimum of 10 children and will be held one Saturday per month for three hours. The dates and times have not been scheduled.

SUMMER CAMP COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The Inner Banks STEM Center offers two 2-week summer day camps for 5th-7th grade students and one 3-week summer camp for 7th-9th graders.

The Aviation Camp (July) and Boating Camp (September) are 2-weeks. The Renewable Energy Sources Using Artificial Intelligence Camp (June) is 3-weeks.

Daily swimming lessons, free breakfast and lunch are included in all the summer camp programs unless County health protocols dictate otherwise. Pursuant to a partnership with the Little Washington Sailing School, a one-week sailing school will be offered to the top 12 students that attend the summer camps. There is a $600 fee for the summer camps but there are grants and/or sponsorships available for at-risk students. For more information on these camps and more, please visit ibxstem.org.

Summer Camp
Times will be 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM unless a field trip is scheduled. Times and locations for any after school programs or weekend academies held will be determined when the program is scheduled.

Enrollment
If your children are not currently in the program, but you would like to enroll them, please reach out via the form on the Contact Page by visiting: ibxstem.org

Address
Washington-Warren Airport
201 Airport Rd.
Washington, NC
ibxstem@gmail.com

Upcoming Projects

Upcoming Projects
• Tenants living in Eastern Village and Eastern Village Annex will now meet with their new housing manager at the Central Office for assistance on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
(Please call and schedule appointments)
• All parking lots have been or are in the process of being repaved.
• We now have new handicap parking available at the Central Office
• "No Parking" signs have been placed down 13th Street
• We are working with the City of Washington on installing speed bumps out Westbrooke
• The housing managers office at East Haven has now been moved to the 1st floor.

New handicap parking at Central Office
Repaving project at Westbrooke

Information

Upcoming Board Meetings

January 27 - Central Office
February 24 - Central Office
March 24 - Central Office
April 28 - Central Office
May 26 - Central Office
June 23 - Central Office
July 28 - Central Office
August 25 - Central Office
September 22 - Central Office
October 27 - Central Office
November 24 - TBD
December 22 - TBD

Dates are subject to change due to weather or holidays.

2022 Holiday Closings
January 17, 2022- Martin Luther King
Jr. Day
February 21, 2022- President's Day
April 15, 2022- Good Friday
May 30, 2022- Memorial Day
July 4, 2022- Independence Day
September 5, 2022- Labor Day
October 10, 2022- Columbus Day
November 11, 2022- Veteran's Day
November 24-November 25, 2022- Thanksgiving Day & Day After
December 23-December 26, 2022- Christmas Break

WHA Online Payments
Step 1: Visit www.washingtonhousingauthority.org
Step 2: Click Pay Online
Step 3: Sign up for your account
Step 4: Log into your account, Tenant "Make Payment"

All online payments will charge a $2.00 convenience fee.
Email Confirmation will serve as your receipt of payment.

Employment Opportunities
Part-time Maintenance Mechanic 1
Maintenance Mechanic 1
Public Housing/HQS Inspector

Apply on indeed.com

Thank you
Pastor Ralph & Lady Lillie Credle
distributed Christmas cheer to the residents of East Haven on December 18, 2021.

Snow Day

WHA Phone Number
252-946-0061
Website
www.washingtonhousingauthority.org
City of Washington
Non-Emergency Number
252-946-1444