I I
,
Homel8!.Un
BRO POISES
I H CITY HOUSI
By e En)
"Why must our children grow
up in Sh lters too, causing the
homeless problem to per­
petuate itself? Doesn't Lewis
know these children are our fu­
ture?" asked President of the
ational omeless Union'
Sonya Terry during a NHU rally
at the office of Housing Com­
missioner Tom Lewis, Tuesday,
March 8.
NHU was protesting what
they say is Lewis' non-com­
pliance with earlier promises to
place 30 persons into public
housing.
"This promise was made on
February 2, and many are wait­
ing still," says Terry.
NUH said Lewis agreed to
First Black
Caucu
Intern
elected ",
LANSING - Eight students
from Michigan State University
and Lansing C· munity Col­
lege were chosen as the first in­
tern under the Michigan Legis­
lative Black Caucus internship
program. .:
Successful applicants include
Jonathon Edwards, Sharon
Mayes, Ed ard Banks, Pierre
Butler, Avis Maria, Louis AI­
lemayehw, Cheryl McPherson,
and Jennifer Slaughter.
"Our goal for the Black
Caucus Fello Program is to
create an alternative for
minority students who often
must ch 0 e bet en a part­
lime job and a non-p ying
cademic internship", says State
Representative Alma G.
Stallworth, Ch ir of the
Michig n Legislative Black
Caucus Foundation.
"This program will ee to
develop these tudent into
legislative technicians that are
familiar with the legislative
process and cap hie of creating
effective leadership policies that
ddress the needs of Blac and
minority citizen", says
Stall rth.
"Each fello will be assigned
to a legislator and one legislative
committee. Some of the require­
ments to complete the program
include a research paper re­
I ted to the fellows committee
assignment, and up to two field
a ignrnents such as develop­
ment of seminars, and legislative
or commuity forums", says Ur­
sula Littles, Program Coor­
dinator and Executive Secretary
for the Michigan Legi lative
Black Caucus.
Each intership program wiD
for 0 e cademic quarter.
� feU will be awar� a
stipend of up to $500 per
quarter.
GS
AR DEALI
G OFFICIALS
supply them with a list of the
persons to be placed in public
housing that they might better
serve those who have not been
assisted and eliminate the
names of those who have.
Terry said, "I think Lewis
should stick to what he 0rwnal­
Iy offered us instead of always
changing the game plan.
Terry said she still lives in the
shelter and along with everyone
else has been waiting over 30
days.
On Monday, March 7, NHl.,t
met with the Detroit City Coun­
cil and Tom Lewis attended.
The issue of applicants for
COTS Fundral r
The Lampion Club of Chi
Eta Phi Sorority (Profes ..
sional Nurses' Sorority) are
conducting a clothing drive
to benefit COTS Emergency
Shelter of Detroit. The drive,
organized by member Rita
Ingersoll, GN; Cynthia
Marks, SN; and Saundra
Smith, GN; will end March
22 with the presentation of
the collected items to Lucius
Wilson of COTS.
public housing wit h felony
records was addressed. .
Lewis was quoted as saying if
a person was a repeat offender
By Fo r
Capital News Service
LANStNG - A federal
voucher program has been very
successful in Michigan, housing
uthoriti say.
The program, which started
in Michigan three years ago, al­
lows qualified individuals to
apply for the house of their
choice and p y the difference
between the payment " tand­
ard," which is the -pre-deter­
mined amount of the voucher,
and the rent that they negotiate
for the unit.
"The problem we have is the
need far exceeds the number of
available vouchers," said Larry
V alencic, director of housiDg
programs for the Michigan State
Housing Development
Authority. .
Margaret Barish, director of
the M dison Heights Housing
Commission, said the voucher
program has been well received
in ber area.
Barish said there is a list of
people ailing for vouchers that
aren't available. '
The Madison Heights com-'
mission started the voucher
program last July, with 34
voucher ,of hich 27 ere
leased by March 1. Barish said
the remaining rhode
are I . for p ees to IiYe or
with a felony charge against him
or her, that person would not be
allowed into public housing.
I NHU said Lewis previously told
I them he would waive the denial
, of entry for convicted felons into
public housing. Terry said Lewis
agreed if the felon' had repaid
hislher debt to society the per­
son would not be denied.
NUH says what they not only
want, but need, is a shelter tha�
is willing to assist in getting t
homeless back on their feet by
helping them enroll in job and
literacy programs and withou
so much of a hassle.
Terry says Lewis thinks that
the NHU is a fly by night opera­
tion that's here today and gone
tomorro , but she says, "We're
here to stay, as long as one per- -
son is homeless." .
NHU says they have a plan of
their own, which is (1) to be able
to deal directly with the
managers of the public housing
projects for vacancies and,
placements, and (2) to be able to
work with someone' other than
Lewis because, Terry. stated,
"The man is a liar, and we need
someone who is willing to work
with US and not against us."
The NHU was scheduled to
-meet with Mayor. Young on
arch 17 to discuss this.
Lewis refused to be inter­
iewed,
NEW YORK, NY - Experts nerally agree that one of the.
best measurements of how we a nation is taking care of its
people is the infant mortality rate - the percentage of babies
who die before their fir birthday. Despi e being the richest
and most powerful nation in the world, the U.S. has always had
a relatively high infant mortaility rate, ua ling that the na­
tion is no doing a good job in health care. America's infant
mortality h remained high in large part because BI ck .
are twice as likely as white b bies to die before their first
birthday. A recently released report from the Office of Tech­
nology Assessment has found that while the B�ck infant mor­
tality rate improved during the 1960's and 70's, the improve­
ment has slowed tremendously during the l�s. Critics say the
slowdown is due to Regan administration c tb cks in health
care programs and the fact that the number of babies living in
poverty rose fro 18 to 24 percent from 197.4 to 1984.
'I
ousing au horl ies to
waiting for their choices to be housing agents around the state.
brought up to code. A multifamily housing repre-
Liliian Rader, a housing sentative of HVD, s id the
specialist with the, Michigan Detroit office received
State Housing Department in $4,120,739 from the federal
Macomb County, said the government in 1986 to cover the
program, which started last grant, while in 1987 the office
summer, has proven successful only receive $2,619,792.
in her areas also. She said Rick Wear chief of the -
landlords have been very sited housing management
cooperative. branch in HUD's Detroit office
"Most of them do prefer it be- said the voucher program offers
cause there's no rent ceiling in- many benefits.
volved so they don't have to go "It lets (people) move to
by our rent allowance," she said. places that don't have the tradi-
Rader said Macomb County , tional five-to-seven year waiting
ws only given 20 vouchers, so it list," Wears said. "It doesn't
was no problem getting them force them to move into a
under contract. dilapidated area because that's
The landlords are required to where the only subsidized
ian one year contracts with the project is that doesn't have a
-0- waiting list."
housing encies that run paral- Wears raid the federal"
lei with the Ie "
Valencic . d there has been - program is very flexible.
no shortage of landlords willing '''The voucher can be used in
to participate in the voucher the townhouses, a single home, it
- can be used in mobile home
program.
The uni have to meet hous- parks, " he said.
ing quality standards, Valencic One example of ho the
id voucher program r Wears
sal -Vie d inspect every unit to said, would be an elderly couple
make sure th t it does satisfy that can't keep. up their home
those criteria," he . d. and have to move to a Senior
The money comes frOJD a I citizen building, but doesn't
federal &rant. hich is chaD- want to give up their property.
neled throup Ho i and They can rent their home
Urba developmeDt to through the YO cher program.
, . MSHDA uad iDdMduaI '1t's the only program that al-
I .
Ivoueher:
lows that to happen," Wears
. said. Wears said th program
can be ben ficial to everyone in­
volved.
"The voucher program.allows
people to rent a little better area
because there is no ceiling on the
rent," Wears said.
There is also a certificate
within the program that renter
can use, bu it does have a ceil­
ing.
The certificate pays the dif­
ference between 30 percent of
the renter's income and rent
level that's established by HUD.
Valencic said there i also a
shortage of the e certificate
available.
Br I c
going no r
ALBANY, NY -The case of
the 16-year-old Black girl 0
says she held captive and
sexually abused by six white meo
over a four day period in upstate
New York . goiDgno ere.At­
torneys for Tawaoa Br wIey are
refusing to all her to talk to
the special prosecute .
They charge the pee al
prosecutor ppointed by Gov.
CUomo has DO history in the area
of civil . tiel to the
police 0 c:ers r . cloD ..
for the girls kidnapping aDd
rape.