South Tucson's El Independiente, 1979-11-16

              Series on aging
continues with
third of four parts
News/Page 2
South Tucson's
Delay ¡s result
of city mixup,
contractors say
By MAGAN GIBSON
Staff Writer
Papago Village residents said they are
still discouraged with the incomplete work
done on their houses since a
Rehabilatation Project contract was
signed between city officials and con-tractors
in June.
Antonio Bonillas Jr., contractor,
however, began rehabilitating the project
on Oct. 29, when concerned residents of the
village met with city officials to discuss
the lack of work done on housing
problems, said Dan Williams, project
director since Oct. 1.
A second contractor, Iota Maintenance,
met with Williams Oct. 30 and began work
last week. Don L. Starks and J.R. Cruz, co-partners
of Iota Maintenance, 5572 W.
Rafter Circle, said that the neglect of the
city notifying them that South Tucson had
been credited with a $190,000 U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development grant had caused them to
delay work.
We did not want to start work until the
money came in," Starks said. 'It would
have ruined our credit if we bought sup-plies
and couldn't pay it because the
monies didn't come in." Starks added that
most suppliers only extend 30 days credit.
Bonillas could not be reached for
comment . Starks confirmed, however,
that Bonillas had started work.
The Village, which originally consisted
of 28 houses two years ago when residents
of these homes turned in rehabilitation
applications, is now made up of 21 houses
bounded by 29th Street, Ninth Avenue and
the west and north boundries of the city
limits.
The project was approved for funding
last November by HUD. South Tucson was
credited the mornes in July , Williams
said. Applications for funding was made
two years ago.
According to Williams, $140,000 of the
grant monies will be used for major
rehabilitation work. "To bring them (the
houses) up to building codes, like elec-trical
and heating systems. Making them
safe and habitable."
The remainder of the funds, $50,000, will
be used for emergency rehabilitations,
Williams said. For example, if the
plumbing or electrical systems are
completely inoperatable, Williams said.
Approximately $15,000 of the $140,000
has been used to do
'81 percent of the work on three homes,"
Williams added. Out of the emergency
monies, $4,800 was allocat:d after
Williams took over. The maximum
amount for emergency funds for each
request is $750, he said.
"Forty-five applications were already in
when I came in," Williams said. "There
have been 20 more applications since the
(Oct. 29) meeting."
Williams stated that originally, $5,000
"Surprise"
surprises
students
La Fa
Home repairs discourage citizens
HOUSING PROBLEMS - Gonzales' granddaughter examines live wires extending
from the kitchen ceiling down past. the sink in their home. (Photo by Loretta A.
Ragsdell )
had been allocated for the maximum
amount of repair work done on each home.
But since the number of homes to be
rehabilitated dropped from 28 to 21,
Williams said he requested to HUD to
raise the maximum amount to $7,500.
The maximum amount was increased
due to housing problems that existed two
years ago becoming worse and as the
result of inflation making repairs more
costly. Williams added that not all of the
houses will require the maximum amount
and that HUD said they would not fund
additional subsidies for the rehabilitation.
South Tucson granted $60,000 extension
Civil Defense
in South Tucson
non-existent
News/Page 6
To qualify for the project, which was
originally called the Community
Development Block Rent, HUD will
determine if a family is economically
eligible, Williams said. For instance, for a
family of four their annual gross income
must not exceed $13,000.
Once eligible, repair work must not
exceed 80 percent of that family's income.
To "stop housing speculation," a lien will
be put on by South Tucson on homes that
are rehabilitated To overcome the lien, a
person must rehabilitated the house for
ten percent of the total repair costs
deducted each year.
After the tenth year, the lien is dropped,
Williams said. He added that the lien was
attached to prevent homeowners selling
their house for a higher price after the
work was done. One reason for the
number of homes enrolled in the program
dropping from 28 to 21 was because some
residents realized after applying that they
had to live in their homes for ten years
after repairs.
Twenty-five Comprehensive Em-ployment
and Training Act workers,
participating in the Casa Linda
Beautification Project, originally worked
on the rehabilitation from September 1978
toSeptemberl979when the fiscal year
ended, Williams said.
Contractors were originally planned this
year to do interior work with South Tucson
CETA workers doing exterior work,
Williams said. But the plan was dropped
when the South Tucson CETA program
was cut in October.
According to Williams, out of 21 homes
Bonillas will do work on six homes and
Iota Maintenance will repair five homes.
The ten remaining homes will be rebid
for repair. "The inspection reports (made
two years ago) were not current."
Starks said HUD monies were in late last
month. "We started from scratch. We
went around with the (South Tucson)
inspectors and saw there was more to it
than the contràct specified."
Starks said 'changes on order' were
made for the extra. repairs needed. "Why
fix the bathtub when plaster is falling off
the ceiling above it," he said.
Starks said that Iota has finished 15
percent of thework and hopes to finish
by next year.
(Continued Ofl Page 3)
CETA extension keeps city firemen
BY DAVID HANCOCK
. Staff Writer
A $60,000 extension of CETA funds from
the U.S. Department of Labor has enabled
South Tucson to retain five firefighters
until the end of their 18 months in the
Comprehensive Employment Training Act
work program, said City Manager
Richard E. Kaffenberger.
However, another five CETA clerks in
the police department and city hail were
laid off this month when they were found
inelegible for the program, he added.
Kaffenberger said the five were laid off
either because they were not residents of
South Tucson, or had already completed 18
months in the program.
In addition, the U.S. Department of
Labor notified Kaffenberger that it would
investigate charges made by South Tucson
officials that the city was not getting its
fair share of federal aid under the new
CETA budget.
Originally, officials in the U.S.
Department of Labor (whose regional
base is in San Francisco) had said they
would not look into South Tucson's corn-plaint
about unfair funding because the
city had failed to resolve the matter
locally, Kaffenberger said.
The CETA program provided em-ployment
for 50. South Tucson residents
last year and had a budget of $750,000, said
Dan Williams, CETA director.
This year the budget was cut back to
$30,000, which will all go to a youth labor
summer program, Williams said.
Last year's CETA-funded employees
consisted of six firefighters, 25 housing-rehabilitation
workers, eight public works
laborers, seven clerks, and four em-ployees
in the police-records department,
Williams said.
(Continued on Page 2)
Vol. III, No. 15 Published By The Journalism Department Of The University Of Anzona November 16, 1979