As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of HUD subsidized housing are eased with knowing there are No Evictions and retaliation that can be carried out by administrators of local housing authorities.  Unfortunately, when COVID-19 restrictions are released, residents will go back to living in fear and terror of not knowing what new bullying tactics some housing authorities would use against those who stand up and speak out about their rights. 

COVID -19 has given the poorest to low- and moderate-income communities ACCESS TO UNHEARD OF PROTECTIONS (i.e. rent, eviction, and tax moratoriums, universal healthcare, social benefit extensions without means-testing, etc.)

Our rights should be protected regardless of the national pandemic. 

We’re demanding HUD put an end to housing authorities utilizing fear and bullying tactics to silence residents when they speak up and hold housing authorities accountable to the laws of the land. We have hundreds if not thousands of residents who share and highlight similar stories of the abuse of power and downright violation of residents' rights under CFR 964. 

The case below is an example–just one of many where housing authorities managed by leadership who don’t believe in resident empowerment, abuse their power with no consequences from HUD! 

• Meet Can I Live, Inc–A national public housing resident’s organization whose sole mission is to reduce dependency on government subsidies.  In fact, Can I Live is the ONLY national resident’s association to ever do business with the federal government–winning a HUD federal award February 20, 2018, of approximately $1 Million dollars to administer the Resident Opportunity in Self Sufficiency (ROSS) grant program to serve both the District of Columbia and Topeka Kansas Housing Authority. Can I Live, hired low-income residents from the local communities and created jobs and economic opportunities for those who needed it most.

Can I Live was bribed and extorted by one of the DC Housing Authority commissioners to pay her and other residents for access to the community. This commissioner threatened to call for an investigation of our grant if we did not agree to her bribery tactics. 

When Can I Live’s, CEO repeatedly refused bribery payments, Can I Live was immediately banned from all communities.  Can I Live, notified HUD about the bribery threats and asked them to hold the housing authority accountable.  Our many requests were denied as seen in this stream of emails–access (emails requests) here.

After months of being ignored by HUD, Can I Live receives an official notification of default on both of their DC and Topeka ROSS grants–by HUD without ANY documentation indicating that HUD ever made the written initial default determination required by the 2017 ROSS Grant Agreement (Sub-article H: Default, Clause 2-Page 12 of the attached).  That provision states that “[i]f HUD makes an initial determination that the Grantee is in default, HUD will give the Grantee written notice of this determination and the corrective or remedial action the Grantee must take in order to avoid default.”  When Can I Live’s legal firm communicated this fact to HUD, they ignored the facts and still decided to proceed with a default. 

• Meet Dr. Kimberly Muktarian, CEO of SOS Consulting Inc and founder of Save our Sons Incorporated.  Dr. Muktarian, a once struggling welfare mother who grew herself off the dependency of government subsidies and obtained her Ph.d.  A former HUD Section 8 renter, Dr. Muktarian was contracted to serve as a ROSS Service Coordinator for the Topeka Kansas Housing Authority through the Can I Live, Inc federal award.   There she built meaningful relationships, confidence, and the self-esteem of residents–which gave them hope to believe they can achieve almost anything. 

A Section 3 Business, Dr. Muktarian’s contract was abruptly cancelled.  Relationships that were built came to a sudden end and final payment was not only ignored by the Topeka Housing Authority but denied by HUD. 

• Meet Ms. Maka Taylor, CEO of Global Gains. A section 3 business also contracted to provide ROSS service coordination to residents of the DC Housing Authority.  A single mother of two twin girls and a teen age son, was excited to learn about the opportunity to grow her small business as a contractor with Can I Live, Inc. After landing the largest contract she ever had, the DC Housing Authority was able to legally ban the Can I Live team from its properties on September 30, 2018. Can I Live, and their contractors were forced to work on HUD reporting that was due on October 30, 2018.  Ms. Taylor's final invoice was denied payment by HUD.  She was forced back on various government programs to make ends meet. 

Can I Live, Inc has done remarkable work since its formation in 2003.  Founded by a once struggling, single welfare mother, Ms. Racquel Williams-Jones (RW Jones) and former (10 year) board chair of a public housing authority board of commissions, Ms. Jones has used her expertise to help hundreds of families and individuals. 

An avoidable finding of default would likely preclude her and the organization she founded, Can I Live from operating even at the state or municipal level, with a detrimental effect on her, the organization, and the communities that they serve, to say nothing of the fact that Ms. Jones and her staff could be forced to find alternative employment amid the current unprecedented economic catastrophe.

This is one of many examples of how HUD fails to enforce its own policies and protect residents' rights with an intentional refusal to hold the local housing authorities accountable–when they willfully and intentionally violate the law. HUD’s harmful decisions not only impacted the lives of those contracted to work the ROSS grant, but the communities that are now without positive frames of reference of what it looks like to lift yourself out from the very dark places of poverty.

If Can I Live was a "catholic charity" or other “non-resident” entity, they would have never been treated with such blatant disregard, nor have their rights grossly violated.    

With our current Legal Aid System being swamped and burdened with caseloads.  This case scenario should highlight and bring to thought that if– with Can I Live's resources, HUD and two housing authorities were able to legally ignore, bully and harass the neophyte nonprofit–WHAT MORE will they do with residents who have no voice, and no power of the pen? 

How much more will they easily ignore and bully families who appear to possess No Hope, No Fight or Advocacy Skills?  

LET'S ENSURE RESIDENTS RIGHTS ARE PROTECT DURING AND AFTER COVID-19!

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE MILLIONS OF RESIDENTS THROUGH-OUT THE UNITED STATES! 

TELL HUD TO ENFORCE THEIR OWN POLICIES AND HOLD HOUSING AUTHORITIES ACCOUNTABLE!

STOP THE ABUSE OF POWER, BULLYING AND SCARE TACTICS TODAY!

HAVE A STORY, YOU WANT TO SHARE?  Email petitions@canilive.org or visit www.canilive.org/petitions