The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provides most of the operating cash for Greater Dayton Premiere Management, and has faced a 50 percent drop in budget since 2000.
But a new program called Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) is allowing public-private partnerships for securing funds to upgrade older public housing.
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The RAD program could provide up to $85 million for redevelopment of properties. A consultant for the housing agency is doing a physical needs assessment now that should be finished by July.
Jennifer Heapy, CEO, Greater Dayton Premiere Management, said the agency has many properties built in the 1940s.
"We really have capital needs, we can renovate with new amenities,” Heaphy said.
Within the agency’s 70 properies are nearly 2,800 units of public housing.
“There is problems with the buildings and properties, they're old, infrastructure is an issue, like plumbing,” said resident Richard Aikens. “There's times when you have to wait for pressure, turn on the shower as a trickle and wait for the pressure to build up and the water to get hot.”
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