The Marblehead Housing Authority (MHA) met May 27, and the following board members were present: Jenn Schaeffner, Bill Kuker, Terri Tauro, Kristin DuBay Horton, Jean Eldridge and Cathy Hoog.
Hoog report and Board Discussion
- MHA was awarded a grant to share with Salem Housing Authority to establish a self-sufficiency program. A social worker will be hired.
- The recent dance was well attended.
- The Rolling Food Pantry is going very well.
- There are ideas to discuss with Magic Hat.
- The police department is committed to working with MHA; MHA has a good working relationship with them.
- There were 27 work orders completed this month by maintenance.
- There are eight vacancies and six offers pending.
- Schaeffner suggested they set up a training on the application process. For example: Why does one person get selected but another doesn’t? They will speak with Sharon Doliber at the Council on Aging (COA) and set up a training in July so it appears in the July COA calendar. Hoog then suggested they have rolling training in various places.
- They discussed federal funding cuts but do not yet know how that will affect MHA.
- The Winn Project is moving along with due diligence. Residents are appreciative. It’s still in the preliminary stage.
- Tauro brought up the amount of disinformation about the town, conflating 3A with MHA. TO try and stay ahead of it, the board will disseminate information.
- Exterior Locks: Residents do not want to carry around two keys. They feel no need, but Hoog feels it’s needed for security and safety.
- DuBay Horton is brainstorming new, creative ideas, such as elderly residents teaching reading to elementary age children or working in gardens together. She has seen many 3-minute videos with these ideas. Everyone liked it. They will begin the next board meeting by watching one of these videos, followed by a discussion.
- Resident engagement meeting: They have a staff member, Laura, in charge of resident engagement. Residents are interested in checking in with Laura, understanding what she does and participating in activities so they, too, can mingle and get to know the residents.
This report was created by Cathy Marie Michael.
