Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 5-22-18

Local
Public Housing Rent Increase Would Hurt Hundreds
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last month, Ben Carson, Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Devel- opment, proposed a plan to increase the rent of those living in public housing. The proposal must be approved by Congress.
If it passes, it would affect millions of fam- ilies across the United States. The proposal would raise the rent the residents pay to 35% of their income. Currently, they pay 30%. The plan would also eliminate deductions that could lower rent.
The plan would require evaluations every three years. Now, tenants are evaluated each year. Carson said the changes would not af- fect the elderly or the handicapped.
“The system we currently use to calculate a family’s rental assistance is broken and holds back the very people we’re supposed to be help- ing. The proposal would make current rent policies simpler, more transparent and pre- dictable,” Carson stated.
However, Leroy Moore, COO of the Tampa Housing Authority said, “The vast ma- jority of our families will be paying more if this goes through.”
Moore said he is concerned about a provi-
LEROY MOORE COO, Tampa Housing Authority
sion to eliminate income deductions for fami- lies who pay medical or child care expenses.
“People are in public housing for a reason, they can’t afford market rent. These people are struggling, making choices between buying medicine and feeding their children,” Moore stated.
Carson’s plan would also allow housing authorities and voucher landlords to set tougher work requirements for tenants.
The Tampa Housing Authority owns more than 3,000 public housing units. It also main- tains 9,000 housing vouchers. Tenants are al- ready required to be employed, in a job training program, or provide proof they are seeking employment.
BEN CARSON HUD Secretary
Health Department Offers Diabetes Prevention Program
The Hillsborough County Health Department is offering a free program geared towards diabetes prevention.
The free program is de- signed to help those who would like to reduce the chance of de- veloping Type 2 Diabetes.
The first class will begin at 10 a.m., on Thursday, May 24, at the Department of Health Hillsborough, Floyd Kelton Clinic, 4704 W. Montgomery Avenue, Suite B.
A Spanish-only class begins at 2 p.m., on June 13. It will be held at the WellCare Health Plans Center, 8328 N. Florida Avenue.
Classes are limited to ap- proximately 15 participants.
Depending on demand, other classes will be offered throughout the year. Groups meet for 26 sessions and work with a trained Lifestyle Coach.
Participants will get to practice skills of healthy eating and physical activity for a sus- tained healthy lifestyle change.
Those who complete the program can prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes by losing five to seven percent of their weight.
To qualify for the program, a person must be overweight and at risk of developing Dia- betes.
Several factors increase the risk for pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Those risks are: 45 years of age or older; having a family member with diabetes, having a family background of African American, Hispanic/Latino, American-In- dian, Asian-American, or Pa- cific-Islander; having had diabetes while being pregnant (gestational diabetes), or hav- ing given birth to a baby weigh- ing 9 pounds or more; and being physically active less than three times a week.
Residents who are inter- ested in the diabetes preven- tion program should call (813) 307-8015 ext. 7111, or email programinfo@health.gov.
TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7