July 31, 2007 - Volume 16, No. 31

a Winkler Company publication

Also featuring photos from our monthly supplement...

'Willow Grove'

DMHA director briefs neighbors on future plans

By Lance Winkler

A Good Neighborhood Agreement was tentatively reached on Monday evening between the residents of the east side of Oakwood and the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority with regards to the possibility of government subsidized Section Eight and public housing going up in the future on and about Shroyer Road in Kettering.

Greg Johnson, director of the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority, declared that that he would bring the proposal before the MVHA board at their September meeting. The agreement would involve a quarterly meeting between residents living near DMHA housing and would address issues affecting citizens in the area. A handful of residents, about twenty five in number, met on the front lawn
of 416 Telford and held a community meeting seeking some hard answers to harder questions.

Johnson came to meet with the residents and allay their concerns with regard to the changes that might occur in the future. Hosting the meeting was Oakwood resident Beth Jacobs, a registered nurse who has performed home visits at government subsidized and Section Eight housing for a number of years and is extremely wary of subsidized housing raising its collective head - rehabbed or not - near Oakwood’s borders.

Mr. Johnson addressed the group and began by describing the difference between public and Section Eight housing. According to Johnson, both programs involved taking 30 percent of the tenants’ gross income for rent. Public housing also requires
the stipulation that tenants pay “the DP&L, phone and cable bill.” Johnson said that as of now, the DMHA owns and manages 16 one bedroom units; 12 in Kettering and four in Oakwood. He said the DMHA has no further plans to purchase more units at this time but reserved the option to do so in the future (see DMHA letter on editorial page). He also acknowledged that private investors are making purchases of properties in the area and rehabbing them for future occupancy.

Concerns were immediately raised that the properties might be prime candidates for government-subsidized housing. Johnson acknowledged that might well be. According to Mr. Johnson, there are no limits on the number of Section Eight vouchers that can be obtained by private landlords. But, Johnson pointed out, Section Eight vouchers are held by the tenants themselves and it is entirely the choice of the tenants if they want to live in a certain area and with a certain landlord.

Johnson was of the opinion that not many tenants from Parkside Homes, for example, would want to live in Kettering around the Shroyer area.

Oakwood resident Daniel Turben brought out some statistics gleaned from the Internet, pointing out that there are currently 417 units authorized for Section Eight in Kettering. He also ran a search of ownership on a number of streets across Shroyer and found that on the 500 block of Telford, for example, ownership of various apartment units was found to belong to MVHA, Fannie Mae (FNMA), Eastway Health Care and two separate private investors.

“Eight hundred units? No way!” Johnson said in challenging this reporter’s opening quote in the July 24 issue of The Oakwood Register as to how many units might be designated subsidized housing in the future. 800 units is indeed quite a figure, but this reporter obtained that count unsolicited from two separate sources, both of whom would be “in the know.”

Some residents lauded Oakwood – still others noted changes in their neighborhood.
“When we moved from Atlanta to Dayton, I Googled what was the best neighborhood and Oakwood came up,” said one new neighbor living in the 400 block of Telford. “We love it here.” Still others have seen changes.

“I’ve lived in Oakwood all my life,” said a long-term resident who lives in the 300-block of Aberdeen. “I went to school here, my children all went to school and grew up here. The complexion of our neighborhood has completely changed over the past year,” she said with dismay.

When the meeting concluded about one and a half hours later, Mr. Johnson was thanked by the audience for his knowledge and candor.

“I feel better because I finally got some answers,” Host Beth Jacobs said. “I wish the city council would have been more proactive. That opportunity will soon come to pass.

Oakwood residents stretch legs and discuss issues at conclusion of meeting.

On Monday, Aug. 13, Greg Johnson, Executive Director of the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority (DMHA), will make a presentation to Oakwood City Council on the work of the DMHA.

The presentation will take place at the regular council meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at the city building, 30 Park Avenue.

Following the presentation, Oakwood Mayor Judy Cook will invite questions or comments from anyone in the audience.

Concert at “The Farm” Aug. 3

The Oakwood community has been invited to a summer concert in the outdoor amphitheatre at “The Farm” on Friday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. This is the first of two summer concerts to be hosted by Oakwood resident John C. Gray at his “Farm” at 1911 Ridgeway Rd. The program will feature the Oakwood High School Band, performing selections from the upcoming season, under the direction of Mr. Ron Nelson.
Bring your blankets and lawn chairs. It’s music under the stars, followed by refreshments and dessert after the concert.

The Oakwood High School Band, under the directed by Mr. Ron Nelson, will be performing selections for the upcoming season in the outdoor amphitheater.
Bring your blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy the music! Refreshments and dessert after the concert.

In case of rain the concert will be held in the Oakwood High School Auditorium, to check for any changes go to: www.oakwoodband.org

8th Annual Giving Strings Concert Aug. 4

Giving Strings, a nationally recognized orchestra, will perform string orchestral music at its 8th Benefit Concert on Saturday, Aug. 4 on the 100 block of Lonsdale in Oakwood. The all-volunteer orchestra will be composed of avid musicians, from professionals to young amateurs. The concert will feature beautiful live music and a silent auction, featuring CD’s signed by internationally known artists, such as Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma. The featured soloist for this year is Janet van Graas, the Dayton Philharmonic’s principal piccolo player. She will perform Antonio Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto with the orchestra.

Every summer, the Giving Strings benefits a specific charity. For the past seven years, the orchestra has raised over $28,000 for various charities. This year, the Martha Fram Fund will be the beneficiary of the concert, conducted by Dr. Patrick Reynolds, assistant conductor to the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. This charity uses donated money to help support families of cystic fibrosis patients at the Children’s Medical Center.

Concert admission is free, but donations are appreciated in support of The Martha Fram Fund. Music is available for pickup at 158 E. Dixon Ave., (the southwest corner of Dixon and Shafor Blvd.)

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