Red tape snags move-in at Vallejo affordable housing complex
VALLEJO -- Units at a new Vallejo affordable housing complex are filling up but, for some eligible residents, getting approved has been a fraught process.
Blue Oak Landing, a new affordable-housing development in Vallejo, is slowly filling up. While the new homes are a thrill and a blessing for those moving in, some are caught in a web of paperwork which has them worried they may lose a spot in the new buildings. It's another example of how difficult it can be to pull these projects together, even when they're nearly complete.
Tameka Turner was working through a pile of documents when KPIX caught up with her. "The one that we signed with the lady saying I was gonna be moving in there and the address for Sacramento Street and what an apartment number I was going to be."
It was a life-changing opportunity for Turner when she was told she would have an address of her own. Her spot in Blue Oak Landing would end 13 years of homelessness but, when the time came to pick up her keys, excitement became frustration.
"Sat there for maybe five hours." Turner recalled. "And she told us that they were having problems with my verification for an address that I was using for mailing."
Turner and her partner quickly found themselves in a pile of paperwork and confusion.
"They said that we were approved," said Shazzarea James. "Approval is approval."
Their search for answers has bounced around several offices. They've also been dropping by the development where most of the units have now been filled, something that has only increased their anxiety,
"I want to cry," James said. "Because she needs to get off the street. She's not gonna make it."
With no answers the couple decided it was time to get off the street and regroup so they found a motel room while they tried to clear up the confusion.
"My health is bad so I need to get a place," Turner said. "So I signed up for those apartments. I have done everything that they told me to do."
"In our tenant selection plan, because of our federal funding, we have strict requirements on income verification," explained Gillian Hayes with the city of Vallejo. "So if it's been over 60 days since pay stubs or just verification of homelessness has been given to the city, then we have to re-up those verifications before they move in"
Hayes says they're working to clear delays caused by HUD guidelines and, in some cases, the difficulty of staying in touch with clients who do not have an address.
"We have people on the phone, e-mail and in-person to help assist so we're trying to make it as easy as possible," Hayes said.
For those caught in limbo it's a tense wait for a golden opportunity,
"Why say you were approved, tell you to come in and get your keys and lease?" James said. "Then turn around and tell you 'I'm sorry. We didn't do all the verification.'"
KPIX met a number of people who hit some kind of unexpected delay here at the finish line. One common problem is that paper work was out of date. A lot of the application materials expire after two months. That meant even small construction delays could leave documents invalid. In this particular case, the applicants are still waiting to find out what the specific hangup is and how to get it resolved.