Cohousing-L Mailing List: SF NON PROFIT NEEDS REFORMING (Inovative Housing) (FWD)

[Fred H Olson WB0YQM (fholson]

The message below was sent to Cohousing-L by ATWORK [at] IGC.APC.ORG
but was rejected because it came from a non subscriber.  detta [at] sfsu.edu is 
given as the contact email address. There are other names and contacts in 
the text.

Tho the message is not related to cohousing per se, I decided to post it
because it relates to cooperative housing, the historic connection of 
Inovative Housing to cohousing, and the relative lack of housing related 
forums on the net.

Fred Cohousing-L sysop

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/* Written  8:35 AM  Nov 13, 1994 by atwork in igc:jus.homeless */
/* ---------- "SF NON PROFIT NEEDS REFORMING" ---------- */

Please distribute this on the internet to 
whoever may be interested.

DO NOT reply to this message, it is on a 
borrowed account, reply instead to:

        detta [at] sfsu.edu

thank you for your attention

                                           November 12, 1994
Dear Friends in the Housing Community,
 
     We are  writing you  so that  you may  be aware  of the
formation of  The Ad  Hoc  Committee  to  Reform  Innovative
Housing (IH).
 
     IH is  a Marin  based non  profit that  rents rooms  in
flats to  low  income  residents  and  promotes  cooperative
living, especially for single parents.
 
     All the Committee members so far are tenants, or former
tenants of IH, including several single parents.
 
     Our organization  has a list of legitimate and relevant
complaints that  show an ongoing pattern of mismanagement at
Innovative Housing, and we are in a position to substantiate
this in  a professional,  concise and  coherent manner,  and
show clear documentation to back up our claims.
 
     These complaints  are quite  serious,  they  apparently
include  unlawful  evictions,  vacancy  charges,  management
fees, mistreatment  of tenants  and prospective  tenants and
not providing  services that are supposedly  part and parcel
of IH's  mission.   There are  questions about how the grant
monies  that  IH  receives  actually  benefit  the  intended
recipients..   Unfortunately most  tenants rights groups are
already all  to well aware of the problems at IH, as are the
courts.
 
     We are  supporters of,  and participants in, the shared
living experiment and are also bringing forward constructive
proposals to correct the situation.  Those solutions include
making space  for a  tenants association with voice and vote
on the  board, creating  an independent grievance procedure,
and working to make better use of the resources available to
help the IH tenants and our children.
 
     All eviction  and mistreatment  of tenants  should stop
now!
 
     We have  asked to  attend the  next IH board meeting on
November 22nd  to express  our concerns and ask the board to
fix the  problems without  delay, please ask the IH board to
put us on the agenda.
 
     Please be  aware of  our  problems,  and  support  well
managed community  living.   Our group will need your advice
and support.
 
     You may  write  us  at:  Ad  Hoc  Committee  to  Reform
Innovative Housing, 740-A 14th St, Box 179, SF, CA 94114, or
leave a phone message at 626-5565.
 
The Committee


                                                November 12, 1994
Cynthia D. Burnett
Executive Director, Innovative Housing,
2169 E. Francisco Blvd. Ste E, San Rafael, CA, 94901
 
Dear Ms Burnett,
 
     The  purpose   of   this   letter   is   to   request   that
representatives of  our group,  The Ad  Hoc Committee  to  Reform
Innovative Housing,  be invited  to  open  a  dialog  around  our
concerns with  the Innovative  Housing Board  at the  next  board
meeting, which, according to our information, will be held in the
afternoon of November 22nd, 1994 in San Rafael, California.
 
     Our organization  does not  feel that the current management
of Innovative  Housing is  fulfilling its  mission well.  We also
have a list of valid and relevant complaints that show an ongoing
pattern of  mismanagement, and  are in a position to substantiate
this in a professional, concise and coherent manner.
 
     We are supporters of, and participants in, the shared living
experiment and  will also  bring to  the board  our  constructive
proposals to correct the situation.
 
     In your Nov 8th letter to Lynne Beeson of the Mayor's office
of Community  Development, you  stated on  page two,  heading two
that  after   trying  to  resolve  problems  with  lower  ranking
directors "tenants  may elect to take their concerns to the Board
of Directors,  a process  which is  facilitated by  the Executive
Director."  We are asking you to facilitate that process now.
 
     We have  already failed  to come  to an  understanding  with
either Amy  Cooper, or her predecessor, Janis Falco and have been
bringing complaints  to the San Francisco office for over a year.
We have  also been  trying to  work out  compromise solutions  to
specific problems  with Betty  Perez and  Debbie Greif of the San
Rafael office with poor success, it is now time to speak directly
to the board.
 
     Would you  please leave  a message on my telephone answering
machine indicating  your response  to this letter. (626-5565) You
may also  write us  officially at:  Ad Hoc  Committee  to  Reform
Innovative Housing, 740-A 14th St, Box 179, SF, CA 94114.
 
Respectfully yours,
 
 
Donald Macleay,
Coordinator,
Ad Hoc Committee to Reform Innovative Housing
 
     Jim Faye



--
Fred H. Olson   fholson [at] uci.com   (612)588-9532  Amateur radio: WB0YQM
1221 Russell Av N, Mpls, MN  55411  Sysop of COHOUSING-L listserv 
 * * * NEWS FLASH * * * * * * NEWS FLASH * * * * * * NEWS FLASH * * * 
  National Public Radio in depth report on Cohousing to air on:
Sunday Nov 13th on All Things Considered  (about 4 pm most places)