Blighted PHA Scattered Site House that is trashy, run down, w/ repeated drug activity complaints

2133 and 2135 Fitzwater St., Philadelphia, PA, 19146, in South west Center City, or SWCC, stand out like two sore thumbs on this block of $500,000+ homes. PHA lets the trash accumulate out front with no effective response to its tenants. There are two convicted violent felons living on the lease of one of the apartments, with convictions such as "criminal conspiracy," "robbery," "assault" and other violent felonies. PHA confirmed that they have the records from the Philadelphia Police Dept. about those tenants who are still as of this writing on the lease. One record is dated April 10, 2008. PHA states that they find it "difficult" to evict tenants because of the Philly court system, which is odd to me because private landlords seem to not have this much trouble.

PHA only has a tiny contingent of police on duty. PHA, the fourth largest landlord in PA, has 45 sworn officers, down from the 300 person force in the 1990s. About 20 work the city at any one time per PHA police.

I'm pretty sure that HUD prohibits convicted felons from living in PHA if the conviction is recent, such as within the past five years, and violent. There should not be too much difficulty making these properties free of any suspected drug activity, trash, or damage to PHA property.

Note that the windows at the basement are stuffed with rugs. Graffiti litters the walls of the filthy exterior. Trash is put out any time of the day or night regardless of trash day, and it is sometimes simply tossed on to the street, as this video shows. Compare this to the charming Victorian on the corner.

Please also note that there is somehow a dish TV, along side the peeling paint and garbage. There was a recent arrest of someone in one of the properties from what I understand from the neighbors.

Is PHA Scattered Site ready for stimulus funds?

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Philadelphia
• Public
• Housing
• blight
• PHA
• 2133
• 2135
• Fitzwater
• urban
• decay
• Scattered
• Site
• SWCC
• Southwest
• Center
• City
• Drugs
• Crime
• felons
• tenants
• trash

[burgesspeanut]

There is drug activity in front of 2133 Fitzwater on most days, and often it spreads to the steps of 2135 Fitzwater. The legal residents should be kicked out for allowing this on the steps of a property they lease and are responsible for.

[burgesspeanut]

Is this what PHA calls "lease enforcement?"

[burgesspeanut]

PHA has too many properties for it to manage. It's too big. It's the fourth largest public housing authority in the nation. It's the largest landlord in Pennsylvania. It's grown into an unmanageable, untracked, uncontrolled behemoth. It's time to cut PHA to a manageable size. Properties with repeat problems, multiple evictions, repeated arrests, and ongoing drug complaints should be sold and the money used for newer quality housing.

[burgesspeanut]

Meanwhile, there are PHA tenants who earn over $100,000 a year. That's right. Not a typo. The Daily News has an article today entitled "Sweet Deal at PHA: Six Figure Salary,$654 a month Rent." Asia Coney helped bring Carl Greene from Detroit to Philly, and he rewarded her with a plump sinecure and a PHA house for life. Doesn't that violate HUD rules? Obama supporters, anyone?

[burgesspeanut]

PHA did evict two convicted felons from the property who grew up here recently, since this video has been posted. Thank you PHA Scattered Site manager. But they still come back and sit on the steps to deal drugs and to spot drug buyers to direct to sellers IN OTHER PHA PROPERTIES. They just don't live there anymore.

[burgesspeanut]

I'm NOT voting for Kenyatta Johnson, because he has presided over this quality of PHA management by continually funding PHA with no questions asked, no expectations, and he's addressed neighbors' complaints to his office about these properties to my knowledge.

[beatnikjd]

Ah yes the joys of affirmative action!

[mrurbanblight]

These houses are within a block of where I live. For the past 8 years, they have been havens for drug dealers, felons, etc. Although some of the criminals have been evicted and banned from the property, they continue to deal drugs from the front stoop. The most recent arrest for one of the "tenants" was on Thursday, 8/12. After posting $10 in bail, he was back dealing in front of the house on 8/13! PHA is aware of the problem but refuses to do anything about it. Thank you Carl Greene.

[Skinnyjoeymerlino]

There are some connected people making a LOT of money off of PHA.The money PHA gets is Fed money, so it has to be spent and probably ends up lining some connected people's pockets. PHA should auction off its vacant properties, so they can be cleared for private sector rehab. The proceeds can go to reducing the Federal debt.

[burgesspeanut]

I'm not convinced this is a race issue per se, but an issue where bad management is rewarded and there is no follow up. It is the problem of "big government" -- it's so large and spread out that HUD and their OIG can't monitor what is spent or not spent at the ground level. Why reward a group that gets such bad results with stimulus money? The pols have a duty to audit this group, or we just are not going to vote for the pro-PHA pol.