One of the island’s (and the state and county’s) greatest failures in tending to its humanitarian safety net was the closure of Serenity House at Lynwood Center which, until this year, was home to 18 developmentally disabled adults. In March, Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority closed the facility because of financial problems and relocated all but two residents off island.
Photo of Serenity House by Jay Trinidad.
South-end islanders know that a couple of the former residents still frequent the neighborhood. Recently, I saw Jerome (I don’t know his last name) who used to do odd jobs at Walt’s. According to Walt, Jerome is a cousin of guitar great Jimi Hendrix, and suffered traumatic brain injury after a stint as a boxer. When Serenity House closed, he was placed in a nursing home in Bremerton, and now takes a bus to the island a couple of times a week just to visit. I asked how he was doing in his new home.
“I don’t like it,” he replied, shaking his head forlornly.
Island photographer and artist Jay Trinidad has posted a photo essay of the empty Serenity House on his blog. His pictures are full of absence and abandonment, as well as the humanity of those who lived there. Take a look. Take a moment to consider the sorrow of some of our most vulnerable (and beloved) former neighbors, as their lives were up-ended through no fault of their own.
Although the new owners of the property plan to build a new, much smaller facility for developmentally disabled adults some time in the future, the trauma to former Serenity House residents can’t be undone.
The problems at Serenity House were brewing for years. Our many state, county and local social service agencies have their explanations for the painful results. But the fact remains that we failed to meet our responsibilities, as a civilized society, to 18 human beings who depend on us. Is anyone in our social services groups and city government asking the hard questions about how this happened, and what can be done to prevent something like this from happening again?
Three little pigs built houses of bricks and sticks.
The big bad wolf huffed and puffed.
And the strongest house was made of politics.
This was disappointing and heartbreaking to watch the demise of Serenity House. But society did not totally “fail(ed) to meet our responsibilities” in that all residents were relocated. I don’t know if all relocated residents are unhappy with their new residences … story doesn’t go there.
“Is anyone in our social services groups and city government asking the hard questions about how this happened …” is a thought provoking question.
First, it’s clearly known HOW this happened … KCCHA diversified with the intent of profit making on high end Bremerton real estate, real estate bubble burst, and they couldn’t cover their loans. Serenity House was a financial burden … it cost a lot to maintain care and services 24/7.
Therefore KCCHA cuts their losses and sold it.
But I think the question you are posing is why did local government not step in an rescue the facility and operation. It’s a money question like so many other things. So the question is a lot like a legal one when the courts take a case … who should have jurisdiction? Should it be local (city), county (where it was under KCCHA), or State under Health and Human Services?
My basic feeling is that government funding should rest with either the county or the state … larger tax bases. Cities over a certain population … maybe 100,000 … might have the tax base to handle such programs.
But … there are a lot of local non-government organizations that could share or carry this financial load. I think if the question is directed at Bainbridge Island, the non-government side has to be the focus.
You have made some interesting points Robert. I’ve begun looking more closely at the background, and when I know some more details, I will post them.
For now I can say that Serenity House was owned by KCCHA, which purchased it with a state Housing Trust Fund loan. So KCCHA had none of its own money in it (except staff time).
Operating funds came from DSHS, because each resident had state benefits. It says something about the pathetic benefits our state provides people with disabilities in the fact that for the last several years, no one could operate Serenity at break-even, though the state is required to provide care for those with developmental disabilities. Now most if not all of them are in nursing homes, which is more expensive care, with a lower quality of life.
For more than a year before it was closed, Mayor Kordonowy was negotiating for the sale of Serenity House, as a board member of KCCHA. (The KCCHA Board is made up of mayors and county commissioners). I guess they couldn’t come up with a deal in time, but it’s terribly unfortunate that they would shut the facility before they had found satisfactory placements for all residents. According to the Review article I linked to, KCCHA had intended that Serenity would stay open until new housing on the island was built or purchased. To my knowledge, there is still no replacement housing of any size on the island.
It’s interesting that we didn’t see the local public lobbying effort for Serenity that we saw on behalf of the Quay. Maybe the purse (both public and private) was shut after that.
It’s also interesting that the KCCHA commissioners–all but one of whom continue to serve in elected positions– have not been called to task for the errors in judgment they made, including the hiring and supervision of its former Executive Director, who has been blamed for much of KCCHA’s financial woes.
According to the NHIS (National Health Information Survey), which conducts epidemiological surveys on American Health, the proportion of the general US population who are disabled with activity limitations has remained consistent since 1981 at about 14%. Estimating a privileged and conservative 10% for Bainbridge Island, our share is approximately 2,500 citizens who have physically limiting disabilities.
We force them into hiding, apparently, or make a best effort to ship them off island (“them”, you know, “those people”). Shelter for 18 residents, which we as a community could not manage to coordinate, is mustering a civic responsibility for less than 1% of a conservative estimate of our share.
How civil is that, Councilman Peters?
Some people with local housing agencies have said the state shut down Serenity House because it now prefers smaller facilities for developmentally disabled adults. I checked it out with the state’s Residential Care Services (RCS), the division that licenses these facilities. The state’s records show that Serenity House was “voluntarily closed” on March 23, 2009. Milo Pfander of RCS said that he is not aware of any closure by the state for reasons other than safety or legal violations. In other words, the state was not behind the closure of Serenity House. That’s consistent with the way the Review has reported the story (links in the post above).
Althea, the way I have heard it explained is that Serenity House could have remained open but its residents could not receive benefits from the State to live there because the State’s “model” for these kinds of facilities changed and Serenity didn’t fit the “model”. So it’s closure was “voluntary” in the sense that it could have remained open if, for example, the residents did not receive DSHS benefits.
That’s how I understood what I heard from a KCCHA member.
The Italians love Jimmy Hendrix! Does Jerome play basketball? We’ll take him – we’ll take him, anyway.
Ezra Pound Foolish says everyone on Bainbridge wants to be mayor. Every American thinks they are an architect, but there are no interior decorators. He said, “Plenty of expensive public buildings with nothing going on inside.”
I told Ezzie he is mistaken and the mayor in our hometown got her start at Hello House, where they help everyone and have plenty going on inside. Ezzie said, “Send Jimmy’s boy to Hello House”. I told him it’s too late. He’s out of their district. Ezzie muttered, “Maybe they should call it Hell No House.”
Ezra said it’s a shame. I said it’s a shame. Bianca, the maid who came with the villa said it’s a shame. Ezzie says, “It’s time for lunch. Let’s have a bottle of Barolo Monforte d’Alba and some of those everything bagels Rudy Giuliani made famous here.”
Ezzie has style! He knows good wine and where to find the best bagels.
Ciao from Navels, Penny and Ezzie (Citizens of the World)
Post Script – I sent my application for city manager Fed Ex care of Bainbridge Island mayor’s office. It was returned ‘no such address’. Ezra says I’d have better luck applying as volunteer on a Winslow citizens’ housing committee. He says, “Just write ‘Mayor’s Choice’ on your application”. PW&EPF, LLC™ Navels off-shore insured
My understanding is that DSHS does not technically provide the residents any benefits. DSHS has a stake in qualifying the long-term disabled for Social Security disability benefits, Medicare and Medicaid. DSHS may award TANF benefits, but generally those human lives entrusted to long term care do not receive TANF.
The Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid provide an enormous pool of outside federal funds that drive local economies. There are tremendous indirects that employ large numbers of local civil servants and health care providers. The economic multiplier is vast.
We entrust the lives of many of our most vulnerable seniors and intellectually challenged adults to the long term care system (‘intellectually challenged’ as your legislature calls the disabled, a term to many so labeled as pejorative).
DSHS contracts with the county for long term care services. The County provides oversight for long term care within districts in our state.
Let us not visit the problem on poor state, federal or county administration. In my opinion, economically and organizationally, this is strictly a local social and political problem with the community’s housing market and the planning model of Winslow’s municipal agencies.
Just a brief note: COBI contributed $200,000 to the KCCHA purchase of Serenity House as I recall. Money was from the Housing Trust Fund.
And Steve Z, I have a very difficult time believing 14% of the general population are disabled with activity limitations unless that counts the aged with the usual slowdowns associated with long life. And extrapolation to say Bainbridge has around 2,500 disabled residents doesn’t calculate with my observations. It’s an interesting question, but I think the number is far, far less.
Robert I want to check on that but I can’t do it today. I don’t think you’re right about the COBI contribution. It gets confusing because the state has a Housing Trust Fund also and it contributed most, if not all, of the purchase price when KCCHA bought it.
I am not a bio-statistician or an epidemiologist. I majored in mathematics at Reed College and made a best rough estimate.
You make my point exactly, Mr. Dashiell: where are all the rest of us gimps? We are fitted with prosthetics and blanketed in wheelchairs to look normal. We are generally marginalized from the centers of Winslow’s commerce.
The real numbers, in my humble statistical opinion, fall in a range, depending on the way you count, between 999 and 4,999. And yes, I do believe that my numbers exclude us Islanders presently incarcerated, institutionalized such as Jerome, either at Serendipity or the nursing home; but not those independently living loose cannons, as I understand I am rumored to be (but not to my face), in some circles.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=1579 from the Institute of Medicine, The National Academies Press. (1991.) “Disability in America: Toward a National Agenda for Prevention.” NB. Chapter 2) Magnitude and Dimensions in the US (pp. 41-75). And, Appendix B) Dissent and Response (pp. 328-339).
Bainbridge Review 9 Mar 2005:
“The Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority this week announced the purchase of the care facility, which sits on several acres overlooking Pleasant Beach Drive. Purchase price was put at $1.29 million, toward which the city put $200,000 from the Housing Trust Fund and guaranteed a loan for the rest.
KCCHA in turn will lease it to the Seattle-based Low Income Housing Institute for $100 a year. A nonprofit that provides affordable housing throughout the Puget Sound area, LIHI will manage the facility.”
…
It’s my impression the city that is mentioned is Bainbridge Island, and the $200,000 was local housing trust fund money. Property reportedly sold for $1.5 million. Unclear if any of that money comes back to the city or not, but I suspect it goes to pay KCCHA debts after the state housing trust fund is repaid.
Good find Robert. Now the question is, will the city be paid back out of the sale proceeds?
Althea, in my opinion, the real question is, “How much did the owner pay for the property?”.
This is the owner, or LLC, which collected rents, subsidies, enjoyed tax-exempt status through LIHI, and cried wolf when the tax man came to the door.
It seems that we, in the form of our municipal governments, ‘incentivize’ private capital by permitting private land owners to make enormous profits in the appreciation of the value of the land on which these facilities are cited.
Yes, owners cry poverty and the operation of the facility is no doubt an affair with a thin margin. However, the City forgoes the value and the power of capital in the land by placing convoluted ownership in the hands of private partners.
The second question would be, for what price were other public housing facilities purchased in the City, what is their present value, and who owns them?
If you are going to follow the money, determine in whose hand it is, and how much you are paying to let them hold it.
An enviable record is fine for those who thrive on envy.
http://www.legacymanagementgroupllc.com/developers/compliance.html
From the 2006 Seattle -based Low Income Housing Institute’s Annual Report:
SERENITY COURT
This 3-acre site on Bainbridge Island will include new housing for the developmentally disabled, frail seniors and other low-income households. LIHI undertook this project at the request of the City of Bainbridge Island and the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing
Authority (KCCHA) so that existing low-income and disabled individuals could continue to live in their community. Funding has been secured from the City of Bainbridge Island, Enterprise, Kitsap County, KCCHA and Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.
…
Nothing is simple.
What seems puzzling is LIHI is in the affordable housing business, and they took this project on for a lease rate of $100/year if the Review story is correct. They have a highly professional staff, have dozens of projects around Puget Sound, and why would they do this if they could not operate the facility at a break-even point? This was only four years ago … did the state change their funding policies that dramatically in those four years?
KCCHA also had to pay back the state housing trust fund loan … and they were getting just $100/yr. in lease revenue.
The public will likely never see the real operating numbers, but it would be interesting to know if LIHI was actually operating at a loss on this project (and if so, how much), or if KCCHA may have terminated the lease because they could not repay the state housing trust fund loan.
The state changed nothing. They are desperate for places to put people like Jerome, whose subsequent placement in a nursing home is hardly cost-effective ‘case management’ by non profit agencies (receiving public money and charged with its lawful use) and who advertise their expertise in housing for the vulnerable or social services.
The land became too valuable to waste on throwaways.
Under federal law, and at the risk of losing IRS non profit status, every agency with such status (with few exceptions) must open its files to any member of the public during regular business hours.
These files will contain the IRS filings, annual budgets and board rosters, as well as board minutes, articles of incorporation and bylaws.
One should not need a forensic analyst to determine the appropriate use of public moneys, whether it is a municipality or one of its non profit pawns.
Michele Obama has style! The Italians love her. Ezra Pound Foolish says she has a great speech writer.
Last week, she was next door in Venice for the first Annual International “Community Garden Art Invitational”. Peggy Guggenheim’s nephews were here, too! They told me Starbucks has been denied a concession at the Museum. Ezzie says, “Java has become a political target”.
Michele whispered that community gardens for economically challenged minorities are all the rage, especially where the land is valuable. I think she said, “You can’t eat money, the way Barack sees the economy going”. Ezzie told her, “We’ll need every economically challenged vegetable we can raise.”
She loved my recycled artificial turf business! I told her it supported a needy non profit, because I bought it from a city school. Ezzie says it’s better than kevlar and lasts longer.
She bought a little used astrograss evening clutch with recycled coke bottle rhinestones and a matching pair of flats. Ezzie says they’re collector’s items of value to any savy speculator.
I asked Michele to talk to the Big Man for me. I want the materials from Serendipity House for a homeless shelter in a safe neighbor like Belfair or Bremerton. Ezzie said, “Affluent NIMBY neighborhoods are dangerous for the intellectually challenged.”
Can’t you imagine how nice used linoleum will look in a cheery kitchen for those people? Recycling has style.
Ciao from Navels, Penny and Ezzie (Recyclers of the World)
The only thing I have been successful at getting from IRS non-profits is their IRS 990’s.
Trying to get detailed operating information for a single project has been met with a “you have our IRS 990.”
For a local example, try to get financial details from our own Housing Resources Board. I’ve tried. Stonewalled.
I have no reason to believe they are no using their funds responsibly, but when they won’t reveal their expenditures, it always make me wonder why they resist being fully transparent.
Could someone get a whiteboard and draw me a diagram, please?
These private owners and their associated partners would not have any conflict of interest that is to the detrimental cost of people like Jerome, would they?
It would be a pity to think that the saddest part of losing Serenity House is the loss of income represented by its tenants, appreciating to the benefit of private landowners and their silent partners and kingdoms.
The Honorable Sam Reed has always been gracious about assisting the public with records-shy Washington state non profit corporations who refuse to fulfill their legal records obligations. The Secretary of State’s office, which maintains a public file on each ‘charitable’ corporation, can and will obtain records from recalcitrant corporations registered with his offices.
This avoids requesting documents, specified as public under the statutes, from the regional office of the IRS with a Freedom of Information request.
Further, many public entities, who grant funds and pass funds through a non profit corporation, are subject to public record laws. These donors and grantors must be listed on the 990, if their contributions are above a certain amount, along with some corporate salaries of the entity filing.
Non profit corporations like to publicly brag about their donors. And many non profit corporations are confused about whether they are accomplishing anything, because they can’t set and measure benchmarks. Public bragging rights supposedly prove that donors think something worthwhile is going on.
And finally, the ratios of funds spent on operations and salaries, compared to operating revenues, capital, and if any funds are actually spent directly on services, indicate whether an organization is more part of the problem than part of the solution.
Assuming you can’t hear things speaking for themselves or they’re not talking.
I must admit I am not a regular blog reader, but someone pointed out that Mr. Dashiell has stated that he has had trouble getting financial information from the Housing Resources Board. I am truly surprised to hear this as the only remembrance I have of a direct request from Mr. Dashiell was when he requested a 990 from me and was given a copy. I did have forwarded to me in March of this year by a Council Member a list of questions from Mr. Dashiell concerning what he called an “HRB annual report” to the City. I replied at that time to the Council Member that the report he had questions about was actually an annual report of the City’s own Housing Trust Fund, and not a report from HRB at all, and therefore I only could answer things I knew about directly because they involved HRB, (many did not). I may be wrong, but this is the only other indirect contact that I know of that could possibly have led to Mr. Dashiell’s blog comment. I did not respond to Mr. Dashiell directly as the request had not been directly asked of HRB, and assumed that Mr. Dashiell received a reply from the Council Member he directed his questions to. If he did not, I certainly do not want Mr. Dashiell to feel that he is being stonewalled in any way by a reluctant HRB. I would invite him to have a cup of coffee with me and ask me any questions he would like. I am proud of HRB and the work that we do and our stewardship of the resources that islanders have entrusted to us. In fact, very soon we will have a new web site up and going, (www.housingresourcesboard.org), and one feature we will have incorporated is online access to our 990 nonprofit reports. I believe strongly in transparency and accountability. All we do is on behalf of the community we serve and depends upon their trust. I look forward to getting Mr. Dashiell the answers he seeks.
Carl Florea
Executive Director
Housing Resources Board
I must admit I find the above comments from Carl Florea frustrating. The basic question here is how Serenity House came to be closed, and as our resident expert in affordable housing, I would think he might have a good, insider’s view. Lots of back and forth in the blog comments above, but still no comprehensive answer. Your thoughts, Carl?
Ezra Pound Foolish says, “Don’t admit anything until you talk to our attorney” Ezra thinks attorneys can fix everything. I reminded him we are all global rate payers.
The Environmental Protection Agency will sell me all the used artificial turf I want from BI. It’ s becoming the fashion rage! But I can’t adopt Jerome from a nursing home. Adult Protective Services says Jerome is vulnerable and Navels is old and dirty.
Well, I told them we have some very pretty churches here. A little bit of time in God’s House and Jerome will be fine.
Ezzie says the numbers don’t add up at Serenity House. I say it’s immoral. Ezzie says he has another nice bottle Barolo Monforte d’Alba and I must admit, I could go for a toasted bagel with a schmeer.
Ciao from Navels, Penny and Ezzie (Global Rate Payers)
stew·ard
Pronunciation:
\ˈstü-ərd, ˈstyü-; ˈst(y)u̇rd\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, from Old English stīweard, from stī, stig hall, sty + weard ward — more at sty, ward
Date:
before 12th century
1: one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts)
2: shop steward
3: a fiscal agent
4 a: an employee on a ship, airplane, bus, or train who manages the provisioning of food and attends passengers b: one appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of food and drink in an institution
5: one who actively directs affairs : manager
Rod I agree with you. I’ve contacted several departments at the state, including Resident Care Services, which licenses these facilities, and the Kitsap County Division of Aging and Long-Term Care, which manages benefits for elders and those with disabilities.
Everyone I contacted said the state did NOT close Serenity House. In fact, one person said with the budget problems, the state is scrambling to meet the existing needs and wouldn’t ever shut an operating facility except for reasons of abuse or gross violations of the law. As to MMA’s point above, no benefits were in danger of being cut off simply because a resident lived at Serenity House.
Yet as recently as last week, HRB was still insisting that the state was at fault for the closing of Serenity House. If some state agency is responsible for the closing, I’d like to know specifically which agency and under what authority. I’d like a name and a phone number.
By blaming the state, HRB is raising community suspicion unnecessarily. We’re all adults here. We know about budget cuts and we know people (like the former Executive Director of KCCHA, which owned Serenity House) can make large errors in judgment. If you read news reports as far back as 2005, you’ll see that KCCHA always intended to redevelop the Serenity House property in order to have funds to build a smaller group home, which is exactly what will now occur with the new, private owner. And that is indeed the preferred state model now.
The difference is, the original intent was to keep the residents at Serenity House until the smaller home was built on the property and other new homes were found on the island. KCCHA’s heavy leveraging sank them in last fall’s real estate crash and resulted in the hasty and traumatic re-location of the residents.
Now, looking forward, I’d like to know what role HRB is playing in housing for the disabled and the elderly, and those with very low income. Community land trust development such as the Ferncliff project, which involves affordable, single-family home ownership, is but one kind of housing option. All communities need diverse opportunities, from affordable home ownership to low cost apartments, to subsidized housing, to assisted living for the disabled. I’d like more information about the work HRB is doing to preserve, create and nurture true housing diversity on the island.
I am amazed with the quantity of misinformation surrounding this topic and I include myself in this.
I just spoke with Donna Dahlquist at Helpline House. This is indeed a very complex issue involving different kinds of licensing for the former SH residents depending on the type of disability they suffered. It involves KCCHA’s investments and attemps to earn money, and more that is beyond me. It doesn’t add up to a conspiracy to deport developmentally disabled adults from our community however. Donna is open to anyone who is interested in learning some of what went down to talk with her. Her email is cap@helplinehouse.org. Her phone is 842-7621.
Rod, most of what happened at SH predates HRB’s involvement. HRB got involved when it applied to purchase a home from KCCHA that KCCHA had purchased to renovate into a care facility. Why don’t you contact Donna? She’s a wealth of information. I hope Althea might consider researching and correcting of the misunderstanding and misinformation that surrounds this unfortunate series of events. She raised the questions. I’d take it on if I didn’t have a day gig.
I evidently have an old email for Donna. It is ddahlquist@helplinehouse.org
Hagrid’s West Wing has room for 20 displaced students and faculty in the event of an unforeseen Act of Wizardry.
At Hogwarts, the HWW handles all that. I forgot the spell, but Hagrid can tell you.
It’s the One for All stop for anyone who loses their home. HWW usually handles all their own misinformation, but sometimes it contracts that service out to get a Muggles viewpoint.
IRT Carl Florea’s entry:
I got into HRB funding for two reasons.
First, the city has an FTE count which is used, more or less, as a budget measure of staffing that is compared to other cities. The discussion this past spring about what should be done with city budgets brought to light something I would call city shadow employees … some not on the city’s payroll, but dependent on city funding. Zon Estes of Arts and Humanities saying he was headed back to the East Coast because the city was considering reducing tax provided Arts and Humanities funding, thereby reducing Zon’s salary, made me wonder how many non-city employees were dependent on city taxpayer funding. Since HRB is the city’s housing services arm, but no employees are counted in city FTE counts, I sent an e-mail to HRB and asked for financial statements … I was trying to figure out how Carl Florea was being paid. HRB has 19 (I think that number is correct) rent producing properties, including two on city owned land, the city has two housing funds (affordable housing fund and housing trust fund), and HRB has their own operating fund.That’s three housing funds in one small city. City Council was in the process of approving $100,000 to HRB, and there was no public information as to how much money they already had or how they were using their funds.
Since HRB is acting as the city’s housing manager, it seems that their finances should be transparent information.
I sent HRB an e-mail asking for their latest audited financial statement, and no response.
It was also prompted by an August 2008 request from HRB to the Mayor to waiver sewer and water hook-up fees the first half of a planned 48 unit affordable housing project on Ferncliff. Since that would have significant implications for sewer and water rate payers, I wanted to see more financial data to understand if that was necessary. Of course, the fact the property was only zoned for 21 residents and the city has known for months before HRB or the city revealed to the general public that 48 units were planned, and the city was going to craft a housing ordinance to get around a comp plan amendment/official zoning map was pretty newsy.
Carl and I have gotten along like oil and water … he wants low cost, high density housing and I believe that is out of character with Bainbridge. Carl was also a strong advocate for the ill conceived inclusionary housing ordinance, which has died a well deserved, albeit long, painful and very expensive demise at city hall.
But I also have been to some of Mr. Florea’s presentations on CLT’s, and he has done an excellent job explaining the pros and cons of CLT ownership. I think he has found his element in the Ferncliff land gift project, although the final density issue is still to be resolved.
But bottom line, I think HRB should post their financial statements to their website. Transparency for a tax paying public.
Ezra Pound Foolish is an adult, here in Navels, who writes for the government. He says he can answer your questions about HRB finances now by email, and you can avoid a transatlantic crossing just for a private cup of coffee and a chat. The Italians have great coffee!
Italians have been acquainted with misinformation since the vicious rumors circulated about Nero fiddling while Rome burned. This is completely incorrect. I can’t tell you the whole story, but he fiddled while trying to dial the fire department.
It’s complicated, but I heard Navels was the first city in the world to invent 911 after that little stunt by the emperor. Italian fiddle makers ergonomically redesigned the violin. Now, a good first fiddler can hit middle C and dial 911, too!
Let’s be candid. Unfortunately Rome burned before fiddle makers could master the innovations. Some people lost their homes. They are better in a better place now. Ezzie says, “Nero didn’t mean for Rome to burn, it was just poor administration”.
if you want value-added information, Ezra will put a spin on it for you. He says he doesn’t want to be a steward. “I am just a simple writer, sometimes given to poetry.”
Ezra says, “I must admit, darling, your problems predate me. I will be transparent, but please don’t ask me to be your steward.” I love Ezzie. He’s so patrician!
Ciao from Navels, Penny and Ezzie. (Rent Paying Citizens of the World).
Mr. Dashiell,
Where to start?
1. HRB is not “the city’s housing services arm”. It is an independent non-profit with a Board of Directors. The city Housing Trust Fund is the “city’s housing services arm.” As to the “Affordable Housing Fund”, I don’t know about it, so I will not speak to it.
2. “I was trying to figure out how Carl Florea was being paid.” What’s so hard? Please call the HRB office and ask to speak with Carl or Ned Palmer who is our very capable Board Treasurer. Either one will gladly address all of your questions. The number is 842-1909. I’ve got financial information for that matter as the Board Secretary. Ned or Carl would be better at answering any questions you would have, however. Numbers aren’t my expertise.
3. We are indeed revamping our web site and will hopefully launch it within a week to two weeks. Because of your continuous public statements, we have long planned a financial page for the new site. Thank you for serving in this way.
As for the remainder of your post, I ackowledge that you are framing it all in a way that suits your opinion and we’re all entitled to our opinions.
1. I am not a Ministry Wizard. I am a Chapter 501 legally emancipated wizard. My overseers are independently appointed by Hogwart’s mayor for life.
2. Gringott’s usually pays me by check, but sometimes I am paid by lip service. That’s how I am paid.
3. I have a public little secret just between you and me. Not now.
Ask any more questions and you will be serving he who shall not be named. Personal opinions will be publicly dignified only with condescending responses.
We don’t need your full on personal opinions. We have plenty of our own, thank you. Just sayin.
Kate,
Some cities that have housing as one of their assumed government functions employ a housing needs staff … some contract it out to a non-profit. We do the latter, and HRB is the non-profit that city’s housing needs. I think I’m using Debbie Vancil’s description of HRB as the city’s housing services arm … at least that’s the way I wrote it down from a May council meeting. Rest assured I didn’t fall off last night’s turnip truck … I fully know the city organization and HRB’s non-profit organizational status.
Carl’s pay was simply trying to determine if he was one of the city’s shadow employees … NOT ON CITY PAYROLL, but dependent on city taxpayer dollars. The question is about city staffing levels from a budget perspective, and it’s a bit complicated if you are not into city budgeting or the benchmarking study.
I think your idea of posting HRB’s financials on the website is laudable … it will make for transparency. It’s no small amount of money the city gives to HRB annually, and HRB has income producing properties located on land owned by the citizens of Bainbridge, so I feel transparency is a legitimate issue.
But I helped lead the story thread astray … back to Althea’s basic questions on the thread …
what are the facts of HRB and HHHS re Serenity House?
It’s history and nothing is going to change what happened, but understanding the hows and whys this happened adds to the community knowledge base.
Dear Blog Monitor: As a legally qualified, intellectually challenged adult, I find the phrase turnip truck extremely offensive. It is imaginatively challenged.
COBI’s housing agencies have no training (and apparently no desire to learn) in working with the disabled (no one at Island Terrace in a wheel chair can read the legally posted notices on the bulletin board near the ceiling). Our public safety employees have no comprehension of working with the intellectually disabled. Our municipal employees (with a few exceptions), have no desire to communicate with the disabled.
We are the turnips who fall off the truck. You may hide us, but you cannot run. We are born into your families at a predictable rate; we are produced by the accidents of society at a predictable rate; and while the rest of society is ground up at a predictable rate, you can calculate how many of the intellectually challenged will be spit out – at a predictable rate.
Your problems, which you label our problems as a mistake of nature, occur at a predictable rate. This is not a shockingly new phenomenon, either. Please don’t be surprised.
The defense of agencies dormant in their denial of the last century’s thinking is, “We are not social service agencies”. If these agencies, as they claim in writing, are not social service agencies serving the needs of our social fabric, what then please are they? Social ladders for the well heeled, and sanctioned sessions in elbow rubbing for those whose heels are not so well?
Of course, statistical rates of probability, by mathematical definition, fall within a range comparing one thing to another. Statistically, a 10% estimate of the general population on the Island, as intellectually and physically disabled, is a conservative range.
We are neither vegetables, nor throwaways. The term turnip truck is pejorative. We are not the stage props over which legislators cry because they have a tough budget session.
I heard, according to the administratively challenged Director of Social Services for Helpline, the official term is Turnip Truck Challenged. The legal acronym is TTC. Thanks for cleaning up the language.
The quantity is not exactly calculable, but it is accurately estimable. I have not researched historical or current US Census statistics.
There is an estimably high probability that the Turnip Truck Challenged are the largest minority residing on the Island.
I challenge anyone to truthfully report stray rolling turnip sightings on WW Tomorrow. We avoid the place like the plague. That’s what’s expected in nice towns, where we are happy to live invisibly.
However, if I remember the arithmetic from my old days of yore, a 10% disabled minority is enough to earn 50-100% capital guarantee necessary for an innovative, gimp-friendly, downtown core revitalization project. No ratepayers necessary (gosh, new management concept; of course, you have to know how to listen to someone who knows how to respond to such an RFP). Let’s get smart and stop over-leveraging the necessary bricks and mortar for a healthy community with our own capital.
Isn’t a 10% minority enough to guarantee the refinancing for ‘affordable’ housing like Island Terrace Apartments? It’s not our fault COBI agencies can’t work together and humanely sift out the gimps from the bottom feeders. Or, are we all the same? We have a hard time telling you white people apart, too.
What I am trying to say is out source the risk of capital development, maximize the instruments of municipal capital ownership; but don’t outsource the management of housing for the most vulnerable – or anything else of your other community stakeholders (These, unlike stewards, are apparently good against fiduciary vampires, too). Giving away our local interests in ownership and management is like throwing those interests out with the bath water (I am not sure that’s a real metaphor – I am better at similes).
I’m not too good with numbers either, like my telephone number and address. But authoritative people in charge of HRB & Hello House will say that turnips are quite the economic engine. Sorry, TCC. Is that not correct, Councilman Stoknes?
Steve,
OK … understand my cowboy country upbringing and phraseology isn’t always up to absolute perfect, Ivy League level political correctness. I certainly have no intention of offending anyone with a phrase I’ve used for probably half a century.
How about if I substitute “I didn’t come down with last night’s rain?” That might offend Cliff Mass or the some water resources group, but keep in mind, this is a blog, and blog posting standards are not the same as main stream journalism.
But, I’ll take it your remarks as a humble lesson learned.
I only wish I could write as precisely as you do. I’m far more intellectually challenged than you.
Compensating with one skill for a range of communicative disabilities only proves I am no turnip, either. But I am always grateful for ways I can compare myself to others, when I’m in a statistical mood.
Finding someone who is more challenged than I, does not mean I am less disabled. Although it is a caring thought, thank you.
Jerome was extradited to a Bremerton nursing home without cause, charges, or due process. Every ivy league snob and redneck deserves due process. Did Jerome get his? Did we spend our public moneys wisely?
I believe the question is, “Do we know how public moneys are spent through HRB and Kitsap Housing Authority?”. It’s fairly clear what we didn’t accomplish.
Back to the subject–has anyone found out the actual reasons behind the closure yet?
The reason is simple. There was no onsite community garden at Serenity House. During the great Lynwood Development Siege the residents were starved out or succumbed to the plague.
I read all about it in ‘grace from the garden, changing the world one garden at a time’ by debra landwehr engle. Eagle Harbor Books.
I have heard good things about Carl Florea and his efforts to create this new subdivision, but I am struck by two things about his posts on this site. One is the fact that he asked Robert out for coffee. I should probably just take this at its face value, as an effort of one person to get together with another. It does seem, however, that there is a pattern of communication on this island, most notably set by the ex-mayor, that when anyone is facing public criticism, they silence public discussion by by asking the questioner out for coffee. A nice gesture, but a private response to questions consciously raised in public. The second and most factual observation is that Carl was obviously concerned enough about Althea’s blog to post, but he still did not answer the question directly.
A lot of what has gone on on the island this year, culminating in a 70 percent vote for a change of government, is really a questioning of how social influence on the island is translated into formal political power. It is interesting to me that what appear to be political questions really are social questions. Darlene Kordonowy’s first response to criticism several years ago was her now notorious “civility” campaign, in she which made the questioning seem impolite. Even more interesting, therefore, how the lack of response to such questioning has led led to a genuine “civility” challenge to many of our social institutions. Note of the five definitions shown below from the dictionary, the first four deal with public life and duties, and that it is not until the fifth definition that the question of being polite comes up:
1. Of, relating to, or befitting a citizen or citizens: civil duties.
2. Of or relating to citizens and their interrelations with one another or with the state: civil society; the civil branches of government.
3.Of ordinary citizens or ordinary community life as distinguished from the military or the ecclesiastical: civil authorities.
4. Of or in accordance with organized society; civilized.
5. Sufficiently observing or befitting accepted social usages; not rude: a civil reply. See Synonyms at polite.
Althea’s post was whether and how the members of our various commissions, including Carl Florea’s group, carried out their duties such that we lost Serenity House. It is a civil question to ask why and how they failed, and a question that no one from these organizations has yet to answer. Is it not “uncivil”, not to respond to such well-intentioned questions?
Clarification on above: when I write that “It is interesting to me that what appear to be political questions really are social questions” I mean that much of the recent questioning has been about membership on various boards and commissions being limited to a relatively small social group. This election was fundamentally about opening up participation in city government to a much wider group of people. The fundamental issue has been that of elected officials not listening or responding to people outside a very narrow group of old-timers. It is going to be critically important to the civic life of the island to open up involvement in boards and commissions to a wider group, and this means really listening to and following the recommendations of these boards and individuals.
I love it when Ezra Pound Foolish winks at me. He learned to wink in Italy. The Italians have style when they wink! I heard good things about Ezzie, too, before we got married.
We are reviewing our membership in the Navel’s Condo Association. I love membership. I am everyone’s member. Ezra says if we own the condo from the walls in, then the mayhem outside is not the members’ responsibility.
We’re originally from Bainbridge Island. We have always listened politely to those trouble making sub-base woofers, and not just outside our walls, but far away outside, practically all the way to Russia. The same Russia Sarah Palin can see from her kitchen!
Ezzie says these are not our problems. “First, they predate us. Second, these are outside problems”. And then he winked at me!
I told Ezra that starting on this day I will support us as a sustainable landscape consultant. My specialty is planting organic turnips over artificial turf. I am bidding on a $600,000 project, now.
Ezra says, “You can listen to all the recommendations you want, but until you’ve had a taste of restitution, you’ll continue to inter those who cannot complain as if they have nothing to do with you” Ezra understands social problems. He writes for the government. He’s gorgeous when he talks enforcement!
And he winked at me, again! Ezra has learned so much about insouciance since we moved abroad. Ciao from Navels, Penny and Ezzie (Citizen-Members of the World)
Rod et al. –
“We have met the enemy and he is us.” – Pogo
Rod, sometime a cup of coffe is just a freaking cup of coffee. Carl relunctantly wrote his post because I pointed out to him the allegations Mr. Dashiell was making for the upteenth time. He didn’t want to due to concern of replies like yours.
Since a follow up story doesn’t appear to be coming from Althea who “Loves the questions”, how about anyone who REALLY WANTS ANSWERS on this issue talk with Donna Dahlquist who spent numerous hours in meetings during the events that lead to the closing. I know its easier to keep throwing around accusations and it’s ever so much more entertaining, but it doesn’t get to the facts that everyone seems to be craving in writing.
Frustrated? You betcha.
My youngest child is graduating from high school on Saturday and we’re hosting extended family from all over the country. I won’t have either questions or answers until next week. If then.
Kate, I didn’t see any checks in my mailbox for the answers you think I should provide. For free, all you get are questions.
If you’re in a hurry for answers, you might ask Carl Florea and his paid staff some hard questions. Don’t let them off the hook with the story that the state closed the facility. Everyone I spoke with at the state—people in charge of both benefits and facilities–say they did NOT close Serenity House. See my several comments above, which I pieced together through conversations with the state, Helpline, and news articles.
Dear Office of the Inspector General, USDA:
My neighbor, Mr. Robert Daishell, says he is intellectually challenged. I know for a fact this can affect your whole life. Sometimes, people who are intellectually challenged ask the same question more than once. This is not to irritate you. We are recruiting a good answer.
It is my understanding that the USDA is obligated to answer questions from the disabled about their housing rights and how you spend public money. I think we are entitled to as many questions as we reasonably need – or maybe not quite that many. But we are entitled to some questions, aren’t we?
I understand we are entitled to equal access in public housing, too. We don’t usually ask for it, because people accuse us of asking too many questions.
Everyone is always very helpful if we think we have been discriminated against. Just ask. Thanks.
One comment about coffee with Carl Florea and then let’s get back to the base question of the thread.
I think the coffee offer from Carl was sincere, but we have had previous discussions and they didn’t go particularly well. We have fundamental differences on two points.
Most basic is that Community Land Trusts can be successfully operated without local public funding. Example is OPAL on Orcas Island … higher land and housing prices than Bainbridge, and they have built or have under construction 94 affordable housing units. They do not depend on local government funding … they do it with grants and donations. In contrast, Carl Florea and HRB are depending on the city for significant funding, and when the city is in almost financial extremis, the City Council should have a measured and intelligent debate on whether they should continue to provide local taxpayer money to provide lower to middle income housing on Bainbridge Island, given an alternative funding plan is working well on an island to the north of Bainbridge. Seeing their financials might help reveal their needs.
Carl Florea and HRB are also ceaseless advocates of increasing island housing density. They have a point that land is expensive, and the way to get affordable housing is small, compact lots. For example on Ferncliff, the donated property is zoned for 21 houses, but HRB work last year out of public discussions to get the city to craft a density increase ordinance … they want to build 48 units on Ferncliff. That’s soon to be before the City Council, but the Council has also given the project $100,000 while knowing full well it didn’t comply with the Comprehensive Plan official zoning map. The question for taxpayers is what density is acceptable.
I think Carl Florea is a very competent manager at running a Community Land Trust … and Community Land Trusts can work for a limited number of people … it’s a perfect fit for Kate Smith for example. And he has a right to argue for greater housing density … but I also have a right to argue that high housing densities are not in the best long term interest of Bainbridge Island.
And finally Carl probably owes me a cup of java because HRB got a check for $74,xxx because the architect and developer of Vineyard Lane failed to meet their affordable housing permit requirements and the city was negligent in not enforcing the requirements. Carl at the time said he didn’t want to create waves, but I took it on because it was the the legally right thing to do. I might have expected a thank you from Carl or HRB for the often highly contentious work, but no.
So … Kate said she would post HRB’s financial statements in a couple of weeks. I’m taking her at her word.
Now … let’s all get back to to the Serenity House demise story.
Earning your broom is one thing, knowing where to sweep the dirt is another.
This is an ideal time to be building higher density affordable housing downtown. When it comes to affordable housing, its a quantity vs. quality question: would you rather pay more for single-family land, and build the kind of housing that most people want and few can afford, or build more rental or condo units.
Here are the typical numbers for land acquisition in a typical market: $100k+ for single family lots, $25k per unit for condos. And when the market cools, the price of land for condos usually drops much more than it does for single-family land. Why? Because condos usually only sell at the top of the market, while single family houses sell throughout almost all of a normal real estate cycle.
Given that we are trying to encourage growth in the center of the island, that we are not meeting our density targets, and that many low income people don’t have cars, why are we not doing more to get low-income buildings in mid-rise structures? If the parking requirements are low, then these make all the more sense.
I think there is a real danger that the HRB will lose some of its influence if it continues to push for density changes where density was not intended. I live near Lynwood Center, and the original proposal for affordable housing would have radically increased densities there. Given that this island government has an absolutely terrible record of governance, I’m not willing to open the door on density until we come up with a more comprehensive policy to affordable housing and how we are going to achieve it. The issue with the Quay last year, in which we as a city were going to pay terribly high rates for a beat-up old apartment complex show that we need to think this out some more. The basic question of “why did Serenity House close?” shows that we still don’t have a basic approach to providing affordable housing. If we did, Serenity House would still be open.
Here finally, is a suggestion for a practical platform of compromise. Politically, socially and sustainable. An inclusive vision.
What happened to the “old BI” who grasped the enduring quality of common sense?
WASTE NO TIME : RIP
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
The Serenity House is no more.
A fixture in the south island community of Lynwood Center for nearly a century, much of the group home for developmentally disabled adults was torn down Wednesday by the property’s new owner.
Serenity House closed in March after its 17 residents were moved to care facilities and group homes around Kitsap County. The Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority, which owned the 3.4-acre property, could no longer afford to subsidize Serenity’s operating costs, which amounted to about $16,000 a month.
KCCHA abandoned plans to redevelop the property with new assisted-living homes.
Built as a public school in 1914, the 11,000-square-foot facility had fallen into disrepair.
The building also served as a sanitarium and, for the last 40 years, a home for developmentally disabled adults and others in need of full-time care.
KCCHA listed the property in March for $1.95 million. A development company led by island resident Steve Romein purchased the property last month. Romein could not be reached for comment.
The property boasts panoramic views of Rich Passage and sits across the street from the theater property, which is also owned by Romein.
Tristan Baurick, Kitsap Sun
It MIGHT just be a coincidence, but on 10 April 2009, the major land owners and developers of Lynnwood Center sent a letter to the city requesting NSC’s be included in the new High Density Housing Development ordinance the city has been crafting for the past year. Included in the letter was a statement on the Serenity property, stating it would be a candidate for such housing density increases. In all fairness, rebuilding a Serenity type structure was mentioned as a possibility to be included in the increased density, but not knowing the players, I don’t know if that is being said with meaning or if it’s just a politically correct statement that has no real intention of being implemented.
But the timing of when the HDDP was conceived and the still unexplained Serenity House closing with little HHHS or HRB support seems strange. And of course, HRB would get more affordable housing built if the property was included in HDDP … maybe a long stretch on why HRB didn’t seem to get involved in saving Serenity, but then again, maybe not.
And since HDDP is designed for easy integration into future land use code after the interim ordinance expires (that’s been stated Planning and Land Use meetings), there may be a long range land use strategy at play in Serenity’s demise.
Has Shining City merged with the Sun?
Follow the pecuniary considerations… No one in the Ministry has learned how to disappear a paper trail. Yet.
Ezra Pound Foolish loves parks! He nominated a property for parkland, otherwise there would be a paltry 69 suggestions for new parks.
The Italians love parks, private parks, gated parks and limited access waterways. The Italians have style!
I’m flipping through my copy of the Bainbridge Review airmail international edition and I see no nominations for housing for the poor and the disabled. I think it’s an outrage. Ezzie says it’s parks politics.
“We can’t have parks AND equal access to housing,” Ezra said. “We’d have poor disabled people all over the parks. It’s bad for tourism”, he says. I told him a theme park economy is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
I told Ezzie that because he writes for the government, doesn’t mean he knows anything except what they tell him. He said I should join a public land trust if I want justice. I told him he should go skeet shooting with Dick Cheney if he wants amusement.
Ciao from Navels, Penny and Ezzie
I understand that you are probably very busy this summer, but I wanted to let you know that many of us miss your posts. Mornings are just not the same.
RIP Ronnie. So sad.