Newsletter Title Inside This Edition

Halloween Safety Tips 2

HCV Program 2

Calendar of Events 3

Residents’ Association Message 4

Car Seat Check-Up 4

Fall Carnival 4

White Chocolate Ghosts 5

Pictures 5

Resume/Interview Skills Insert

October 2013

The Franklin Housing Authority continues to offer programs to assist our community with both services

and housing.

Our belief is that public housing should be transitional rather

than permanent so we dedicate resources and staff to assist with self-sufficiency. One such program is the Housing Choice Voucher Program which is discussed in this newslet-ter. We have now officially received the vouchers so we are working with the com-munity to help families find affordable housing. This is a new program for the FHA

and we are excited to offer it.

The completion of the Reddick Senior Resi-dence is just a few weeks away. This new building will provide some of our older res-idents the opportunity to live in a new place with programming and services more conveniently located. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for Thursday, November 7th at 10:00 am. More details will be available in

the coming weeks.

With Halloween just around the corner, I encourage parents to plan and make sure your children follow the safety tips included in this month’s newsletter. Ac-cording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), October 31st is the most dangerous night of the year for youngsters walking on American roadways. Please ensure your children are dressed appropriately and carry a flashlight so that drivers and others can

clearly see them.

Be safe and have a good month.

Sincerely,

Derwin Jackson

A Note from Derwin Jackson, FHA Executive Director

College Information Session, Oct. 17th

Important Reminders 6

for our Residents

Is your child or someone you know in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade?

Have you wondered yourself about going to college? Come to the FHA Administration Building at 200 Spring Street on October 17th to get information about attending college and getting the educa-tion needed to provide for the future. Hear from college representatives from Ten-nessee State University, Columbia State Community College and Middle Tennessee State University as well as the guidance counselor from Centennial High School as they share what is needed to get in to college and some of the financial resources available. The program will start at 4:30.

REMINDER:

Franklin Special School District

will be on Fall Break from

October 7th through October

11th.

Williamson County Schools

will be on Fall Break Friday,

October 11th and Monday,

October 14th.

Page 2

Halloween Safety Tips

Housing Choice Voucher Program

Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be short, soft and flexible.

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them.

Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you.

Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin

and eye irritation.

Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.

Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible or on the far edge of the road facing traffic.

Wear well-fitting masks, costumes and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls.

Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

Enter homes only if you are with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses.

Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

The Franklin Housing Authority was recently awarded 42 hous-ing choice vouchers which will be used by applicants to locate affordable housing in Williamson county. The application pro-

cess has closed with over 200 applicants seeking vouchers.

Applicants that receive a voucher have 60 days to locate appropriate housing which must then be inspected to ensure it meets the required stand-ards. The rental rate and utilities for the unit must also fall within the ac-

ceptable payment standards for the unit size.

Landlords follow the same leasing process for a potential resident with a voucher as one without a voucher. The terms of the lease are the same for both groups as well. A tenant with a voucher must abide by the terms of the lease and can be evicted and lose their voucher if they violate the terms of

the lease.

The Housing Choice Voucher program is a great tool for those ready to take the next step and move from public housing. Several FHA residents

were among those that applied.

The Nashville Food Project will be sup-

plying nutritious foods to the residents of

FHA. Look for the truck to come through

on Spring Street, Saturday, October

12th 10:00 am-11:00 am.

The Nashville Food Project uses gleaned, donated and TNFP or

food project grown foods to prepare wholesome, nutritious meals

for low-income residents of Nashville and surrounding areas. They

also grow food and distribute fresh produce from their gardens to

build relationships with the community. It is also an opportunity for

volunteers to practice hospitality and engage in new found relation-

ships that can transform their lives. For more information, please

contact Tena Hardy, ROSS Coordinator at 615-794-1247, ext.

212.

Food Truck on Spring

Page 3 Page 3

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

Pest Control 8:00 am—4:00 pm

Neighborhood

Watch Meeting

4:30 pm

Community Center

Rent is Due

Late Fees Apply

Warrants Filed

for previous

month’s balance

FHA Office

Closed for

Labor Day

RA Meeting

2:00 pm

200 Spring St.

Sr. Event

1:00 pm

200 Spring St. Nashville Food

Truck

10 am-11 am

Spring St.

RA Elections

9:30am-4:00pm

200 Spring St.

FHA Board of

Commissioners Mtg

5:30 pm

200 Spring St.

Annual Plan

Public Hearing

5:00 pm

200 Spring St.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

October 2013

Happy

Halloween!

Be Safe!

College

Information

Session

4:30 pm

200 Spring St.

Rent is Due

Late Fees

Apply after

4 pm

Car Seat Safety

Program

4-5:30 pm

Community Center

Warrants Filed

for Previous

Month’s Balances

Fall Carnival with

Cross Point Church

Noon-2 pm

Spring St.

Food Truck

10 am

Spring St.

RA Meeting

3 pm

200 Spring St.

Resume & Interview-

ing Program

10 am-2pm

Wmson Co Library

Page 4

Residents’ Association Message

RA Members,

Happy Halloween to all FHA Residents. We hope you and your families have a fun and safe holiday. The Association is happy to an-nounce that our director elections are over and we have two new Board Members. To meet the new directors we hope you will join us at our next Residents’ Association Meeting that will be held on October 8th at 3:00 at the FHA Administration Building located at 200 Spring Street. We hope that all FHA

residents will attend.

The Association would like to thank the Franklin Housing Authority and GAP Community Development Group, for their help with our elections last month. Without them, our elec-

tions would not have been possible.

With new faces and ideas, the Association’s future looks brighter and a new vision is com-ing through. In the weeks and months to come, there will be changes, not only in how the Association is governed but in how our officers perform their duties. It is our mission to im-prove the quality of life for public housing residents. That is what we will strive to do. Working with partners and other organizations within our community will accomplish this goal by working together to bring educational programs, cultural and recreational activi-

ties to FHA that will promote self-sufficiency and resident empowerment.

But we need all FHA Residents to help. Not only with meeting attendance but with activi-ties and feedback. This organization is here to benefit all FHA Residents. Lets continue to

move forward in making our neighborhoods and community the best they can be.

Franklin Housing Authority Residents’ Association Board of Directors

THIS MONTH’S

TRIVIA QUESTION:

RA Monthly Trivia Question: What is a

Vampires’ favorite drink?

Last Month’s Answer:

With your hands

__________________

If you know the answer to the question, call the RA office at 794-1247 (press #3, then #6). Be sure to speak clearly in your message! Please give your answer, your name, and your phone number in the message. If you do not leave a phone number or we can-not understand your mes-sage, we will not know how to get in touch with

you if you win!

Come have your child car seat checked by the Franklin Police Department to en-sure proper installation on October 28th

from 4:00-5:30 at the FHA Community Center. Officers will check to make sure you have the correct car seat and that it

is not out of date.

Here’s one tip when buying a car seat. Remember the clock starts ticking from the date of manufacture, not the date of purchase. If you find a great deal on a car seat because it is the previous year's model, understand that it has a shortened life compared to the newest release. Please bring your car seats!!!

About 90% of all car seats are improperly in-stalled. Also, if you are in need of a car seat or have any questions, please call Tena at 615-794-1247, ext. 212. We look forward to seeing every-

one.

Fall Carnival

On October 19th from noon to 2:00 pm, FHA and Cross Point Church will host a fall carnival and book giveaway for the residents of Franklin Housing Au-thority. This will be a day of fun, food and commu-nity. There will be activities for the children and adults will have the opportunity to fellowship with each other. In addition to the fun activities, children’s books will be available for residents to choose from and take home. If you have any questions, please

contact Tena at 615-794-1247, ext. 212.

Car Seat Check-up Event

Page 5

Sweet White Chocolate Ghosts

There is something ghoulishly great about topping your favorite milk shake or glass of milk with a hauntingly sweet ghost. To make, follow these steps: 1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. 2. Coarsely chop desired amount of white chocolate (about 2 ounces).

Place in a small microwave-safe bowl. 3. Microwave on high about 1 minute or just until melted and smooth,

stirring every 20 seconds. 4. Place melted chocolate in a small re-sealable plastic bag; seal

bag. Use kitchen scissors to snip a very small piece off one corner of the bag.

5. Pipe small ghost shapes on prepared baking sheet. Add two miniature semisweet chocolate pieces to each ghost for eyes.

6. Allow to stand until white chocolate sets. Peel off waxed paper.

Pharmacy and Health Screening

Program

Food and Book Giveaway

Important Reminders for Our Residents

F rank l in Hous ing Ser v i c es Cor porat ion

200 Spring Street

Franklin, TN 37064-0304

Phone: 615-794-1247

Email: sminor@franklinhousingauthority.com

“LIGHTING YOUR PATH TO AFFORDABLE

HOUSING”

We are required to file warrants by the 29th this month for all previous month balances. All balanc-

es should be paid by that date.

All money orders and checks should be completely filled out prior to mailing, dropping it in the rent collection box or at the reception window. Also, please do not use the abbreviation of “FHA” in the “Pay to the Order of” line. Instead, write out the entire business name, Franklin Housing Authori-ty, on that line. Rental checks should be mailed

to: 200 Spring Street, Franklin TN 37064.

Income Reporting: ALL income has to be report-ed, whether it is Child Support, Social Security, Wages from a job, Unemployment, or AFDC from the Department of Human Services. This includes income from all heads-of-household and adult (18and over) household members. HUD has a system in place, called EIV [Enterprise Income Verification System] that can pull all income

sources, except child support and AFDC.

It is important to us that you understand these policies. If you have any questions, call 615-794-1247, ext.

204 and speak with Michael.

Important Dates For OCTOBER : Rent due on the 1st Late fees apply on the 10th Warrants filed on the 18th

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