News-Journal Online
Better days should be ahead for most residents of the Daytona Village Apartments -- people who say they've endured faulty appliances, rampant cockroaches and constant tussles with the owner over everything from repairs to federal government checks they should receive each month for utility bills.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is helping tenants of the Keech Street complex who receive HUD's rental assistance each month to move in the next few weeks to other private rental properties and take their subsidies with them.
Saying property owner Surujnauth "Oscar" Bharrat has failed too many inspections, HUD is immediately cutting off the roughly $30,000 in rental assistance it sends each month to Bharrat and sending the money instead to the Daytona Beach Housing Authority for distribution.
"We're painfully aware of the conditions and that's unacceptable," Housing Authority Senior Case Manager Debbe Noland told about 50 residents gathered Thursday afternoon to explain the relocation process.
"You have to remember, we've been dealing with an owner who's non-compliant," HUD Senior Project Manager Debra Varley said later in the meeting.
Bharrat did not attend Thursday's meeting, but in an interview late last week said he's the victim. He said he's been set up by tenants who refuse pest control and trash his property so it will fail inspections, allowing them to relocate to nicer rental properties on the government's dime.
The Orlando area man also accused some residents of pocketing their utility subsidies and stealing power from neighboring apartments. He said he ripped out breaker and meter boxes to stop them. Now the city is taking him to court for pulling out those boxes, said Sgt. Bill Bailey, a Daytona Beach police officer in charge of code enforcement.
Bharrat, who said he has spent tens of thousands of dollars on repairs, filed for bankruptcy protection two weeks ago. He said he has no intention of walking away from the property he has poured his life savings into, but he's probably going to lose many of his tenants over the next month or two.
Some who don't meet the Housing Authority's tougher standards for Section 8 assistance will lose their federal rent subsidy, but they don't have to move from the Daytona Village Apartments if they can figure out how to cover their rent.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is helping tenants of the Keech Street complex who receive HUD's rental assistance each month to move in the next few weeks to other private rental properties and take their subsidies with them.
Saying property owner Surujnauth "Oscar" Bharrat has failed too many inspections, HUD is immediately cutting off the roughly $30,000 in rental assistance it sends each month to Bharrat and sending the money instead to the Daytona Beach Housing Authority for distribution.
"We're painfully aware of the conditions and that's unacceptable," Housing Authority Senior Case Manager Debbe Noland told about 50 residents gathered Thursday afternoon to explain the relocation process.
"You have to remember, we've been dealing with an owner who's non-compliant," HUD Senior Project Manager Debra Varley said later in the meeting.
Bharrat did not attend Thursday's meeting, but in an interview late last week said he's the victim. He said he's been set up by tenants who refuse pest control and trash his property so it will fail inspections, allowing them to relocate to nicer rental properties on the government's dime.
The Orlando area man also accused some residents of pocketing their utility subsidies and stealing power from neighboring apartments. He said he ripped out breaker and meter boxes to stop them. Now the city is taking him to court for pulling out those boxes, said Sgt. Bill Bailey, a Daytona Beach police officer in charge of code enforcement.
Bharrat, who said he has spent tens of thousands of dollars on repairs, filed for bankruptcy protection two weeks ago. He said he has no intention of walking away from the property he has poured his life savings into, but he's probably going to lose many of his tenants over the next month or two.
Some who don't meet the Housing Authority's tougher standards for Section 8 assistance will lose their federal rent subsidy, but they don't have to move from the Daytona Village Apartments if they can figure out how to cover their rent.
This could results in many new developments throughout the state of Texas. The Housing Authority's new enhanced standards for Section 8 assistance and federal rent subsidies could begin to influence rent levels in these Texas communities: Houston apartments, Dallas apartments, Fort Worth apartments, San Antonio apartments, Austin apartments. For more information and to find new apartments for rent in Texas, visit lucktruck.com.
At the meeting Thursday, when asked who wanted to stay at the Daytona Village Apartments, no one raised a hand. If any of the 54 families who receive subsidies do want to stay and continue to get federal assistance, the units will have to pass city inspections.
It's possible the property could be condemned, and if that happens it would have to shut down until repairs were made, said Emory Counts, the city's director of Community and Economic Development.
Earlier this week, tenant Ericka Sipp said she had already started looking for a new place to live. Sipp, a 38-year-old mother of three, said she did not have power for a month after Bharrat ripped out her main circuit breaker.
"I'll be a thorn in (Bharrat's) side until the ending chapter of Daytona Village," she said.
Tenants are not the only ones unhappy with Bharrat. The city has been trying for more than a year to collect past-due water bills, now totalling about $51,000, Bailey said.
Bharrat is also scheduled to go before the city's code enforcement board next month on charges that he has done work at Daytona Village Apartments without permits, Bailey said.
It's possible the property could be condemned, and if that happens it would have to shut down until repairs were made, said Emory Counts, the city's director of Community and Economic Development.
Earlier this week, tenant Ericka Sipp said she had already started looking for a new place to live. Sipp, a 38-year-old mother of three, said she did not have power for a month after Bharrat ripped out her main circuit breaker.
"I'll be a thorn in (Bharrat's) side until the ending chapter of Daytona Village," she said.
Tenants are not the only ones unhappy with Bharrat. The city has been trying for more than a year to collect past-due water bills, now totalling about $51,000, Bailey said.
Bharrat is also scheduled to go before the city's code enforcement board next month on charges that he has done work at Daytona Village Apartments without permits, Bailey said.
