Housing Opportunity Commission of Montgomery County, MD - My Personal Housing Journey

MY HOUSING JOURNEY

I am telling my story to help others who are and will experience this situation if you speak out against landlords, HOC or the government in Montgomery County. There is no comprehensive solution to resolve the housing issues without threats and intimidation especially against the protected class of citizens in Montgomery County. The housing anti eviction laws isn't executed however used to oppressed individuals who has claims against the landlord. Montgomery County has a historic record of gender, racial and ethnic biases and prejudices and have no comprehensive strategy to improve these disparities within the community nor has public forum for participation (laws are implemented without citizen's input). I understand the attitudes of the government officials who believes in suppressing public opinions that violates public trust that exposes the integrity of government relations in Montgomery County. If you fail to comply to the government oppressive tactics you are considered against the government when it's your constitutional 1st Amendment right to redress the government. Every weapon used to stop me from expressing my rights of these events made me more convince that I was exposing the real truth which they try to suppress.

This is where I lived in Cinnamon Run apartments and was threaten by HOC that if I don't move I could lose my voucher nothing I had done to violate the lease. There is not HCV nor a tenant rights advocacy in Montgomery County. If you complain which it is your right, you will be threaten. If you are a Housing Choice Voucher participant your chances of getting adequate assistance from HOC is 0 %. There are HUD rules that protects residents under 24 CFR 982 and understand there is a HAP contract that you and your landlord agreed with HOC. This agreement, the HAP under 24 CFR 982.456 - you have a right to remedy against the owner under the lease agreement. This is something that HOC or any agency will not inform you of your rights. They will bully you and blame you if you desire a decent safe place to live which is required under HUD policies. My apartment failed inspection and I was blamed for exposing these incidents because HCV participants has no rights in Montgomery County however treated as second class citizens. Even though I am a trained with HUD policies as a Commissioner and not "sold out"- I have been treated with much disrespect and bullied because my apartment failed inspection and I complained about the living conditions. That only tells me how much I am right on track, they are afraid that enough citizens get educated about the inequality and disparity in Montgomery County, they would spend all resources to keep these issues suppressed. Montgomery County don't like tenant unions and don't want tenants to have a voice.


Your tenancy agreement HUD 52641 should be attached to your lease - it states you have a right to enforce your lease to enforce your lease the tenancy addendum against the owner. If there is any conflict between the tenancy addendum and any other provisions of the lease, the language of the tenancy addendum shall control. Which means the landlord must go by the tenancy agreement. My apartment failed inspection which violated the HAP contract under 24 CFR 982.453 The landlord failed to maintain the unit in accordance to Housing Quality Standards. They landlord got away with it however fabricated that I have someone living with me on 4/27/12. Then I was threaten to move based on the landlords fabrication by HOC (Commissioners). There is no HUD rule that a HCV tenant can not advocate for their housing as stated on 24 CFR 982.456 on the tenancy agreement, HOC wrongfully threaten the "vulnerable"? We thought that the Republicans don't like the poor but HOC an agency (under HUD), don't like the poor however threaten residents willingly without any supportive regulations. Listen there is no HUD regulations that support this rhetoric from HOC. I went to court and was refused due process under the Constitution. I was violated of my rights of the access to justice by the Judge, court officers and landlord who worked hard together to try to discourage me from my rights. I received the court transcripts - the Judge stated that the notice from the landlord isn't a breach of lease and the landlord admitted that I didn't breach the lease on court records. So who is lying? HOC or the landlord. What is the conspiracy? I have a written statement from HOC in Montgomery County CEO that the landlord states "I breach my lease" therefore I have to move. I was never evicted for the breach of the lease the landlord fabricated by court documents. So why was I unlawfully evicted? Do HOC who gets federal funding from HUD believes in making HCV residents homeless when they complain about their quality life? Why is HUD allowing these abuses against the vulnerable? Is that why there is a homeless issue in Montgomery County because of HOC tactics against the "vulnerable" under their program? HOC states they don't help the residents with landlord issues, can you believe that? There is a tenancy agreement and it's HOC job is to assist the resident and ensure they are living under HQS standards, my apartment failed these standards by HOC why would the CEO fabricate that HOC have nothing to do with HVC quality of life! Where is his integrity? So they push this issue off to Landlord and Tenant Affairs who don't enforce anything but make you move regardless if you are right or wrong. In addition, not trained for federal subsidized tenants and HUD rules which violates the tenancy agreement with HUD, that is between the owner, HOC and resident. Landlords aren't above the law they have biases and prejudice issues, too.

Watch the video, my car kept getting scratches and dents, my apartment standards, drunk and violent, drug activity, intoxicated residents at my balcony cursing in front of small children, and much more! When I address this at the HOC meeting I was treated with disrespect by the CEO while the Commissioners supported this abuse (Commissioners served on the board longer than the President of the United States). This is unacceptable to live this way when it's a requirement from HUD "the right to decent and safe housing". They desire to suppress these actions however believes that they don't have to sit with low income community with respect to work out these sort of in differences without threats or intimidation.  HUD believes in resident participation under CFR 934.135. They refuse tenants coming together to improve their community where they live. Do anyone deserve to live this way? They are busy trying to suppress this sort of issues ... they believe that I  don't deserve anything better than this but they want all the federal dollars, for their "pay check?"

Where is HOC and Montgomery County Government busing the working poor, senior and disabled and single mothers off too?

There has been an unwelcoming experience in Montgomery County with the working poor, HCV participants, Senior and Disabled, Single mothers and low- moderate income residents. Are they evicting them out of the district? Is this a systematic oppression process against a certain class of citizens? Most residents under this program makes at least $15.00 or lower an hour and can't afford the rent. If you review the statistical data more minorities in Montgomery County is still marginal affected by the economic crises however still receiving unemployment benefits.

A letter was sent out to all the residents who are under HOC which is 89 % minorities (68% African American) a town hall meeting that has been already arranged, discuss and decided by the Executives, Commissioners, Montgomery County Government, State and Federal Government to "direct" residents quality of life. Meaning that they already made a decision without the recipients under the program which is violating HUD rules. 24 CFR 964, 24 CFR 245 and QWRA ACT desires resident participants at the table not after a decision has been made, on this letter they added the HCV Administrative Plan. This plan is already corrupted and decided with the staff, resident participation isn't involved. I attended the meeting and watch how staff overpowered the residents, because of lack of knowledge and training, took advantage of the production and execution of this plan- the residents has no idea nor any communication from HOC the true facts about the HCV plan. The HCV plan has already been corrupted and have 0.5% of resident participation. (Using intimidating and retaliatory tactics to threaten questionable residents).

Looking back in history, there an article that discuss how HCV participants was treated in Montgomery County.A Step Away from Homeless - HCV participants. They already face challenges in this County with the judicial system, government, communities, real estate agencies, etc., they are basically the voiceless. This town meeting is a form of suppression because voices should had been heard before a meeting is formed. So where do they want to "bus" or "shipped" the subsidized participants.. to the another part of Montgomery County? Using affordability as a tool to keep residents in a certain neighborhood away from the wealthy society?

The bottom of this letter the Montgomery County Government nor the Montgomery County Schools desire to participant or have any influence with this agenda. However, have a responsibility to the citizens even though they are working poor, low- moderate, senior and disabled, single mothers, etc., what they want to bail out? When a tenant under the HOC program has an issue, why they inform tenants to go the Landlord and Tenant Affairs? Now they desire to "bail out?" We all know how Stacey Spann, CEO feels, he is a businessman, looking out for self at the resident's expense- he has no power against the Commissioners, they all hired him (Review the HOC Commissioner's classification). I heard some silent voices state that the Commissioners made a business decision to hire a minority, an African American CEO because the majority of HOC recipients are African American, it won't seem discriminatory.  He went along with this ride and Jean Banks - (one minority) Commissioner, "Haven't heard her voice cry-out" or said anything on the residents behalf.

What the issue is that there is no solution when it comes to income classification; you have no voice and if you speak your voice; you are heavily retaliated against. No one knows how to communicate with the working poor however talk at them. There is no mutual respect however suppress tactics of control used to oppress or dis-empower these certain class of individuals, "I take your voucher away?" The constitution is stripped away from certain class of individuals that cause institutionalized systematic inequality. Where is the Civil Rights part in this... silence..

This town hall meeting is  held on several dates and the time is 6:00 pm -7:30 pm  July 15, 2013 at Northwest High School, July 23, 2013 Walter Johnson High School, July 29, 2013 Rockville High School,  July 30, 2013 Montgomery Blair High School. Some residents states, Why show up they already made a decision about residents lives without their participation (treating them like second class citizens), Why participate only to be threaten or harass later?

I wonder what our minority elected government officials have to say about this process? What they have to say about this Isiah Legett, County Executive- Carmen Navarro- Council Woman, Judge Wolfe, Valarie Ervin, Hans Reimer, or Craig Rise, Christopher Barclay, Judith Docca and Shirley Brandman, What are their comments to this affect? (In some areas in Montgomery County there is no minority leaders). Haven't heard anything from Senators or Congressmen in regards to these affects, there is no accountability, our voice don't count. Are these leaders taking the time out to participate in this town meeting or hide? If you are going to "shipped" or "bus" the residents out of Montgomery County at least show your faces of approval. "We have the nerve to blame the Republicans for their actions against the vulnerable".