Residents could soon be moved out of Ralston Towers, HUD official says

Deplorable conditions at a Ralston Towers subsidized housing complex have finally led the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to begin the process of moving residents out.

After the Ralston failed a follow-up HUD inspection in October with a score that dropped 12 points to a 30 (60 is passing), residents have been wondering what would happen to them if the building were to be shut down.

The building is owned by New-Jersey based company PF Holdings.

The building is under a Section 8 Project-Based Housing Assistance Payments Contract, where HUD issues vouchers to help make up the difference between the rent and what the 200-some residents can afford.

“HUD has initiated action to abate the HUD Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments contract” for Ralston Towers, according to Joe Phillips, public affairs officer with the Atlanta regional HUD office.

“Abatement is the contractional terminology synonymous for termination,” Phillips said in an email.

Because the units at the Ralston are project-subsidized, the vouchers are not easily transferred to another location like the individual Section 8 vouchers administered by the Housing Authority of Columbus.

During the abatement, it’s possible residents may be issued a different kind of voucher.

“As part of the process of the abatement of the contract eligible households may be issued Tenant Protection Vouchers and provided relocation assistance in helping locate and move to other suitable housing,” Phillips said.

Based on approval, further specific information will be provided to residents and affected support staff, he said.

Len Williams, chief executive officer at the Housing Authority of Columbus, said in August that it could take several months to relocate all of the Ralston residents.

He said HUD had been in contact with the housing authority over the past few months.

“My understanding is that (HUD) will issue vouchers for the housing authority and then HUD will send in a relocation team in to work with the housing authority and, more importantly, work with the residents to see that they find other housing,” Williams said. “Residents would be able to go out on the private market and find housing. The housing authority then inspects the property to make sure it meets quality standards and then we do a rent comparison to make sure the rates are reasonable.”