![CB Cheryl Appline](3dirtT.jpg)
"Not only
was our HUD team expeditious in our endeavors, we were creative in our approach
and kept in mind at all times that families were traumatized in this ordeal."
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Community Builders Help
HUD Take Quick Action in Philadelphia
Late on a Friday afternoon in June, the City
of Philadelphia declared 25 homes on three blocks of the Wissinoming neighborhood
to be an immanent danger and ordered families to vacate their homes immediately.
The city determined that, as a result of subsiding fill, these homes were
ready to collapse and sink into to the ground at any moment. The homes would
be demolished the next day.
Cheryl Appline, a Community Builder in Philadelphia who covers
this part of the city, was called at 5 pm. to work with the city to assist the families.
"When I arrived the situation was extremely
volatile," said Appline. "Homeowners were crying in the street.
Moving trucks were everywhere and movers were hurriedly throwing belongings
into trucks without any concerns for valuable and precious memories."
Cheryl spent the night, the rest of the weekend,
and much of the next four weeks with these distressed homeowners, providing
comfort, and literally holding their hands as they were relocated to nearby
hotels or homes of family members.
Cheryls contribution went far beyond
hand-holding, however. As a former real estate
appraiser, Cheryl was able to determine for the Bud Carter, Director of
HUDs Home
Ownership Center (HOC), the estimated worth of the homes, a job that
would have taken a housing staff person away from their job, wasting precious
time and resources. Cheryl was the front-line representative for HUD, interfacing
with the expertise of HUDs Public Trust Officers in the HOC and with
Legal Counsel to help community members through this challenge.
Within a week, working with the Deputy Mayor
and the HOC Director, HUD was able to make a proposal to the City that involved
payment of claims on three FHA insured mortgages, buying back two REO sales
properties, and deeding all those properties to the City. The proposal would
reduce the City's financial obligations and increase the speed with which
the displaced homeowners could be compensated enabling them to get on with
their lives more quickly, In addition, HUD made 12 HUD houses from its REO
inventory in the area available for lease.
The city government and many elected officials
were overwhelmed not only by HUDs quick response, but also by HUDs
continued presence at the site. HUD is providing a level of emotional and
financial support the city ;and its residents had never anticipated. Homeownership
Center staff and Community Builders worked as "one-HUD," seamlessly
providing families with the best that HUD has to offer.
"From the first day of this crisis, Ms.
Appline personally visited the scene to provide support," said Philadelphia
Deputy Mayor Kevin Feeley. "HUD has consistently provided assistance,
support, and a wealth of information
I believe that Karen Miller (Secretarys
Representative for HUDs Mid-Atlantic Region) and all those connected
with this effort deserve recognition for their outstanding work
"
Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum agreed,
thanking HUD for "the quick action the Department has brought to bear
in response to the sinking homes" and bringing "welcomed news
to some of the distressed homeowners who have endured great dislocation."
"I am very proud of how we handled ourselves
in this situation," said Appline. "Not only was our HUD team expeditious
in our endeavors, we were creative in our approach and kept in mind at all
times that families were traumatized in this ordeal."
"This is the way the new HUD is supposed
to work: competent people bringing different skills and roles to the table
to accomplish a common end. It was fast, customer friendly, spread out the
staff burden, and got the job done," said Karen Miller, Secretarys
Representative for HUDs Mid-Atlantic Region summed up these efforts. |