Troy Housing Authority

Administrative Offices
1 Eddys Ln
Troy NY 12180
(518)273-3600
info@troyhousing.org

Troyhousing.org

April 2016

Inside this issue:

Message from the Executive
Secretary

Sexual violence prevention program

Tenant Commissioner Elections

Free cleaning supplies

Scholarship deadlines

Free fruits and veggies

Griswold Heights
Boy Scouts
Meeting for interested
adults
Monday, April 18
5:30 p.m.
Griswold Heights
Community Center
Leaders can be male or female. Scouting experience
great, but not necessary.
Meetings held every two
weeks to start.
For more info contact:
Julie VanAmburgh
Boy Scouts of America,
Twin Rivers Council
869-6436 ext. 27
julie.vanamburgh@scouting.org

REMINDER
Dont forget to put your
name and unit number
on your check or money
order before you place
in the rent collection
box

On-site services for sexual assault and

crime victims at THA sites
The Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program at Samaritan Hospital will soon
be offering free services at THA sites, to make
their assistance more accessible to our residents and the public.
A range of comprehensive free services are
available to victims/survivors of crime and violence, and their significant others, past or present, regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic
background, culture/ethnic background, or sexual orientation.
Starting April 19, services will be available at
Fallon Apartments on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to
noon, at Griswold Heights on Tuesdays from 1
p.m. to 4 p.m. and at Corliss Park on Thursdays
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Services are also available Samaritan Hospital, Hudson Valley Community College Health
Office, Rensselaer County Probation Office at
500 Broadway, Rensselaer County Court House
and Troy Police Office.

See page 3 for information on how

YOU can help
prevent violence against women
Services include:

Short Term Counseling

Sexual Assault Support Group

Therapy

Accompaniment and Advocacy

Legal Advocate/Counselor

Forensic Nurse Examiners

Crime Victims with Disabilities

Senior Crime Victims Program

Crime Victims Compensation

Earth Day is Friday April 22

Dont forget to let your site manager know you want to join in the activities
To make sure all sites can participate in Earth Day, THAs
clean up will be held on Friday, April 22 rather than Saturday,
April 23.
Check with your sites office and look for flyers to find what
time your sites activities will be held. Some may have picnics or
cookouts in the afternoon.
Earth Day is a great opportunity to make your community
healthier, cleaner and stronger as a neighborhood.
Please register by April 20 by notifying your site office or
emailing info@troyhousing.org.
On Saturday, April 23, neighborhood organizations throughout
the city will also be cleaning up and beautifying their communities. If you are interested in joining, reach out to your local neighborhood group. Some information about neighborhood organizations near THA sites can be found at troyhouing.org under
Resources.

PAGE 2

From the desk of the Executive Secretary

Daniel P. Crawley
Running for tenant commissioner and
voting in this summers elections are one
more way tenants can make their voices
heard at Troy Housing Authority.
Our Board is made up of five commissioners appointed by the Mayor of Troy
and two elected tenant commissioners.
Tenant commissioners have the same
power and involvement as appointed
commissioners, but they also serve as a
voice for residents.

Board meetings are held on Thursdays

at 4:30 p.m. every six weeks at various
THA sites, on a rotating basis. Commissioners vote on resolutions submitted by
the administration and also give recommendations to the administration.
Commissioners also help to represent
THA in various settings.
If you are interested in getting more
involved in the operation of the housing
authority, you may want to consider running for tenant commissioner.

If you are not interested in running for

tenant commissioner, you can still be
involved by nominating neighbors who
you believe have the necessary qualities
of a good commissioner, and dont forget
to exercise your right to vote in tenant
commissioner elections in August.
Thank you for getting involved in this
important process
at THA.

Anti-violence program empowers bystanders

to prevent sexism and abuse
THA residents and the public at large
will have the opportunity to learn how to
prevent violence against women through
the Mentors In Violence Prevention program (MVP) later this month at Griswold
Heights. MVP aims to educate, inspire and
empower men & women to prevent,
interrupt and respond to sexist abuse.
The free program teaches bystander intervention skills fr om a social justice
perspective. The heart of the MVP model
is interactive discussion, in single-sex and
mixed-gender workshops, using real-life
scenarios that speak to the exper iences
of young men and women in college, high
school, and other areas of social life.
It is important in an educational context
to be honest and realistic, especially when
we are challenging participants to be proactive bystanders in the face of difficult
social and work situations. People often
do not act because they fear the loss of
their job, or even career, if they challenge

a powerful man.
Unlike prevention efforts that target men
as perpetrators or potential perpetrators,
MVP uses a philosophy of working with
men as empowered bystanders not
against them as potential perpetrators.
This positive approach has the effect of
reducing mens defensiveness around the
discussion of these issues, which provides
the basis for the emergence of more proactive and preventive responses.
Mike Fonda, Prevention Educator with
the Sexual Assault & Crime Victims Program at Samaritan Hospital has been involved in MVP for 4 years. He has worked
with high school students, college athletes,
college student leaders, members of the
community and various levels of Major
League Baseball.
The four-week program will begin Tuesday, April 26, 2016 and will be held on
Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register
please call 273-3600 ext. 239.

MVP Training Goals

Raise awareness of underlying issues and

unique dynamics of all forms of mens
violence against women

Challenge participants to think critically

and personally (empathize) about these
issues

Open dialogue amongst participants about

the dynamics and context of all forms of
mens violence against women

Inspire participants to be proactive leaders

around these issues by challenging them to
develop concrete options for intervention in potentially dangerous situations
involving peers

THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF THE TROY HOUSING AUTHORITYS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SAFETY
IN RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT
The provision of this program is part of the Troy Housing Authoritys efforts to address our goal to take proactive measures to
serve the needs of child and adult victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
The Violence Against Women Act prohibits housing authorities from denying admission to any
Unity House 24-hour
person simply because they have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. It
Domestic Violence Hotline:
also requires housing authorities to make it clear that domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking
(518) 272-2370
is not good cause for evicting the victim of that violence.
The Troy Housing Authority will also take all possible legal action to terminate the tenancy of
any person committing criminal acts of physical violence against family members or others. This can be done through bifurification,
a process in which only the offending party is evicted.

PAGE 3

Nomination period begins May 1 for

Tenant Commissioner elections
The terms for the two current tenant commissioners expire on
December 31, 2016. Elections for the two 2017-2018 terms will
be held on August 31, 2016.
The commissioners serve as the Housing Authority governing officers. Some of the responsibilities are to provide leadership
and advocate for public housing; set the policies that will govern
the Housing Authoritys operations and chart the direction of
current and future programs.
Nominating petitions for candidates will be available on or after
May 1, 2014 at each THA site.
To be eligible to nominate a candidate, to become a candidate
or to vote, tenants must have their name listed on the lease, live in

an apartment owned or managed by the Troy Housing Authority

(including Section 8 participants and residents of Kennedy Towers) on May 1, 2014 and be 18 years.
Fifty signatures of qualified residents are needed to have a
candidate placed on the ballot. An eligible voter may sign up to
2 nominating petitions.
Tenant Commissioners of Troy Housing Authority also
serve on the Board of the Kennedy Towers Housing Development Fund Corporation.
Thank you for taking part in this important process of selecting the persons to represent you on the Board of Commissioners.

Healthy Neighborhoods program offers free home visit,

healthy cleaning products
The Cornell Cooperative Extensions of Albany and Rennselaer Counties
offer a free program to help individuals create healthier homes.
Through the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, households can have a free
home visit, health and safety survey of their home, resources and referrals,
including some free safety and cleaning products.
Some free supplies may include smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, child safety products, asthma control items, cleaning
supplies like mops, dust wipes, baking soda and vinegar, and more.
For more information, call 518-765-2490 or 765-3521 or email
NKL1@cornell.edu.
The program is offered in Rensselaer county ZIP codes 12180, 12182 and
12144, and Albany County ZIP codes 12202, 12206, 12208, 12209 and 12210.

Free Fruits and Veggies from

the Salvation Army
Available at: Kane, Conway, Corliss Park and Martin Luther King Apartments
Corliss and MLK open to all
Kane and Conway senior apartments for residents only
10 a.m.noon
every Wednesday
If you are unable to pick up
veggies at your site
due to disability, injury or age, please let your site manager know and volunteers will deliver produce to your
apartment.

SCHOLARSHIP
DEADLINES
There are two scholarships are available to public housing
and Section 8 residents for full- and part-time study at approved colleges, junior colleges, technical schools and other
post-secondary institutions leading to a degree, diploma or
certificate.

You cant receive a scholarship if you

dont apply!
HAI Group Scholarship
Housingcenter.org
800-873-0242
Deadline: April 30

CHW Scholarship Fund

Chwattys.com/2015scholarship-fund/
Deadline: May 17

One Eddy's Lane

Troy, NY 12180

This month at THA

Free cleaning and safety products and
tips

Free fruits and veggies

Earth Day 2016 on April 22
On-site services for sexual assault
and crime victims
Upcoming tenant
commissioner elections
Meeting for adults interested in leading Griswold Heights Boy Scouts

Troy Housing Authority on Facebook

@Troy_Housing on Twitter
troyhousing.org
For latest news and information

Daniel P. Crawley
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

TROY HOUSING
AUTHORITY
COMMISSIONERS
Darren Scott, Chair
Agnes Zink, Vice-Chair
Robert Linder
Oscar McLaughlin
Susan Steele
Daryl Freedman
James Brust

Celebrate EARTH DAY

Friday, April 22