KILLEEN, Texas — The Killeen Housing Authority is continuing to address housing concerns regarding Section 8 program participants and local landlords encountering payment and communication issues.
6 News began following this story in early October. Because of these issues, at least 250 residents have faced problems including eviction.
"I don't have money to leave my home," KHA Section 8 participant Jean Tucker explained. "They need to sort this all out fast.
The KHA Board of Commissioners issued a statement addressing these concerns. The statement says, in part:
'We are actively addressing these matters to resolve them as swiftly as possible. As part of our restructuring efforts, KHA has engaged the services of operational consultants and accounting professionals to ensure that both tenants and landlords are adequately supported during this process. Currently we do not have further comment to share, please be assured KHA is committed to solving these matters.'
To help, the Central Texas Council Of Governments (CTCOG) Executive Director Jim Reed is proposing transferring KHA Section 8 participants to the CTCOG Section 8 housing program.
"We would transition them over to be a CTCOG Section 8 client," Reed explained. "The good news is that for our staff, we are already in place and know how to administer those programs. We can make that happen relatively quickly."
The KHA offers tenant-based and project-based housing. The CTCOG specializes in tenant-based housing, which is what most of the affected people in Killeen fall under.
"It's not going to happen overnight but if we get a green light and everybody believes that, this is the best thing to do that," Reed added. "We can help these families very quickly."
The KHA Board of Commissioners is having a board meeting on Friday, Oct. 13 at 11:30 a.m. to make a decision on how to handle this housing issue and work towards normal business operations.
Tucker's landlord told her if her Section 8 is transferred to a different provider, she should be able to stay in her home.