Firing of social workers fuels public housing unrest

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000 | 1:35 a.m.

Social workers and seniors living in public housing demanded on Monday a financial account of a federal grant designated for elderly services at Las Vegas Housing Authority sites.

The seven social workers who conducted those services were fired Sept. 8 as part of an administrative reorganization plan designed to improve service and save money.

Seniors lamented the loss of the social workers, who often were their only confidants and defenders in the midst of eviction or public housing politics. And even housing commissioners questioned whether the authority faced the loss of the federal grant by axing the social workers.

"Are we in accordance with HUD?" Commissioner Dewain Steadman asked.

City Councilman Michael McDonald, a member of the housing board whose City Council office has been flooded with calls from seniors lamenting the loss of their social workers, asked how the board and residents could be left in the dark about a decision with such impact.

"I didn't vote for you," McDonald said to Executive Director Frederick Brown. "Why are we having these meetings? Are we going to sit up here and rubber stamp things?

"There are concerns of the people, and what can this board do?" he asked.

Residents feel the same frustration and trekked to the City Council meeting on Sept. 6 to ask for help. The council is scheduled to address the issue Wednesday.

Gina Alexander Shanks, one of the social workers who was fired, questioned the reorganization plan on two fronts.

For starters, she said, the fired social workers should have the chance to be transferred into the open positions now designed to perform similar functions as the social workers once did.

"We should at least get the opportunity because we know the seniors," she said.

But more troubling to her is the e-mail she received in April two weeks after learning she would be losing her job come September. The e-mail asked her to supply a resume for use in a grant application to HUD to fund service providers.

HUD's Ross grant, totaling $228,377, was to fund social workers with bachelor's degrees, Shanks said.

Shanks suspects the grant money was used to fund regular workers, who have different educational backgrounds and certifications, making them less expensive to have on the payroll.

Under Brown's reorganization, Senior Services dropped from 14 to 7 workers at a savings of about $400,000.

Overall, his review led to the loss of 100 positions throughout the housing authority, according to a letter he sent to McDonald and read to the public during Monday's meeting at Sartini Plaza.

"Today this is a well run, well respected agency," he said. "We maintain about 97 percent occupancy in our programs. Residents are happy and feel well serviced, and staff productivity and morale are high."

Seniors in the audience chuckled sarcastically at his remarks.

Resident activist Rose Mary Hendrickson asked that if everyone's happy, why do seniors seek her out for help.

"There were two people this week that needed help from Gina, and Gina wasn't here," Hendrickson said. "There's no one here to do it."

Brown denied that any loss of service has occurred and also disputed Steadman's claims that he had a petition with 176 signatures on it.

After the petition was produced as proof, Brown said residents should instead take their complaints to a grievance process established by the housing authority.

"The person that has been grieved, if they come to the appropriate people and make the request known, they can answer the grievance problem," Brown said.

He then notified residents of a 24-hour senior help line, 386-0032, designed to provide them information.

"If I found a dead man in Archie Grant (senior complex), could I call and get results?" asked resident Catherine Kozera.

Kozera said that very example occurred recently. Both police and the mortuary, but not housing authority staff, responded to her emergency calls.

"It's all a joke," Kozera said. "They don't care."