Prospect residents seek plan to return to homes
Jul. 21—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Jeffrey Matula Jr., co-chairman of the Prospect Homes People of 2023 Association, said his organization would like to see a plan developed in which units at the vacated housing project would be individually repaired and then reoccupied on a rolling basis, as opposed to waiting for an overhaul of all structures to be completed.
Earlier this year, Johnstown Housing Authority gave approximately 220 residents 30 days to leave the buildings after a preliminary inspection determined that all the units' ceilings were "most likely destined for collapse." One ceiling had already fallen in an apartment.
There were also concerns about floor sloping, cracking in the walls, major historic settlement, floor framing failure, and falling drywall and plaster from ceilings and roofs.
JHA, as of last week, was awaiting cost estimates for any needed work before developing a strategy about what to do with the housing complex located in Johnstown's Prospect neighborhood.
"We're trying to get them away from that redevelopment," Matula said during a meeting of the association in Central Park on Thursday. "We want them to refurbish."
Residents were relocated, at JHA's expense, to other housing.
"There are a lot of us that are unhappy where we're at," said Matula, who now lives in the authority's Vine Street Tower.
He felt JHA "tore our hearts out."
"All we have is humanity left," Matula said.
Matula encouraged local elected officials to get involved in the process of finding solutions to the Prospect Homes' issues.
State Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, attended the meeting and told the association members: "Keep doing the things you're doing and let people know what's happening. I talked to several people that got moved to other areas, and they're no longer next to their friends that they've known for years, that became a family.
"You're spread out over town, and it doesn't seem fair."
