Westgate renovation on hold because of bid shortage

Jun. 7—Renovations to kitchens and bathrooms for tenants in 46 apartments at Westgate Gardens are on hold after the Decatur Housing Authority twice received only a single bid for a project that was key to its settlement of a discrimination complaint.

Taura Denmon, director of DHA, told her board at its monthly meeting last week that the U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development usually requires the authority to get at least two bids on any project.

The renovation plans at the public housing complex for low-income senior adults include redoing the kitchens and bedrooms with new flooring and painting and adding new appliances. The one submitted bid was $3.2 million for the 46 apartments of the complex at Adams Drive Northwest, DHA Chief Financial Officer Donna Gibson said.

Gibson said accepting this single bid "would take all of the capital money we have."

"We extended the (pair of) bid periods four or five times and only got one bid each time," Denmon said. "We did not like the bid, and we can't accept just one bid. We've reached out to HUD to see what they want us to do."

Denmon said contractors can sign up on the authority's marketplace on its new website, decatur-housing.org, to receive emails about planned projects.

"We have a nice list of those who downloaded our list of projects," Denmon said. "We made calls to some of the contractors and most say they're just too busy."

The Rev. Jerry Baker, a new Housing Authority board member, said the authority isn't the only public government entity struggling to find contractors for projects.

"The contractor situation is widespread," Baker said.

The Decatur Housing Authority is under a voluntary compliance agreement with HUD that began in 2020 after the authority was accused of discrimination with its three senior apartment complexes.

HUD charged the Housing Authority with discriminating against Blacks who were on waiting lists for Jordan-Neill and Summer Manor apartments, the multi-story buildings that bookend Rhodes Ferry Park and offer views of the Tennessee River.

Instead, according to HUD, Blacks were steered toward Westgate Gardens.

The Housing Authority board denied the accusation but agreed to a voluntary compliance agreement with HUD that included paying out up to a total of $200,000 to the victims of discrimination, revising its waiting-list policies and committing to upgrade Westgate Gardens at what was then an estimated cost of $1 million.

As part of the agreement, the Housing Authority is renovating the community room at Westgate Gardens. Denmon said this project is behind schedule but is almost complete. She said the contractor will likely be assessed some late penalties.

The VCA requirements include desegregating the three senior apartment complexes. Denmon said she knows they've made progress at the two towers on the river where they try to fill vacancies with a racial balance from their short wait list. She said she doesn't know Westgate's status.

Denmon, who started with the authority last year, said DHA has to make a fair housing report to HUD twice a year. She said she also speaks with the regional HUD office "about once a month to make sure we're in compliance."

She said the Decatur Housing Authority staff and board haven't received any feedback from HUD on their progress toward the goal of ending the VCA in June 2023.

"They don't give a response," Denmon said. "But I'm sure they would tell us if there's something they don't like."

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.