Ferndale Housing Commission Hires New Executive Director

Ferndale Housing Commission Hires New Executive Director
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 11, 2016)
Ferndale, MI – A new era is set to begin for the Ferndale Housing Commission as the New Executive Director starts Monday. Heather Van Poucker comes to the FHC from the Michigan Municipal League where she worked as Director, Information & Policy Research since 1997, minus a two-year break to manage Human Resources for the City of Dearborn.
One of her areas of expertise is in culture-building, a skill she’s used to help strengthen cities across Michigan.
“When we met Heather in the interview we knew immediately she was the person. She’s a master at organization design and creating culture. We need to take a look at this Housing Commission in a new light,” said Housing Commission President Ann Heler.
The FHC has begun the challenging work to resolve a litany of problems that have come to light after the Nov. 2014 arrest of the former Housing Director for breaking into resident’s homes and stealing their prescription painkillers.
Not only did the Director use her position to steal, there were many institutional problems uncovered. Among them were improper contracts, inappropriate spending, and the denial of residents’ rights including the right to public comment at meetings and the right to have a resident’s group.
Rules against complaining and accusations of punitive write-ups of residents created a culture where people were afraid to communicate or stand up for their rights. When residents tried having meetings, the common areas of the building were locked and residents given notice they could not gather. In a home where many are disabled, elderly and low income, cutting off social connections and community space is particularly problematic. It also made it possible for thefts and other issues to go on longer than they might have otherwise.
Investigation also uncovered inappropriate storage of documents, missing documents, inappropriate fees being charged to residents for basics light a light bulb or routine maintenance, policy changes in several areas, and more.
The former Commissioners voted to give the former Director a $130,000 severance in spite of the fact that she was convicted for drug possession and home invasion, crimes she committed while on the job. HUD found this payment to be an unacceptable expense and has refused to allow federal dollars to go towards that expense.  Instead of trying to find new leadership, the commissioners at the time promoted the former Director’s second in command Emily Vickey. They also re-hired the same auditor and accountant, and continued with the same attorney. Eventually commissioners resigned or did not get renewed, and new appointees were put into place.  The attorney resigned and was replaced as well.
The work is underway to address the list of HUD requirements. However there is still much to do.  A March 1 correspondence from HUD had over 7 pages of unresolved findings to continue tackling.
Perhaps the biggest task for the new ED however is creating an environment of trust between the residents, the management and the commission.
Finding the right person to heal the organization was a priority for the search committee. The City of Ferndale shared resources to the effort, letting their Human Resources Director assist with the process and having Councilperson Dan Martin serve on the search committee.  The FHC is an independent board overseen by HUD, but members of the commission are appointed by the City.
“It’s important the city support the work of the housing commission and its mission to provide safe, affordable housing to our residents.  In addition to our statutory role of appointing board members, we’ve provided H.R. assistance to recruit the new director and financial assistance to address some of the most urgent needs. I believe they are well on their way to correcting the issues uncovered last year, and our staff will work closely with the new leadership to offer additional assistance as they deem necessary,” said Mayor Dave Coulter. “I look forward to her visit to city council on Monday, and of continued communication and cooperation with her and the commission.”
Van Poucker is excited about the challenges and being able to put her community-building in to practice in a housing context. “I am all about collaborating, transparency and working together. There is a lot of work to do, but I believe in the process. There is potential to make this a really nice place for the residents and to have everyone involved and at the table.”
Her first day is Monday, and she will jump right in to learning the specifics of HUD policies and procedures and begin tackling the problems.
She officially was introduced to the residents on Wednesday’s Housing Commission meeting.
The oc115 has been covering the challenges and comeback of the Ferndale Housing Commission for over a year. The previous stories can be found at https://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/07/17/timeline-of-ferndale-housing-commissions-struggles-and-progress-2/.

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