The federal organization HUD is looking to shut down Lakewood Township Residential Assistance Program (LTRAP) after nearly 40 years of service in Lakewood, TLS has learned.
The Lakewood Tenants Organization, which administers the Section 8 Program for the Township of Lakewood, known as LTRAP, was founded by Rabbi Meir Hertz in the 70’s, when the Lakewood Housing Authority refused to administer a Section 8 Program. Currently LTO administers over 1,100 units.
LTRAP has been rated by HUD itself as one of the top in the nation as evident by the over 99% average SEMAP score it received over the past four years. Despite those findings, over the past several years LTRAP has been subject to multiple extraordinary investigations, all which evidenced LTRAP’s near flawless administration,.
Yet, HUD has threatened to terminate its contract and thereby shut down the organization, federal court documents obtained by TLS show, after LTRAP refused to submit to another audit, and allow access to de-federalized books. These records are not subject to HUD audit, according LTRAP’s attorneys, as well as many other industry professionals from many of the largest legal and accounting firms, familiar with the HUD regulations and practices. “The funds paid to LTO as administrative fees are de-federalized once they are paid, and all agree that they are no longer subject to review and audit,” attorneys said.
In fact, says LTRAP, HUD raised the same matter in 2001, but after thoroughly reviewing the matter “cleared it in its entirety.”
Suddenly, in August, 2015, LTRAP was notified that HUD would terminate their contract effective 9/1/15 and transfer all units to the Lakewood Housing Authority.
In response, LTRAP promptly filed a Complaint in federal court, and sought injunctive relief. HUD promptly withdrew the threat pending the litigation and their inadequate notice.
In the meantime, LTRAP has received written support from many local organizations. These letters, sent to HUD, urged HUD to reconsider its position, and leave the program with LTRAP. In addition, declarations were filed with the court, describing the irreparable harm the transfer would cause.
The judge has now signed a Consent Order, giving the parties up to four months to prepare for further legal proceedings, and “all parties are in agreement to abide by the judge’s orders.”
[TLS]
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Can TLS post a copy of the lawsuit?
Does that mean people will lose their assistance or just transferred to another agency?
Why does everyone think it is the governments responsibility to give out free housing to people?
#3- moish: Who’s everyone?????
As someone who has never been on HUD etc, can anyone explain; what exactly is the difference between LTRAP and the Lakewood Housing Authority??? What difference does it make who provides the free or subsidized housing?
To Cool Masmid:
“Everyone” refers to everyone who thinks think it is the government’s responsibility to give out free housing to people. Does that clear things?
Moish this is not a debate on entitlements. This is an obvious witch hunt against the ltrap.
lets make a tehilim rally!!!!!
Anon – So it is a which hunt- who cares? The point remains. The government needs to stop giving things out for free to ALL people. The only question is where to start. The government is not in the business of giving out housing, food, insurance, and on and on. They are there to take the basic tax money and pay for essential services i.e. police, fire, sanitation. Perhaps if someone is in a serious situation medically, mentally etc. there is a place for the government to help but it has gotten to the point where 50% of the country pays nothing and just TAKES. In truth if you really think about it the two parties in this country are not the Democrats and Republican but rather the GIVERS and TAKERS. Think about that and you will see how true and sad the situation has gotten.
Which Federal Court is this being taken to?
I understand & I agree but that’s not the point here.
To Moish
You are ill informed HUD is the ONLY government program that is supported by conservatives because it’s meant to support the landlords not the tenants it’s a business incentive for people to buy property and make a income it’s not a entitlement program so while you point may or not be correct in regards to HUD it is definitely incorrect
Lpd I don’t care who supports it. It’s WRONG. You call that business? For a person to buy a house and the government to pay people money to live there. I don’t. Nor do I as a conservative taxpayer wish to. What is not an entitlement program about that? It does sure support the landlords alright 🙂 – at my expense. I sense that you live in one of these properties to think in such a convoluted way.
#12 by your logic medicaid is a program to help nursing home owners and provide incentives to open more beds so they can rake in billions and food stamps are actually an incentive for grocery stores to open……
Why doesn’t anyone focus on the fact that this program is a consistent high performer on federal standards for similar agencies and this is nothing more than an attempt to harm the efficient system that has been serving the Yeshiva community and the lower income African-American and Hispanic communities in Lakewood for so many years? Where is our Congressman Smith on this blatant attempt to hurt the employees of LTRAP and the beneficiaries of the federal HUD program? Tehillim indeed!
The issue at hand IS NOT whether HUD should exist or not exit or exist with different rules that determine and qualify when and what aid is delivered to whom. Lakewood’s diverse community mainly consists of non-students and students with very large families, other poor persons, etc.
The program exists and functions over the entire nation. Yes, agreed that the laws and rules that are used to administer HUD may need to be revised and tightened up.
The issue at hand however IS that the Federal government has decided to target our community and specifically LTRAP that has faithfully served our community for many years, specifically the 1,100 diverse families, Jewish and non-Jewish that DO need our help. Closing LTRAP and transferring its tenants to an organization that can barely serve its existing 800 tenants adequately and certainly not as efficiently, and that often finds ways to deny benefits to the members of our community or make it very difficult to deliver benefits – IS THE ISSUE AT HAND. Why LTRAP of Lakewood, a growing politically conservative community? Why specifically LTRAP that can be proven the most efficient and cost effective organization to deliver HUD services in Lakewood? This is what our community should be upset about. Why target LTRAP; what has changed in 40 years? After the transfer, will our community be served better or worse?
Let’s address taking care of justifying the HUD program in its present form later. But that’s a project over the entire country! Not just Lakewood alone!
wherever they start cutting the people will scream something – so what should the government do? Go bankrupt and close down?
Moish-
The government is not stopping the Hud program, they are just changing the office they use to administer the process. The problem is that they are closing an office that is superbly run for no good reason. I hope you get it by now.