Housing Authority is "heart work"

FORT MADISON – Fort Madison Housing Authority Director Michael Dear told city officials Tuesday night that the housing authority is experiencing a resurgency.
Dear gave the presentation as part of the regular Fort Madison City Council meeting.
He said he’s going on two years with the authority and there are resets taking place all over the housting authority’s properties.
Dear said FMHA has about 10 vacancies and he called that unfortunate and fortunate at the same time.
“They are not fully occupied. I’m gonna say that’s unfortunate and fortunate at the same time,” Dear said. “We are taking advantage of the vacancies to go further than just deep cleaning and trying to create something sustainable for the future. The next families that come will really experience a reset.”
City Manager Laura Liegois said she has toured the facility apartments and there are some complete resets with new cabinetry, carpet, and appliances among other upgrades being brought into the facilities.
Dear said he’s also working on bringing additional services to Hillview for senior residents there including dental services, mental health services, and other needed services to address more than just providing housing.
“My job is to help people who need help. It’s one thing to give them keys, but they also need keys to life,” Dear said. “I’ve been reaching out to community partners and did some outreach at Salvation Army to let people know what’s going on out here.
“If you walk into Hillview today, there’s been a reset out there. We’ve been thinking how we make it easier for folks that are disabled to get around Hillview and also to get outside the facility.”

He said they have also been doing compliance checks on all units under the program. He said it’s important to keep tabs on what’s going on with residents in authority units to try to help curb depression.
“Prior to me coming on, compliance checks were not done for a very long time. I’ve been inside every one of these places. Clutter and depression go side-by-side. Look it up,” he said.
“Two years have passed and I’m still here. That has a lot to do with faith and the community partners I’ve worked with. I shine the brightest when I can work with demographics that need help. This isn’t just hard work, this is heart work.”
Dear said groups like Milestone Area Agency on Aging, Bridges Out of Poverty, and Lee County Health Department have been on-site at Hillview where the FMHA is headquartered, to provide ancillary services to residents. He also reminded the council of a $250,000 safety grant the authority earned to ramp up security at FMHA properties.
“That’s a game changer,” Dear said. “This adds a level of peace to an environment that I come from. It’s hard to explain what it’s like to be on both sides of the table. But God provides and now I’m able to do that.”
Dear thanked city and other community partners for helping him carry the load at the authority.
“We’re changing the culture of what Ivanhoe was. We’re only in the first phase of what we plan on doing. Hopefully we get people curious about how we are changing and how they can help us. "
Councilwoman Angela Roller asked if the authority had any staffer on site to help with mental or cognitive health.
Dear said there isn’t, but he is always reaching out to get people on the calendar at FMHA properties.