Former tenants start moving back to Prospect Homes
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Approximately 45% of the residents who were displaced from the Prospect Homes almost two years ago have indicated that they intend on returning to the Johnstown Housing Authority-owned public housing complex when units are available.
JHA Executive Director Mike Alberts said 25% have declined an offer to come back, while 30% are undecided or have not responded yet, when giving a presentation during the board's regular monthly meeting Tuesday.
More than 200 people were required to vacate the buildings, beginning in March 2023, after multiple structural issues were found, specifically ceilings that were in danger of collapsing.
So far, less than 10 families have received keys to move back into units, with JHA planning to pay the moving expenses for former residents who return to Prospect.
'They got the keys,' Alberts said. 'But did they physically move back in yet? Some of them might still be in that process.'
Alberts said there are signs of 'normal activity' such as people going in and out of the units and CamTran buses making the rounds.
Only a few buildings are ready for occupancy.
Others will be habitable once construction work is complete.
As of the end of January, 77% of the general contracting, 78% of the plumbing and 78% of the electrical was finished, according to Alberts. He said the original contracts call for all work to be done by March 12, noting that no extension has been requested as of this week.
'I feel like it's going good,' Alberts said. 'We were very, very excited to get the first ones done. Now it's just waiting for the next batch. We knew this was going to be a phase-in process. The first phase is done. Now we've got to wait for the next batch of buildings to be turned over to us, so we can go and do that. It's still some waiting. But overall, things are going well.'
Tenants were relocated to other public housing units, Section 8 rental properties and residences not affiliated with JHA.
The authority originally thought some buildings might be ready for occupancy by Thanksgiving, but that did not materialize.
'I just want to get it done,' said Jeffrey Matula Jr., leader of a group of former Prospect residents that formed after they were required to leave the complex. 'Everybody's frustrated. We just want back. It's all boiled into that, we just want back. We're tired of the games. We want our normality back. We miss our front porch, our yards.
'We miss kids being able to play with each other, not having to worry about being jumped, beat up on or picked on. We just want our normality back.'
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