[Year-Round Housing] January 26, 2011 meeting

[Tammy Hohn]

Mark, 
 
I would like the letter that follows to be forwarded to the members of the YRHC, 
but not the entire email list.  Would you please forward it to the appropriate 
people? Thanks!
 
 
January 30, 2011, 
 
I would like to express my concerns as to Year Round Housing Application and 
Selection Committee’s informational meeting, held on January 26.  The co-chair 
of this committee, Mr. Billings, began explaining the paperwork and process in 
no particular order, leading to confusion amongst all those in attendance.  
Finally, with clarification from others on the committee, we were able to 
commence with reviewing the documents.
 
In the ensuing discussion, Mr. Billings began speaking out of turn as to the 
requirement to "tell the truth" on the application, and the committee's duty to 
be sure that the applicants were doing so.  He went on to speak about applicants 
working under the table, and the committee’s responsibilities to make sure that 
all income was being reported.  It very quickly became confusing as to what 
information was for review by the Financial Review Board, and what information 
was to be reviewed by the Application and Selection Committee.  When a potential 
applicant raised questions as to the release form included in the application 
packet, Mr. Billings stated that the committee should be privy to all 
information that the Financial Review Board is privy to.  He went on to state 
that the committee needs to be sure that not only the applicant's rent is paid 
on time, but the applicant's other bills, citing Long Island Gas as an 
example. Mr. Billings further commented to the committee that they should 
reconvene at another time, to discuss the information release when "those people 
aren't here", meaning the potential applicants.  In my opinion, nearly all of 
Mr. Billing’s remarks were made in an argumentative and/or accusatory tone.  

 
As vice-president of the Year Round Housing Corporation and potential applicant 
to this program, I question the professionalism of Mr. Billings in the capacity 
of acting co-chair of this corporation's selection committee.  I for one would 
not be comfortable with him representing the committee in contacting the 
employer or landlord of any applicant including myself, given his attitude 
toward "those people".  In addition, given the level of professionalism he 
demonstrated at our most recent meeting, I am concerned with his trustworthiness 
in holding details of applications confidential.
 
Finally, please keep in mind that, on an island with a year-round population of 
only 196 residents, the applicants are trusting 7 of them (4 percent of the 
community) with the private details of their lives.  In a community where we 
share so much with our neighbors already, it is difficult to give up what little 
privacy we have.  Applicants must be able to trust that the private details they 
submit on their applications will be kept confidential.  When the co-chair of 
the selection committee speaks to the applicants as he did on Wednesday, and 
implies that applicants will be dishonest, it is my opinion that he is not 
worthy of the confidence of this program or its applicants.
 
Sincerely, 
Tammy Sharkey Hohn



      
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