HUD closing Syracuse field office to save money
SYRACUSE — Federal
authorities say they’re closing a housing office in central New York to save
money.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development says closing the
office in Syracuse will save from $110 million to $150 million in lease and
operating costs over 10 years. The closing is expected to be completed by early
next year.
HUD is shutting down 16 of its 80 field offices nationally,
affecting about 120 employees. The larger offices in Buffalo and Albany and the
regional office in New York City will remain open.
HUD to close its Orlando and
Tampa offices
April 24, 2013|By Mark Matthews and Mary
Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel
The U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development said Wednesday it will close its
Orlando and Tampa field offices as part of a restructuring that will eliminate
16 of its 80 local offices nationwide.
The Orlando closing will effect eight
employees, who worked with local housing authorities and counselors on programs
that included Section 8 rental vouchers, senior-housing assistance and
foreclosure guidance. The office on Maguire Boulevard, near downtown Orlando, also
handled a steady stream of walk-in traffic, phone calls and emails from
residents, homeless persons, real estate agents and multifamily-home
developers.
U.S. Rep.
Corrine Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat whose district extends into Orlando,
said she was infuriated by the move and had never been more disappointed in
President Barack Obama or his administration.
In a letter she
wrote to HUD officials, she requested the agency reconsider the closing because
the action would "be devastating" to the thousands of Floridians who
are still struggling with foreclosure actions or seeking affordable housing.
"Florida is
a special case and while this housing crisis continues, these offices and the
personnel and assets they bring to the crisis are invaluable," she
wrote.
The Jacksonville
and Miami HUD offices will remain open and take on responsibilities of the
Orlando and Tampa offices.
Under the
direction of Buz Ausely, the Orlando HUD field office was responsible for
federal housing services in nine counties: Brevard, Indian River, Lake,
Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, St. Lucie, Seminole and Volusia.
Federal officials estimated the overall
restructuring will save HUD more than $110 million over 10 years. HUD could not
estimate the budget for the Orlando office, which is expected to close in
coming months.
·
From: Affordable
Housing Finance 2013
·
Posted on: April 24, 2013
HUD to Shut, Consolidate Field Offices
By
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced
plans to consolidate multifamily hubs and close 16 smaller offices as part of a
restructuring effort.
The changes, which affect approximately 900 of HUD's 9,000 employees,
are within the agency's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs and the Office
of Field Policy and Management.
"The current organizational model for HUD is not
sustainable from a financial and a service delivery point of view," said
Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones in a statement. "We are reviewing every
aspect of our operation to determine if we have the right people in the right
places, and we're determining where we can be even more efficient to get the
most value out of our limited resources. We're in a different budget
environment, and we're at a point where we must make some extremely tough
choices. That being said, we certainly understand that this type of change can
be challenging for the agency's employees, and we are committed to moving forward
on the plan in a way that is sensitive to the needs and concerns of HUD's
staff."
Affected employees will be offered an opportunity to continue
working at the agency, but it may be in a new location or role, according to
HUD.
The multifamily division changes are expected to begin this fall
and be fully implemented by 2016. The plan is expected to result in about $40
million to $45 million in annual savings when completed.
A key component of the multifamily plan will be consolidating
its field employees, who currently work in 50 offices, into 10 offices that
will report to five multifamily hubs in Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Worth, New York,
and San Francisco, with satellite offices in Boston, Denver, Detroit,
Jacksonville, Fla., and Kansas City, Mo.
"Multifamily is one of HUD's core programs, and this is its
first major restructuring since 1998," said Marie Head, deputy assistant
secretary for multifamily housing programs. "We have to change in order to
be nimble and keep pace with the marketplace by leveraging technology, reducing
our footprint as appropriate, and enhancing customer service in ways that will
help ensure that we perform as a 21st century institution."
HUD's Office of Field Policy and Management is closing 16 of its
80 field offices this year in a move that will save between $110 million and
$150 million over a 10-year period. The closures, which are expected to be
completed in early fiscal 2014, will affect about 120 employees.
The offices that are closing are in Camden, N.J.; Cincinnati;
Dallas; Flint, Mich.; Fresno, Calif.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Lubbock, Texas;
Orlando, Fla.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Diego; Shreveport, La.; Spokane, Wash.;
Springfield, Ill.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Tampa, Fla.; and Tucson, Ariz. HUD will
retain at least one office in each state. Following the closures, several
affected states will still retain more than one office, including California,
Texas, and New York with three offices each, and Florida and Ohio with two
each.
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