Proposal for Housing Authority story (last major project)

To: Professor Morris
From: Emily Ayres

Subject: Investigating the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which is a grant from the state of West Virginia to the Huntington Housing Authority. It will give the authority $2.177 million to rehabilitate or newly construct 32 units. The structures will have an impact for the work the Housing Authority tries to do in providing affordable housing for the residents of Huntington. The units will be at Artisan Height, Artisan Avenue and Seventh Avenue. These units will be for low-income families to privately own, the chronic homeless and for public housing. The Artisan Height and Artisan Avenue structures are under the Project Based Section A, which is to take people off waiting lists and to provide housing for 32 people who didn’t have a place to live before. The funds for the grant need to be spent within three years but the Housing Authority said the funds will be used by the end of 2010.

Scope: I will research how exactly all this money is going to be spent, especially when the authority says it will be expended by the end of 2010. I am in contact with Executive Director Bob Dotson who will give me information on the exact structures being involved in this project and how many people it will help. I also want to get in contact with a few individuals who will be moving into these structures.

Need: People need to know if the authority will be spending this money correctly and if the money is being put to efficient use so it can help as much people as possible.

Methods: This story can be documented with interviews of main staff of the Housing Authority and individual low-income families who will be involved in moving into the houses. I have to find out when work is actually beginning on the project and how the authority keeps record of its actions so the state knows it is using the money correctly.

Sources: Information can be had from the record of the grant sent by the state and interviews of Bob Dotson and other people.

Presentation: This will be an investigative story that will be blogged and presented to The Parthenon for possible publication.

Follow-up: There is a possibility for future stories while this project is continuing
and the structures are being built.