Vicksburg Housing Authority Executive Director Dannie Walker said vacancies are far too high — with about 13 percent of the VHA’s 430 homes empty — and added he expects the problem to get worse before it gets better.

“I think it’s going to continue to rise this month and next month, and then begin to peak and get better after the first of the year,” Walker told the VHA Commission at it’s monthly meeting Tuesday. “In my experience, you usually have more people failing to pay rent November through January due to Christmas.”

A total of 53 apartments and homes are vacant in the authority’s six subdivisions in Vicksburg. Due primarily to lease agreement violations and criminal activity on VHA properties, Walker said he’s had to evict an average of 10 to 15 tenants per month since being tapped to replace longtime director James Stirgus Sr. in late July.

“I’ll be honest, that’s a very high number, but I just believe in doing things aboveboard and consistently enforcing our policies,” he said. “I’ve tried to work with (the tenants) as much as I can, and we’re basically having to re-educate them on their lease agreements and our policies.”

Walker said he aims to bring the vacancy rate down to 3 percent or less — which would equate to no more than 13 vacancies at any given time. He said the hiring of an occupancy specialist, which the housing authority has formerly not had, will help achieve that goal. Adding the position is included in the authority’s $2 million operating budget for this fiscal year. Walker said he will begin interviewing candidates today and hopes to have the position filled by the end of the year.

“It’s going to be difficult to get there,” he said of the 3 percent goal, “but I’ve told our property managers it’s not something we want to do, it’s something we have to do.”

The waiting list for VHA housing is currently at 498 pre-qualified applicants. However, Walker said the applicant list has not been purged “since I don’t know when,” and he estimated the actual number of qualified applicants is somewhere between 200 and 300.

If the vacancy rate is not at or below 3 percent at the end of the fiscal year — Sept. 30, 2010 — Walker said the housing authority could face having some of its federal subsidies withheld. He said the 3 percent rule has been in effect for years, but added the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has not enforced it in years past.

“But I’ve been told they will begin enforcing it in 2010,” he said.

Individuals and families qualify for public housing based on income and pay rent on a sliding scale in proportion to their earnings. Evictions can be ordered for nonpayment of rent, for allowing a person not identified on the lease to reside in a home or based on criminal activity. In addition to the public housing, many privately owned homes and apartments in Vicksburg are in various programs where rents are subsidized. The private homes are not under VHA jurisdiction.

Commissioners Ella Lee, Charles Wright, Abraham Green and Christopher Barnett were present. In other business Tuesday, the board:

• Approved meeting minutes from Oct. 20.

• Approved payment of bills from Oct. 15-30.

• Discussed progress on securing a contractor to do roofing and siding work at Waltersville Estates, which will be paid for with the $888,000 in federal stimulus funds awarded to the VHA. Bids for the work will be opened on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m.

• Agreed to increase the VHA’s contribution to the Housing Authority Retirement Trust to 12 percent, effective Dec. 1, for employees who opted out of joining the Public Employees’ Retirement System. Seven VHA employees recently signed up for the PERS retirement plan, effective Nov. 1, which requires a 12 percent employer match. The HART plan formerly required a 7.5 percent match from the VHA. Five employees opted out of joining PERS, and VHA Executive Director Dannie Walker said he felt it was only fair to increase the authority’s match to equal the contribution for employees who joined PERS. Effective June 1, 2010, Walker said the PERS plan will require a 13.25 percent match, and with the approval of Tuesday’s resolution the employer match for HART will also increase to the same amount.

• Approved declaring four irreparable gas ranges and two refrigerators as surplus and disposing of the appliances.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com