Lane Reflects on First Months as Vidalia Housing Authority Director
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Vidalia Housing Authority Director Michael Lane has now completed two months in his new role, and recently sat down to share updates on the current status of the Authority.
Lane was hired as the new Vidalia Housing Authority Director in February, after having spent his recent years serving as the Montgomery County Schools Communications Coordinator. He said that it was the chance to make a difference in the community that drew him to the job.
“I think the serving the community aspect [drew me to this job]– being able to be a light in a community where, quite frankly, some of these folks are in a difficult spot in their lives. Some of that is by choice and some of it is not. But I think that if I can be a light and an encouragement and help people either realize their desire to move on to homeownership or gain a desire to do that, it’s worth it,” Lane emphasized.
He shared that during his interview for the position, he told the Vidalia Housing Authority Board of Directors that he intended to utilize community partnerships and resources to help provide opportunities for tenants to improve themselves and their situations through financial literacy training, adult education, and more. “There’s opportunities there at no cost where they can further their education and position themselves to do something bigger and better,” he added.
Currently, the Vidalia Housing Authority has 110 units available for tenants, 9 of which were vacant throughout March; Lane said that he plans to fill these vacancies in early April. “There are several criteria for filling vacancies. It is in order [on the wait list], but then there are some preferences based on age, handicap status, and veteran status. So, there is a scoring system, which is typical in the subsidized housing industry,” he explained. “It’s also based on need. We have 1, 2, 3, and 4-bedroom apartments. We have more of some and less of others. We also prioritize our current tenants if their family dynamics change – if they are under-housed or over-housed – we get them into a more appropriately sized apartments to meet those needs.”
Lane stated that ultimately, his goal for the Authority is to become a temporary space for families while they work to better themselves and their situations. “Sometimes, we have to make difficult decisions; sometimes, we have to have difficult conversations. My vision is to really create a transition climate here – that the goal would be to provide safe, adequate housing for a period of time as they improve their life circumstances and are able to move into homeownership. That would be my hope for every one of our tenants,” he said.
Yet, there are some long-term renters, which Lane shared he also appreciates. “They have made a choice to live here with us and we like them, too,” he remarked.
According to Lane, there is also some turnover within the apartments because of lease compliance issues. “We try to manage every situation with as much compassion as we can, but at the same time, we have to adhere to our guidelines and to the terms of our lease,” he clarified.
Lane also spoke about the challenges that the Authority has faced as a result of Hurricane Helene. “My biggest hurdle right now is storm recovery,” he commented. “There was no director here through the storm and the aftermath of the storm, so we have 17 roofs that still need to be replaced, as well as some fencing and tree damage. I’m working with our insurance company and contractors to begin the process.”
He continued, “Our tenants have been extremely patient through that process, but even now, you still see tarps [on roofs]. It’s going to be a good day when we see roofs repaired, and we are very close to that.”
Lane said that there was minimal damage to the interior of the apartments, as fewer than 5 tenants had issues with leaking and one tenant had a tree go through the roof of their unit; this family was quickly relocated by the Authority.
Yet, even through the challenges caused by Hurricane Helene, Lane focuses on the same mission every day. “Our primary goal is to provide safe, adequate housing for our tenants, and at the end of the day, everything we do revolves around that. We have a lot of people that we answer to and there’s a lot of detail and work that has to be done to get everything back to where it needs to be,” he emphasized.
Lane shared that he is enthusiastic about the future of the area, as he shared his gratitude for the Board, staff, and even former Vidalia Housing Authority Director Josh Beck, who have all helped to make the transition into the position possible. “I came into a position that had been vacant for several months, and that absence of leadership created some deficits, but we have begun working to get things back to where it should be. It’s a challenge, but it will be a good challenge. It will be worth it,” he said.
“We realize that there is a need for assistance and subsidized housing, and I want to eliminate the stigma that is associated with that. I don’t want people to view this as ‘the projects.’ I want people to view this as an opportunity, and I think we can do that with the supportive board and staff that we have – it’s just going to take a little time,” he concluded.
For more information on the Vidalia Housing Authority, call (912) 5374885.
