ELECTION

Please remember to vote on Tuesday, November 7th. The voting location has moved from the Beaverton City Hall to the Beaverton Community Center at 142 Saginaw Street.

LEAF PICKUP

City leaf pickup will take place every Wednesday morning from October 4, 2006 until November 22, 2006.

LAST BEAVER LOG SENT WITH WATER BILLS

The City is changing to postcard billing. Beginning in October your water bill will be printed on a postcard that can be torn apart and sent back to City Hall with your payment. Beaver Logs will also be available at City Hall and in this space.

PAYING YOUR WATER BILL

For anyone who wishes to pay his or her water bill after 5:00 p.m. or on the weekends, please use our convenient drop box at City Hall.

PUBLIC HOUSING

For some seniors looking for affordable, accessible apartments, public housing and other subsidized housing may be a desirable option. Public housing has equal-opportunity protections for all qualified renters. Rent is based on a formula that's in turn based on income. Buildings are handicap-accessible, and usually in convenient locations near business districts. Amenities like laundry facilities are on-site; sometimes the apartment buildings also offer senior centers with weekday meals and social activities, and tenants themselves may organize group activities.

The Gladwin City Housing Commission owns and manages three subsidized highrises in the county: Antler Arms, 215 S. Antler, and Maple Manor, 130 W. Maple, both in the City of Gladwin; and Beaverton Manor, 110 Knox in Beaverton.

But who is eligible to rent an apartment within a community's subsidized housing system?

Antler Arms and Beaverton Manor receive HUD subsidy under the Section 8 Program, i.e. a federal program that helps provide affordable housing to persons with limited incomes. The Section 8 Program has provisions for special housing geared toward seniors - defined by the Section 8 Program as persons 62 years of age or older - or physically or mentally disabled adults of any age. Most community "senior highrises" are actually open to both seniors and disabled younger adults. If such apartment buildings have long-term difficulty filling occupancies with persons in these two groups, the apartments may then, with a HUD waiver, also become available to "near-elderly," adults 50 years of age or above.

HUD has a category of subsidized housing called, "public housing." Housing authorities with HUD approval may designate a public housing apartment building as "senior-only." An apartment building offering senior-only housing only accepts qualified renters 62 years of age and up or, if vacancies remain for an extended period, near-seniors 50-62 years of age. Gladwin's Maple Manor building with "Public Housing Program" funds is now a senior-only building.

Maple Manor and Antler Arms both include in-house senior centers with a weekday meal program and activities, and all three Gladwin County highrises offer other organized activities for interested residents. If you are a senior or disabled person looking for an affordable place to live in Gladwin County, the Gladwin City Housing Commission's Housing Specialists can help you determine if you qualify for renting an apartment in one of the highrises, and will give you an apartment tour upon request. For more information, contact the Commission at 426-5721.

Visit Beaverton! You'll be glad you did!