Robert Hayes discusses efforts to right the ship at Corbin Housing Authority

Cooper Building, downtown Corbin

To say that Robert Hayes had his work cut out for him when he took over the job as Corbin Housing Authority director two years ago would be a pretty major understatement. The previous director had been indicted and is now scheduled to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty to theft by deception and abuse of public trust charges. He has also been ordered to pay the City of Corbin nearly $120,000 in restitution, so things have been a bit of a mess to put it mildly.

However, by recommitting to responsible and ethical practices and refocusing on the intended mission of the housing authority, Hayes and company have managed to drastically shift how the local public housing entity is operating on a day-to-day basis. These ongoing efforts were discussed in detail at a recent meeting of the Corbin Rotary Club.

“Housing authorities receive a score from 1-to-100 from the federal government for the physical properties and the financial health of the organization,” Hayes explained during his presentation to the Rotary Club. “When I took over, the score was 62 and someone called from the Louisville field office saying we were about to lose our housing authority.”

“It was all boots on the ground,” Hayes said. “Our current score is 93. That is a miracle to go to that in two years.”

So, how did the housing authority manage to raise its score so much in that relatively short amount of time? As Hayes explained, it didn’t happen overnight.

“We had a culture problem,” Hayes said. “It used to be pretty gloomy days at the housing authority, but we have been moving forward in a very positive way and I can honestly say that the state of the housing authority is now well. We play it by the book, with revised guidelines and personnel policies.”

Hayes added that full transparency has been a goal of the housing authority since he took over operations, and with an occupancy rate that has stayed at-or-near 100 percent, he said that he has plenty to keep him busy without getting involved in any kind of scandals on top of it.

“Basically, I am managing three separate entities, and we approach them each with separate board meetings and bank accounts,” Hayes said. “There is the Corbin Housing Authority, the Cooper Building on Main Street, and there is also the McBurney Building on Master Street.”

McBurney Manor, Master St. in Corbin

When it comes to the Cooper Building, Hayes said that extensive renovations have required a great deal of time and resources, but that it was also necessary in order to ensure the viability of the building moving forward. In addition to improvements to the façade, as well as new outdoor lighting and seating, he said that all 27 apartment units inside have been updated, making things much more aesthetically pleasing throughout.

“We have done all of this as part of a larger downtown revitalization initiative,” Hayes said of the newly remodeled Cooper Building. “We definitely want to fit into that bigger picture.”

Hayes also explained that the Cooper Building does not receive any sort of government subsidies, and that it has to support itself. When it comes to rent, he said that he is currently charging just below the market standard.

Speaking about the McBurney Building, Hayes said that the housing authority serves as “part of the governance” of the property, but that it will be completely turned over to them in another six years.

When it comes to managing the housing authority, Hayes said a big part of the job is learning how to navigate federal funding. “Most of all the money that I deal with is federal money, so there is a lot of red tape and regulations,” he said.

Another daily concern is ensuring open lines of communication with city officials, because as Hayes explained, public housing has a cooperative agreement with the city, meaning the mayor has an automatic seat on the board of directors. 

Hayes maintains a presence outside of the local community as well. As a regional director for public housing, he has input on happenings in an area that accounts for approximately a fourth of the state. In June, he and a colleague from Lexington will be hosting a conference focusing on integrity and compliance in governance.

Officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be in attendance, and information will be geared towards mayors and board members as topics of discussion will range from cooperative agreements, to budgeting, to interactions between executive directors, cities, and boards of directors.

Another topic that Hayes touched on during his presentation was that of tenant screening. “We have fought drugs in Corbin diligently,” he said. “I do not put up with any drug activity on the grounds. It was a battle for a while, though, to be honest.”

Hayes also said that all applicants are required to undergo a criminal background check, as nobody with a conviction of manufacturing an illegal substance will be accepted.

Those who have had to register as a sex offender will also be disqualified, and other criminal offenses will be handled at the director’s discretion.

“It took us too long to get everything cleaned up to just accept anybody who walks in the door,” Hayes said of the mandatory background checks.

For more information on the Corbin Housing Authority, contact them at (606) 528-5104.