From left, Tina Walker and Hakimah Adams work the grill on Saturday, Sept. 2, during Serena Adams’ daughter’s birthday party in the Crescent Lane apartment complex, at the same time as the other events for residents in the Irvington Housing Authority’s Labor Day weekend Community Cookout event. Delores Calloway and other IHA residents also had a cookout for the senior citizens who reside in the public housing complex at the nearby building at 624 Nye Ave.
IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington Housing Authority’s Labor Day Holiday Weekend Community Cookout took place at both the Crescent Lane apartment complex and the senior citizens apartments in 624 Nye Ave.
On the one hand, Delores Calloway, Will Harden and other Crescent Lane and 624 Nye Ave. residents had been complaining loudly about substandard living conditions and poor tenant services to anyone who would listen, including representatives from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development who they met with Wednesday, Aug. 24.
On the other hand, longtime residents Serena Adams, Hakimah Adams and Tina Walker gathered to hold their own intimate events — such as a birthday party — at the same time.
The story, however, was the same for all IHA residents on Saturday, Sept. 2.
“We had a good time,” said Walker on Monday, Sept. 4. “It’s a work in progress. I’m not going to say that everything is all good and going well since we had that meeting with HUD, but this was a really good start.”
Adams said the cookouts scheduled for Monday, Sept. 4, would have been successful, regardless of whether IHA management or the township chipped in to help. She said it was nice that Vauss donate $500 and bouncy houses for the children, a bicycle donated by Irvington Municipal Council Vice President Renee Burgess and the complex’s facilities and resources for tenants all being opened up by Carmelo Garcia, the IHA’s new executive director.
“We brought our own stuff,” said Hakimah Adams on Monday, Sept. 4. “They had the bouncy house and cotton candy and popcorn for the kids from the town. But we always make do for ourselves, regardless.”
Serena Adams was one of the residents who had spoken out about current IHA managers and former Executive Director David Brown regularly failing to keep promises about housing opportunities and other issues to tenants. On Monday, Sept. 4, she said nothing has really changed, although she is hopeful the new regime with Garcia will be more open and trustworthy.
“I haven’t seen any changes at all since the meeting. The only change I’ve seen is they put out these black rat traps, because we have a rat infestation problem,” said Serena Adams, who said she was pleased with the Labor Day weekend events that took place.
Calloway and Harden agreed.
“It went pretty good. Me and my vice president set it up to make it successful for Crescent Land and 624 Nye Ave.,” said Calloway, who is also a former IHA commissioner and Tenants Association president, on Monday, Sept. 4. “Then the mayor came down with Renee Burgess, October Hudley, Richard Williams and others. The director came here and they donated the bouncy house, popcorn and other stuff. It really was successful and the residents did the most work and had the biggest role in making it successful.”
Vaus could not be reached for comment about the IHA cookouts by press time this week. Garcia also was unavailable for comment as the Irvington Herald went to press this week.
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