Dear Editor: Over the past couple of months there has been much talk about the lease agreement at the Hoboken Housing Authority. As President of the Jackson South Tenants Association and member of the Resident Advisory Board (RAB) I have become aware of federal laws and guidelines that should be included in our lease agreement that were omitted. So on April 13 I invited Mary Rone, the President of the New Jersey State Association for Public and Subsidized Housing Residents (NJSPSR) to speak with residents of the HHA about these regulations. As of October 1999 the residents were entitled to a choice of Flat Rent vs. 30 percent. Flat Rent is considered a ceiling rent whereby the tenants’ rent does not increase in the event family income increases for three years. Thirty percent rent is calculated by the family income and that includes utilities. As of today neither of these options has been offered to residents. Why? How do people expect us to be upwardly mobile when any raise you receive at your job is immediately taken away by your rent. Another issue discussed was the 12-month hold on increasing rent upon obtaining a new job after receiving federal funds such as welfare. This law enables a resident to get on their feet and save some income. The role of the RAB was also discussed. The RAB is to be included in all planning in the HHA. RAB was created to protect the tenants and to ensure that the Executive Director and Commissioners are acting in the best interest of the residents. Right now the RAB is not included and the items that I mentioned above which are required by Federal Housing Law are absent. So it is obvious by excluding the RAB they are not acting in our best interests. One more concern the residents have is a privacy issue. Housing inspectors are going into the homes of HHA residents without giving the required notification and at times are going into the residence when no one is home. What’s next, “Every flush we make is a picture they take.” I’m sure the residents are more than willing to allow the inspectors to do their jobs so there is no need for the intrusion of privacy. Upon hearing all of the concerns of the residents including a press conference held at City Hall regarding a letter written by HUD Director Carmen Valenti, Mary Rone asked to meet with the executive director and the RAB. To the surprise of many Mary Rone invited her own guest, Mr. Carmen Valenti himself. Mr. Valenti confirmed that the HHA is in violation of any lease agreement by not complying with the laws I mentioned earlier. As a result, Mr.Valenti has arranged another meeting to be held May 11 with associaties from his office to further investigate these matters. As a lifelong resident of the HHA, it is time that the residents stick together and fight for our rights. If we are divided or intimidated, no one will look out for us if we do not look out for ourselves. Linda Walker