May 14, 2003: Progress Report page 1 pdf Progress Report page 2 pdf

On the same day that DC Public Schools issued progress reports for city students, public housing residents delivered a progress report of their own to Michael Kelly, executive director of DC Housing Authority. Friends and Residents delivered the progress report to Kelly at the housing authority offices. Friends and Residents is a resident-run advocacy organization formed by residents of Arthur Capper and Carrollsburg to give voice to resident concerns about the HOPE VI demolition of their community. Members of Friends and Residents explained why they were giving Kelly an overall D+ grade. "We didn't give him an F, since we think he shows some potential. But anything more than a D, given Kelly's track record on HOPE VI and how he works with residents, wouldn't be holding him accountable," said one member of Friends of Residents.

Friends and Residents cited Kelly's failure to pass the recent city audit of his agency, his failure to meet HUD and HOPE VI requirements for transitional support, oversight and resident input, and the May 7 lockout of resident youth from a community input meeting. At the May 7 lockout Kelly's agency barred youth and other residents from attending a resident input meeting, threatening to arrest any resident who spoke out against the authority's handling of the HOPE VI program. The meeting was at Van Ness Elementary School, adjacent to Washington's Arthur Capper and Carrollsburg public housing dwellings, currently slated for HOPE VI demolition. Authority officials locked-out residents under age 18 and other residents, after seeing protest signs at the meeting. Kelly was present at the May 7 lockout.