Drug Traffickers and Drug Dealers Can Control the Management of Housing Co-ops

Public housing mostly for low and moderate income people in Canada, the United States, and other Countries has for decades gained a reputation that houses people involved in the illegal drug trade and other associated activities.

 

In Ken's view, non-profit housing co-operatives are vulnerable to these problems because of the governance and management structure that involve associative difficulties...

Member managed non-profit co-operative housing for mixed income people in Canada, the United States, and other Countries are one of several types of affordable housing options available for people with modest or low incomes.

In Ken's view, drug traffickers and their associate drug dealers can either control or have some influence on the governance and management of non-profit housing cooperative by soliciting additional support from the membership and management staff of a non-profit housing co-op project:

Co-ops viewed as basically autocratically managed by a small number of its entire membership are most vulnerable because the few decision makers that occupy the majority of seats and controlling votes on the board of directors also control the membership committee and finance committee etc.

Drug traffickers and their associate drug dealers can often apply for and get approval for membership in a housing co-op based on recommendations by one or more existing co-op members or their guests already residing at the co-op that may also be a drug trafficker or drug dealer.

The ultimate goal for drug traffickers and drug dealers that reside in co-op housing is to gain majority control in its management by occupying key positions on the board of directors, membership and finance committees' and maintain that control by using collusion and inducements to exploit the co-op for their own self-interest and personal gain.

Drug traffickers'/drug dealers will use threats and intimidation to discourage other members' that are opposed to activities viewed as illegal that place the co-op and membership at risk.

Drug traffickers and their associate drug dealers can abuse their position of authority on the board of Directors to defraud the co-op and others by gaining the support of staff and others working at the co-op including some of its members' by offering enticements that provide prohibited entitlements and by using favoritism.

Some examples: staff management can be rewarded with excessive salaries or hourly wages and other benefits that they are not entitled. Offering favorable flexible work schedules and allow excessive time away from work and other incentives.

Co-op policies are not followed and by-laws are not enforced upon board of director and their supporters may involve late payment of housing charges, fines, arrears and debt. Unit allocations for some of their supporters can be allowed that jump the cue on the internal waiting list for premium units that offer better opportunities to deal drugs. Board members & supporters can be placed on a priority waiting list for unit repairs and upgrades.

 

Board members & supporters may not be held accountable for wilful damage to units or vandalism at the co-op. Board members & supporters on rent geared to income subsidy may be allowed to have guests live in their units illegally. Board members & supporters may not be held accountable for their lack of, or non-participation at the co-op...

Once drug traffickers and drug dealers are well established and embedded in a co-op they can network together to help ensure the movement of illegal drugs in and out of the co-op reach their intended destinations.

***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************

The following is a scenario & fictionalization of events that can occur at a housing co-op:

ACME CO-OPERATIVE HOMES LIMITED

Mae and June are on the board of directors, and also both single parents and have lived at the co-op for years raising their children. Mae's son Igor, and June's son Willy were good friends and often seen hanging around with their other friends causing problems and sometimes vandalizing the co-op.

When Igor and Willy became teenagers they started dealing drugs along with some of their friends, loitering around the co-op being a complete nuisance by disturbing many of the members' rights to their enjoyment at the co-op.

Co-op members' and residents in neighboring homes often made complaints against Igor, Willy, and some of their friends behavior for some years without any resolution to the continuing problems.

John and Jane Doe applied to the co-op for membership and were approved by the board of directors. When some of the members' were acquainted with the Doe family they became suspicious that Mr. Doe was a drug trafficker with their teenage son, Jimmy, was seen using and dealing drugs with others at the co-op. Then some years later John's teenage son, Ronny appeared to be doing the same things as his older brother.

Igor, Willy, Jimmy and Ronny appeared to be drug dealing associates along with Bozo I.S. Batty. Bozo's mother, Olga A. Batty was also a co-op director, and soon after, Jane C. Doe joined the board of directors, and John D. Doe joined the membership committee and some years later joined the finance committee.

Teenagers dealing drugs and sometimes stoned on the drugs that they sell, and intoxicated on alcohol began threatening some members' at the co-op, vandalizing doors, windows etc. and putting holes in the walls at the co-op soon escalated. Some co-op members' referred to these teenagers as the 'Hole-in-the-Wall-Gang'...Police were called and responded often to various types of incidents.

A cycle of some young children turning into teenagers, dealing drugs and causing problems at the co-op had continued on for years, as the legal penalties are much harsher for adults than Juveniles or young minors.

Some members' were opposed to the installation of security camera's, but they were eventually installed at the co-op. Security camera's did not seem to deter many of the problems for quite some time. Some families with teenagers responsible for some of the problems would later move out or drift away from the co-op.

As the years passed, drug dealing teenagers became adults, some moved away from the co-op, others moved into their own co-op units, while Bozo stayed home trafficking drugs from the unit, his elderly mother, Olga also occupied.

With some exceptions, the drug trafficking and drug dealing strategy become more sophisticated and less conspicuous. Adults were moving most of the drugs and incidents of vandalism had become less frequent.

With a notable reduction in incident reports, Police were not requested to respond at the co-op as often. With some exceptions, many drug dealers had come and gone from the co-op over the years.

The cycle of some young children turning into teenagers, dealing drugs and causing problems at the co-op would later return and be repeated all over again.

Sign's of suspected drug trafficking or drug dealing are noted when people are often seen coming and going from units or backyards, loitering in or around building doorways, stairwells, and locations on the co-op outside grounds areas.

Drug traffickers and drug dealers will devise methods to lower their risk of being caught dealing, being identified and arrested by the Police. Some examples: reducing the traffic in and out of units and backyards by moving drugs for distribution to a designated area on or off the co-op property.

If the co-op has security camera's, the general membership can be prevented from viewing digital images that may help Police with their investigations. Drug traffickers, drug dealers, and others involved in illegal activities don't want a Community Watch Program at their co-op, and don't want the general membership to become the 'EYES' for the co-op!

 

CMHC sponsored survey and research highlight of non-profit housing co-ops: Some excerpts from the survey:..."Only one of the 12 cooperatives had not gone through a crisis."..."Ten of the others have experienced and are still experiencing associative difficulty's, attributable to poor management, collusion, lack of interest and lack of competencies."

 

"The problems raised are similar and include a lack of participation, a lack of competencies, little interest in training, no understanding of the cooperative formula (a tenant's mentality), a non-existent, inadequate or a disregarded management structure, a lack or improper exercise of leadership, interpersonal conflicts, multicultural prejudices and challenges, abuses of power, cliques, favoritism and fraud, not to mention social problems such as prostitution and drug abuse."

 

 CLICK HERE and review the 4-page survey and research highlight in PDF 

 

In Ken's view, the problems raised in the research highlight of non-profit housing co-operatives can apply to all np housing co-ops, regardless of geographical location, scale, professional management services, and other major co-op housing stakeholders. 

 

A selection of some news articles about gangs..., guns, and crime in non-profit co-ops and community housing as reported in social media :: CLICK HERE 

Boucrate preforms "THE PUSHER" Song by Steppenwolf

CLICK HERE and watch and listen to Boucrate perform "THE PUSHER"

Boucrate is a Blues Artist that may be living in co-op housing located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Information may be added, revised or deleted without prior notification.

Ken Hummel, Administrator, CHIE