As Carolyn Ross watched the razor wire-topped fence at Waltersville Estates come down, the six-year resident said the stimulus-funded improvements at the Vicksburg Housing Authority subdivision are as needed as they are appreciated.

“I’ve been hoping this would happen for years,” said Ross. “It looks like it’s going to be a lot better out here.”

Waltersville Estates, one of six VHA subdivisions in the city, has been abuzz with the sound of skill saws and roofing hammers for more than a week now. All 27 buildings on site are being re-sided and reroofed, and repairs are also being made to damaged dormers and facia boards.

The energy-efficient windows are set to arrive this week — around the time the siding and roofing are completed — as should the new bathroom vanities and added insulation for all 150 apartments.

The VHA is paying for all the upgrades at Waltersville with the $888,780 it was awarded last spring through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus package. It is the first stimulus-funded construction project to get underway in Vicksburg or Warren County.

Built in 1981, Waltersville Estates has, like almost every other public housing project across the nation, long struggled with image problems. With its brick and wrought iron gates surrounding the complex, its security checkpoint and its razor wire fencing, Waltersville is, in many locals’ minds, synonymous with crime and drug activity.

VHA Executive Director Dannie Walker said he hopes the renovations help change the public image of Waltersville, where tenants must meet low income requirements and pay their rents on a sliding-scale basis.

“I really think the crime issue here has been a little bit overblown,” Walker said as he oversaw renovations Thursday morning. “A lot of it is perception.”

“And this certainly didn’t help,” interjected Jay Kilroy, VHA board chairman, who joined Walker. “You see a razor wire fence, what do you think? You think it’s either a military installation or a prison.”

Walker does not entirely dismiss the break-ins, domestic disputes and drug activity frequently reported at Waltersville, and he said the VHA is still hoping to contract with the Vicksburg Police Department to take up overnight security detail. A private security firm currently operates the check point from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., however, the guards do not have arresting powers and have to instead call the police if they see a crime taking place.

Walker first proposed the police department take over Waltersville security last fall, and the city has since been researching the legality of the arrangement and working on an offer. Walker said a law that will make its way to Gov. Haley Barbour’s desk this year would explicitly give all Mississippi police departments clearance to contract with housing authorities. The bill, he said, was initiated through a lobbying effort by the Mississippi Association of Housing and Redevelopment Organization and will hopefully help the VHA get the VPD under contract.

Meanwhile, other security repairs are being made. Lapses in the gate surrounding the Waltersville subdivision have been repaired, as have the electronic entry gates that operate on a card-reader system.

“It’s getting better all the time,” said Ross, who lives at Waltersville with her seven children, ages 2 to 13. “The first few years I was here I wouldn’t even let my kids out on the streets; there was always somebody fighting or into trouble. Now, I can sit outside and let my children play on the playground and I don’t worry.”

A number of Waltersville residents joined Ross in watching the approximately 1,000 feet of razor wire fence taken down last week. All voiced their support of its removal. Most said the fence was a waste of money when it was erected about eight years ago and has since proven to be nothing but a safety hazard and an eyesore.

The facelift at Waltersville is not only for cosmetic reasons, said Kilroy. Aging roofs and shoddy siding have been causing all kinds of maintenance issues and expenses. High utility bills have also been a constant complaint from residents.

“We’re always sending people out here to make interior repairs caused by leaky roofs,” said Kilroy. “Utilities are a problem for everyone, but the combination of the added insulation, the new siding — which also has foam insulation on it — and the new Energy Star windows should really help keep the utility bills a little more reasonable.”

As for those who live in the 280 apartments and homes in the five VHA subdivisions outside Waltersville, Walker said they won’t be left out when it comes to neighborhood enhancements in the coming years.

“They can expect a lot more of the same once our capital funds come in,” said Walker. “We’re already looking at kitchen cabinet upgrades for our senior units at Urban Court, and we’ll be putting in additional insulation, windows, cabinets and roofs at the other properties as the need arises and the funds become available.”

The housing authority will have approximately $792,000 in capital funds on hand to further improve VHA properties this year, said Walker. The VHA manages a total of 430 apartments and homes across the city with funds coming primarily via the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Its annual budget, including capital improvement and operating funds, totals about $1.4 million. Roughly 8.5 percent of the VHA’s budget comes from rent collections, said Walker.

Walker took over as VHA executive director in July, two months after 21-year director Jim Stirgus Sr. was fired by the five-member VHA Commission — which had been overhauled by the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen following the December 2008 arrest of VHA maintenance manager Charles Jones Jr., who was accused of having 2.2 pounds of cocaine shipped to him at the VHA administrative offices. The City of Vicksburg has no management or auditing authority over the VHA other than appointing the five commission members who, in turn, hire a director.

In November, Jones pleaded guilty to possession of the cocaine, in an agreement that saw other felony charges dropped, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Stirgus has never been charged with any crimes, and has steadfastly denied any knowledge of or participation in any wrongdoing while VHA director. Kilroy and Walker confirmed a federal investigation into the matter is ongoing, but said they don’t know when or if any findings or charges will be revealed.

“It could be years, or it might never happen,” said Walker, who said he prefers to keep the focus on the VHA’s future, rather than its past.

Separate from Jones’ arrest and Stirgus’ termination, the VHA fell into what HUD terms “troubled status” in 2009 due to a temporary dip in reserve funds used to repair roofs on 279 VHA homes and apartments in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. The troubled designation forced the housing authority to draw up and submit a detailed improvement plan to HUD, which it has since been required to update monthly. Walker said he’s confident the VHA will soon emerge from the troubled status, and once again will be able to operate with less direct HUD oversight.

“We recently finished all of the memorandum of agreement items that we were required to complete, and we have submitted all of that documentation to HUD,” he said. “I am waiting to hear from them… but there is no doubt in my mind that we’ll be out of the troubled status soon, hopefully by the end of April.”