Harris Is WHA’s Good Housekeeping Grand Prize Winner For 2023
December 19, 2023 at 7:59 p.m.
The 2023 grand prize Good Housekeeping Award winner in Warsaw through the Warsaw Housing Authority says a good tip to remember to keeping a clean house is “when you get something out, or when you make a mess, clean it up. Clean it up right away.”
The Warsaw grand prize winner for 2023 is Judith Harris, a resident of Heron Preserves, Warsaw. She received a $100 Walmart gift card, candy, balloons and a Good Housekeeping Award certificate after being surprised with the award Tuesday.
Harris thought she had a mandatory quality control inspection but was surprised with the award when inspector Tom Bulger, North Central Indiana Housing Program Manager Vicki Haines, City Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins, local media and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer showed up.
Each year, once a person or family is on the program, Bulger determines during his inspection if the tenant has kept the unit clean, reported any needed repairs to the landlord during the year and is living in a safe environment, according to Haines. Bulger will write on his inspection if he wants the tenant to receive a Good Housekeeping Award. Haines eventually gets the report and prints out an award for the tenant and mails it out to them. She makes out a ticket for the tenant and it goes into a drawing. At the beginning of December, a ticket is drawn for a grand prize winner from Warsaw and from Goshen.
“It’s kind of an incentive because when Tom goes to a place where someone’s not kept up and not turned in repairs, and he has to turn in a really long repair list, it makes some of our landlords kind of grouchy and then it makes them not to want to deal with us anymore. So, we really appreciate the ones that take care and do what they’re supposed to and things,” Haines said.
Bulger said as soon as he walked into Harris’ door, he knew she was a good housekeeper. “I could just tell. Usually, when I do inspections, I can just tell,” he said. “... I come into a home like this and she’s a good housekeeper and she’ll get a Good Housekeeper Award. Even if the inspection doesn’t pass and there’s landlord repairs, if she’s reported them, then by all means she’ll receive an award.”
He told Harris she does a great job and makes his life easy.
Harris said she’s only lived at Heron Preserves for about a year. She said she likes living there.
“We appreciate tenants like you who take care of things. It makes our landlords happier,” Haines told Harris.
Harris said the Good Housekeeping Award was only the second time she’s ever won anything. The first time she won cat litter, even though she didn’t have a cat.
She said the surprise was nice because she thought she was going to have an inspection.
Harris provided a tour for everyone of her home. She uses the smaller, second bedroom as a sewing room.
“I make a lot of things. A lot of baby blankets,” Harris, 64, said, adding that she has a great-grandchild. She collects dolls and really likes the rag dolls.
Thallemer, with less than two weeks to go as mayor, said he really wanted to be there Tuesday for the award presentation.
“I’ve done this several times and it’s always just really warms my heart to know how wonderful you’ve done with your property and set an example for everyone else. I’m just really glad to be here, to meet you. You’ve got a beautiful place here,” Thallemer said.
Heron Preserves has been providing affordable housing for many years, renting to families with Housing Choice Vouchers, according to a provided news release.
Property Manager Kiontay Smith just took over the property about two months ago. “It’s a pleasure to have a tenant such as her,” she said. “It’s really nice in here. It’s good to have somebody to take care of the property.”
WHA also awards a runner-up winner for Goshen and Warsaw with a $25 gift certificate. The Warsaw runner-up is Wanda Olsen, whose landlord is Grace Village. The Goshen runner-up is Olga Mikhailenko, whose landlord is LaCasa of Goshen Inc.
The Goshen grand prize winner is Franklin Turner, whose landlord is Pedcor Investments, Ashton Pines Apartment Complex.
Approximately half of the WHA families received a Good Housekeeping Award this year, according to the news release.
WHA is always in need of more landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. For more information, call 574-269-7641, ext. 1030.
The 2023 grand prize Good Housekeeping Award winner in Warsaw through the Warsaw Housing Authority says a good tip to remember to keeping a clean house is “when you get something out, or when you make a mess, clean it up. Clean it up right away.”
The Warsaw grand prize winner for 2023 is Judith Harris, a resident of Heron Preserves, Warsaw. She received a $100 Walmart gift card, candy, balloons and a Good Housekeeping Award certificate after being surprised with the award Tuesday.
Harris thought she had a mandatory quality control inspection but was surprised with the award when inspector Tom Bulger, North Central Indiana Housing Program Manager Vicki Haines, City Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins, local media and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer showed up.
Each year, once a person or family is on the program, Bulger determines during his inspection if the tenant has kept the unit clean, reported any needed repairs to the landlord during the year and is living in a safe environment, according to Haines. Bulger will write on his inspection if he wants the tenant to receive a Good Housekeeping Award. Haines eventually gets the report and prints out an award for the tenant and mails it out to them. She makes out a ticket for the tenant and it goes into a drawing. At the beginning of December, a ticket is drawn for a grand prize winner from Warsaw and from Goshen.
“It’s kind of an incentive because when Tom goes to a place where someone’s not kept up and not turned in repairs, and he has to turn in a really long repair list, it makes some of our landlords kind of grouchy and then it makes them not to want to deal with us anymore. So, we really appreciate the ones that take care and do what they’re supposed to and things,” Haines said.
Bulger said as soon as he walked into Harris’ door, he knew she was a good housekeeper. “I could just tell. Usually, when I do inspections, I can just tell,” he said. “... I come into a home like this and she’s a good housekeeper and she’ll get a Good Housekeeper Award. Even if the inspection doesn’t pass and there’s landlord repairs, if she’s reported them, then by all means she’ll receive an award.”
He told Harris she does a great job and makes his life easy.
Harris said she’s only lived at Heron Preserves for about a year. She said she likes living there.
“We appreciate tenants like you who take care of things. It makes our landlords happier,” Haines told Harris.
Harris said the Good Housekeeping Award was only the second time she’s ever won anything. The first time she won cat litter, even though she didn’t have a cat.
She said the surprise was nice because she thought she was going to have an inspection.
Harris provided a tour for everyone of her home. She uses the smaller, second bedroom as a sewing room.
“I make a lot of things. A lot of baby blankets,” Harris, 64, said, adding that she has a great-grandchild. She collects dolls and really likes the rag dolls.
Thallemer, with less than two weeks to go as mayor, said he really wanted to be there Tuesday for the award presentation.
“I’ve done this several times and it’s always just really warms my heart to know how wonderful you’ve done with your property and set an example for everyone else. I’m just really glad to be here, to meet you. You’ve got a beautiful place here,” Thallemer said.
Heron Preserves has been providing affordable housing for many years, renting to families with Housing Choice Vouchers, according to a provided news release.
Property Manager Kiontay Smith just took over the property about two months ago. “It’s a pleasure to have a tenant such as her,” she said. “It’s really nice in here. It’s good to have somebody to take care of the property.”
WHA also awards a runner-up winner for Goshen and Warsaw with a $25 gift certificate. The Warsaw runner-up is Wanda Olsen, whose landlord is Grace Village. The Goshen runner-up is Olga Mikhailenko, whose landlord is LaCasa of Goshen Inc.
The Goshen grand prize winner is Franklin Turner, whose landlord is Pedcor Investments, Ashton Pines Apartment Complex.
Approximately half of the WHA families received a Good Housekeeping Award this year, according to the news release.
WHA is always in need of more landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. For more information, call 574-269-7641, ext. 1030.