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Authority must do things differently
By Michael Head
Contributor
Published November 5, 2009
Editor’s Note: The following text is an excerpt from a letter Galveston resident Michael Head submitted to Galveston Housing Authority after attending its Oct. 29 public hearing.
Why does Galveston Housing Authority refuse to answer citizens’ concerns, and turn every public meeting into a race issue? It really is disgusting that your organization feels they can get anything they want by playing the race card at every opportunity, which boils down to nothing but reverse racism. The community has three main issues, and you have not addressed even one in your attempts to start a race war.
Executive Order 11988 instructed the Department of Housing and Urban Development, who oversees your organization, to “avoid direct or indirect support of floodplain development.”
This order was issued in 1977, so GHA must be aware of it. The order lists eight steps, which must be taken if floodplain development will take place with public funds, which your $25 million recovery money awarded by the city council qualifies as.
Any new construction must follow these guidelines. So far, GHA has not even reached step number three, in which you identify and evaluate alternatives to building in a floodplain.
Prior to Hurricane Ike, many citizens were concerned with crime projects bring to a community. The research recently completed in the community proves their concerns are valid. In the 12 months prior to Ike, 21 percent of all cases by the Galveston Police Department took place in the communities of the four housing projects — 2.5 percent of the community is requiring 20 percent of the policing
What is GHA going to do differently to prevent this? Doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result is textbook insanity.
Is GHA going to drug test residents? Are they going to evict squatters and family members not granted residency? Are they going to conduct regular interviews to ensure residents are on a track to improve their lives?
These are three things GHA should have been doing all along. Are you going to fulfill your commitment to your community this time?
Lastly, the issue of jobs. Luby’s has just laid off 50 employees, Home Depot 50 more before that; our community is shedding jobs, not creating them. If GHA moves more people into an already underemployed community, this will result in even higher unemployment and lower wages.
Has GHA done any research into the jobs situation in Galveston? Where will these people you insist need to live here work? Find even 25 jobs for the incoming residents. They are not here now, and they won’t be here when the projects will be done.
here are they going to work? If there are no jobs, there will be nothing for public housing residents to do but begin a life of crime and continue indefinitely a life of poverty.
Without these three issues being addressed immediately, Galveston Housing Authority is proving they do not have Galveston’s best interests in mind. They are building the projects by the GHA for the GHA.
Perhaps your organization should drop Galveston from your name, since you apparently do not care about her future.
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