Galveston plans demolition of two public housing complexes
The Galveston Housing Authority plans to demolish two public housing developments, reports the Galveston Daily News. In the midst of these plans, public housing residents still struggle to find places to live.
In Galveston three-quarters of all homes were damaged in Hurricane Ike and many public housing units were deemed unlivable. Facing South reported in September 2008 that Galveston's public housingresidents were ordered to leave their homes but were givenno answers about where they were supposed to go.
Since then, housing has continued to be a major issue for Galveston's poor. And now more than five months after the hurricane, Galveston public housing residents continue to have trouble finding places to live.
As the Galveston Daily News reports:
In Galveston three-quarters of all homes were damaged in Hurricane Ike and many public housing units were deemed unlivable. Facing South reported in September 2008 that Galveston's public housingresidents were ordered to leave their homes but were givenno answers about where they were supposed to go.
Since then, housing has continued to be a major issue for Galveston's poor. And now more than five months after the hurricane, Galveston public housing residents continue to have trouble finding places to live.
As the Galveston Daily News reports:
Agnes Groom, who lived in Magnolia Homes with her four children before the hurricane, said she has spent the past five months looking for places to live. She said she has looked in Texas City, La Marque and Galveston, but has not found anyone who would accept her federal disaster housing assistance program voucher. She has been turned away by several landlords who said her income was too low, she said. She's not sure where she will live once the Federal Emergency Management Agency stops paying for her to live in a hotel.
"I'm scared to death," she said.
Of the 7,000 Galveston County families who qualify for the Disaster Housing Assistance Program, only 1,800 or 26 percent, have found places to live, [Galveston Housing Authority Executive Director Harish Krishnarao] said.
Though Krishnarao said he had planned to poll public housing tenants before the board made a decision about the future of the developments, several residents said they weren't called. Krishnarao said some residents, but not all, been contacted.
Sadie Lundy, a former resident of Magnolia Homes, said she would love to return to her home soon. Lundy, who needs special accommodations, has faced difficulties finding a handicap-accessible apartment with her disaster housing voucher. Lundy has lived in a relative's house in La Marque along with 26 other people and in six different hotels in the past five months.
