Stop The GHA

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We are against rebuilding the public housing on Galveston Island.

The Island is in a flood zone and is not an appropriate place for public housing as everyone has seen after Hurricane Ike. Building structures on the island is more costly because of hurricane building standards and insurance is much more costly.Evacuating low income residents is costly and dangerous to everyone involved.

Also, There are very few if any jobs for low income families on the Island. It is very difficult and almost impossible to improve one's situation without opportunity.

The island is a tourist destination and the public housing unfortunately was linked with crime, prostitution, drugs, vagrancy, public drunkenness and loitering in city streets. People felt unsafe especially at night in some areas. There were also brothels in plain view on the strand that should be removed.

What does that say about city leadership? What do these problems project to developers and vacationers? People will not buy houses, start businesses, or vacation in that environment the way they would in a clean, safe, world class vacation destination and city.

Please take a look at Kemah if you would like to see a tourist town ran properly. It is clean, safe, and pleasant. Businesses came in droves. Housing is being developed. It is a great addition to the Houston area and Galveston should be as well.

Please use the funds wisely to rebuild a healthy, clean, safe tourist destination so the businesses, tourists, and homeowners will return. Infrastructure as well as assistance in rebuilding hurricane damaged property is a better use of the funds. Limited public housing for the elderly or disabled is fine but the majority should be built on the mainland where more opportunity exists and hurricanes are less of a risk. The proposal to bring thousand of public housing units to the island is not prudent and will be counter productive to the rebuilding of the island and the future of Galveston.

Sincerely,

2045 Signatures

  • Todd Wimberly
    • Comments
    • public housing is out of control in Galveston, enough already
  • Sarah Reese
    • Comments
    • No more public housing on Galveston Island.
  • Ana Draa
    • Comments
    • please do what is right for the future of Galveston!
  • Nicholas Popejoy
    • Comments
    • My wife and I just moved away from Galveston.We are young fairly newly weds and wanted to start our life in Galveston because we loved this city,so essentially we were islanders by choice. During about 6 months of the year of living and working here in Galveston our eyes were opened. After asking and conversing with residents of Galveston and surrounding cities we were surprised of the many negative comments about this city. We were told that the schools were horrible and if we had children to send them to either the private schools or somewhere off the island. We were close to deciding on buying a house on the east end but were advised to not buy a house east of 61st street because of the home invasions. Which leads to crime, we would read many times in the paper of robberies and home burglaries in the east end. The city wanted change and it will get it. Follow this plan and more middle class families will move from Galveston. Why not use the money for expanding the port to create more jobs?
  • Dan Olley
  • Roland Paul Gani
  • Deborah Gani
    • Comments
    • Don't do this TO us!
  • April Shotts
    • Comments
    • "We know what our goals are. We know what we hope to accomplish. And believe me, its the most exciting and challenging assignment we've ever tackled" Walt Disney http://www.the-original-epcot.com/2008/05/epcot-film-video.html
  • Janet Maloney
  • Jul Kamen
  • George Lee
    • Comments
    • A letter well spoken. It is a disastrous and counterproductive plan that taxes limited resources. It helps no one, especially those it is designed to benefit, and brings additional risks to all.
  • Joe S Bateman
  • M Branum
    • Comments
    • Galveston must look to the future and build an infrastructure that is conducive to families and professionals. It is well documented the problems, crime, filth and general disregard of property maintentance in the low income housing areas. These areas are a fright to residents and visitors alike. We need sustainable residential areas that are an asset, not a blight, to the island.
  • Shane McDermott
  • Brad Hillman
  • Lee Wiederhold
  • Jennifer Marino
    • Comments
    • islander by choice
  • Alan Kamen
  • nancy wristers
  • Andre Jagot
  • JAMES WINDMILLER
  • Jennifer Anderson Head
    • Comments
    • No!
  • Susan Syler
  • Laura B
    • Comments
    • Why should anyone be given assistance who can work but chooses to live of the City, State and The Federal Government. I work hard and struggle daily. I barely make ends meet for my family. They live a cake walk life with free everything or drastically dropped housing rent. Why should this happen to an already hurting city with a hurting economy.
  • thomas hughes
  • Garrett Groce
  • ryan amis
  • Tim Dudley
    • Comments
    • We don't need more low income housing
  • Linda J Burton
    • Comments
    • We need to plant seeds of rebirth on Galveston Island. Not seed the Island with more and more Section 8 housing. That presents a no win for us all.
  • Brent Goodwin
    • Comments
    • Galveston is already on the brink of failure. Considering it is in a flood zone and the potential for future floods this becomes a tax burden. If the Land was used by someone that could build and develop it to withstand floods then it becomes tax income to city and no longer a city money pit. I understand low income housing needs but they would be better off in Texas City away from floods and future disasters like what occurred,
  • Bob Chapin
    • Comments
    • we can make this a destination for the poor and unemployed...or not
  • Tom Schwenk
    • Comments
    • IBC
  • Diane W. Weigle
  • steven creitz
    • Comments
    • enough already
  • Todd Anderson
  • Herbert Price
    • Comments
    • В
  • Jan Johnson
    • Comments
    • "Galveston Island Gal's" first book Walking Historic Galveston: A Guide to its Neighborhoods due out next week!! My contribution to the city's recovery . . .
  • Sharolyn Yates
  • Jason Waite
  • Robert Evans
    • Comments
    • I certainly understand the need for housing the disabled but the proposed increase in Public Housing for the island is much too large. Developments such as The Oaks are nice, but as we see, only a handful of those have been occupied. We don't need vacant housing developments to entice drug dealers, prostitution, etc. into our neighborhoods. Enough already!
  • Bill and Jackie Chalmers
  • Stephen Lanier
  • gregg ludwig
    • Comments
    • what is the goal for this island????? low income over taking and all visitors never returning schools closing and stores closing because the people with earned moneys will be moving off the island
  • Melissa Russell
    • Comments
    • please consider moving the public housing to the mainland or reducing the number on the island significantly.
  • DANNY PICKETT
    • Comments
    • Everyone knows that concentrated public housing projects invite crime and drugs. Enough already, this is our chance to reduce the public housing on the island. As it is, you can find a drug dealer on most every street. Why invite more?
  • Ellen Klimenko
    • Comments
    • All this would accomplish is the same old issues as before. Not forward thinking and rather self indulgent on GHA's part.
  • John F. White III
  • katina gulotta
    • Comments
    • no new projects!
  • jeff weaver
  • Gerri Mullican
    • Comments
    • This time is a great opportunity to make Galveston become the city it was always meant to be. We no longer need a heavy burden of an enormous amount of low income housing.