Public housing sure isn't what it used to be!

 

They had a big celebration and ribbon-cutting for the Dallas Housing Authority's Roseland housing project recently. It cost $100 million for 85 units. If I count my zeroes correctly, that comes out to $1,176,470.59 per unit. The units have wood floors, crown molding, and large windows with picturesque views.

 

Terdema Ussery, chairman of the DHA board, said he hopes the nicer apartments and homes will make the community more accepting of "low-income" housing. Low-income housing at more than a million dollars a pop? Ussery continued, "People have ancient stereotypes, but everybody wants the same thing. They want safe homes, good education and nice neighborhoods." I think back to what Abraham Lincoln once said: "Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built."

 

Yes, some of us pay for our own. And if you want to see what low-income housing does for a neighborhood, just drive through some of the old neighborhoods that were once nicely kept but are now full of Section 8 houses and drug dealers.

 

I can agree with one of the tenants, though. Flora Daniels says, "Oh, how it's changed!" Amen, Flora!

 

"It's a whole new day here." The Dallas Morning News; May 31, 2013; p. 1A.