April 1st, 2009 by Reed Allmand 
According to an article in the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Housing Authority has received $8.8 million to use for public housing as part of the Obama administration stimulus package. The agency plans to use the funds to replace roofs, upgrade security lights, resurface parking lots and replace carpets in many public housing properties. The Dallas Housing Authority which owns and manages 3,900 units at 27 locations also plans to use the stimulus money within 3 years to complete a number of significant projects and finish them sooner than initially planned.
As the number of foreclosures rise in Dallas-Fort Worth many residents are finding themselves looking at public housing options, including Section 8 subsidies just to keep a roof over their head. This additional stimulus money is just what we need to make sure that those depending on public housing are able to live safely and with dignity as they struggle to overcome financial difficulties. The new administration may even want to consider converting into public housing some of the foreclosures that have been on the market for an extended period time. This option may not be popular with those in the banking/mortgage industry, but it would help to fight blight, homelessness and alleviate the affordable housing shortage all in one swoop.
About Reed Allmand
Allmand's vision is rooted in his own financially precarious childhood in Abilene "My father always had difficulty holding a job and supporting our family, so after my parents divorced when I was 12, my sister and I got jobs to help make ends meet," he recalls. "I remember what it felt like as a child to worry that our car would be repossessed or home foreclosed on."
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