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Brevard Ebony News

Thursday
Mar 11th
Home arrow The News arrow Cocoa housing projects set for demolition Monday
Cocoa housing projects set for demolition Monday Print E-mail
Tuesday, 09 December 2008

More families displaced; new houses stalled due to economy

For the Ebony News

COCOA, FLA. – More Cocoa housing projects are scheduled for demolition Monday morning, further displacing residents, many single mothers and children, in an attempt to build single family homes during a deteriorating economy.
 
Under pressure from city officials, the city of Cocoa Housing Authority has agreed to tear down 29 buildings after a planned housing project stalled because of economic hardship. Area residents say tearing down additional housing is unnecessary if there are no dollars or developers to build single family homes for first-time home buyers.

Within the last two years, nearly 100 predominantly black families, including single mothers and children, were displaced from the Cocoa housing projects to pave the way for the Magnolia Pointe subdivision, which has stopped because of funding problems and money mismanagement. No houses have been built and the area resembles a wasteland at Fiske Boulevard and Stone Street.
 
Despite the project’s funding problems, people are suffering and were provide housing vouchers that lasted only a year. Many of those individuals are now homeless, according to a county housing official.
 
``It’s important to provide housing for people and include them as part of the city’s overall growth plan,’’ said Oliver Muhammad, president of the Concerned Citizens Association. ``Cocoa is their home as well. We're in the winter months. There is no need to displace additional people.’’
 
The city of Cocoa Housing Authority Board asked the city to partner with them to build single family homes. City officials say they are reluctant to do so because of past funding problems with the authority. Instead, the city would like housing to sell the properties to them. However, housing officials are reluctant because the lots more than likely would not be sold to first-time home buyers.
 
During a recent special housing meeting, city council members say area residents are concerned about the demolished areas and want to see houses built. Concerned citizens say they find that hard to believe in these economic times when people are understanding of the times. Officials20also have argued that crime has occurred in the project areas.

``But, everyone in the projects, including the elderly and single mothers, are not doing drugs or crimes,’’ Muhammad said. ``Also, if there is no funding for construction, the city should do the right thing and help the people instead of watching them be displaced.’’

Concerned Citizens argued that the project was not beneficial to the community and that the project housing should be sold to residents including elderly men and women. This option has been taken by housing authorities throughout the nation. Residents could not afford the new houses, which were sold at m ore than $80,000.
 
Few houses have been sold due to the economy.  Housing authority official Ron Sellers had stated residents would be strongly considered for the sales, but citizens argued that the price ranges were too high.
 
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