The News-Press covers 33919 United opposition to the Horizon conversion with the article Neighbors say apartments a threat by Rachel Revehl33919 United
August 24, 2011
Response to the August 23, 2011 News Press Article, “Neighbors say apartments a threat” by Rachel Revehl.
General observations:
- The Horizons Apartments aren't "near" the school, they are directly next to the school and within the school safety zone of 500 ft.
- Only "public housing" is mentioned, not the fact that the conversion is to 100% low-income housing. This is an important distinction because there are several types of Public Housing.
- The HACFM has been talking about a police sub-station since April - where is it?
- Where are the additional lighting and fencing Goodson mentions?
- Background checks are not a cure-all: the Sabal Palm shooters didn't live there, and the shootings and assaults persist anyway. Police sub-stations don’t stop bullets or prevent drive-by shootings like that which occurred at Palmetto Court 2 years ago.
- Regarding Horizons in the past, Marcus Goodson says he "never had a problem." That's because the complex was 80% market-rate, which means that 80% of the apartments were rented to the general public at full market price. The remaining apartments were rented to Section 8 recipients (Section 8 is not considered low-income housing). Goodson repeatedly makes this unfair and meaningless comparison.
- Goodson maintains that all the HACFM's apartments are safe and that our communities’ fears are unfounded.
For more data, please visit fmpolice.com and click on the crime map, set it for 30 days see how safe HACFM housing and the surrounding communities are.
- According to Google maps it appears there is only 1 school (Lee Charter Academy) anywhere near HACFM housing (Sabal Palm Apartments) and it is not directly adjacent as is Horizons to Tanglewood Elementary. Thus, Goodson's claim that Sabal Palm, Palmetto Court and Southward Village are all near schools appears unfounded. This is likely why he has never received a call from a "concerned principal." Moreover, 19 shots were fired so far this year at HACFM low-income housing, but according to Goodson's logic, because none of the bullets hit a child at a (supposedly) "nearby" school, the "schools" (and HACFM low-income housing) are therefore proven safe. Never-mind that five shooters opened fire in Sabal Palm's parking lot 3 months ago and bullets struck 2 children. Would the parents of these 2 children say our concerns are unfounded?
- If HACFM low-income housing is safe, why the need for additional police patrols?
- If Horizons will be safe, why the need for a police sub-station?
HACFM low-income housing is not safe.
In May, 2 children (two and five years old) were shot while caught in the crossfire of a shootout at Sabal Palm apartments, a low-income housing project managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Ft Myers (HACFM), and less than 2 years ago a man was shot and killed there in front of a school bus containing his 2 children. In March a passing car with a baby inside was hit by the crossfire of a shootout. At Palmetto Court, another HACFM property, a man was shot this past February, and a drive-by shooting occurred there 2 years ago. In 2009 a man was shot at Southward Village, the third low-income site managed by the HACFM. These are not isolated incidents.
The most disturbing thing about this article is that HACFM Executive Director Marcus Goodson seems oblivious to the fact that violent crime plagues all of the existing low-income housing under his supervision; and as such it follows that he is not actively doing anything to stop it. Visit our website, 33919united.com and watch the 3 videos on the homepage, particularly the first one - where residents of Sabal Palm Apartments say they are sick and tired of fearing for their lives and want something done about the gun violence and chaos.
HACFM double-talk:
- Mr. Goodson’s reaction when challenged is to talk as much as possible without directly addressing the issues he has been presented with. Witness the HACFM’s meandering 7 page damage-control response to this story, where the core issue of documented violent crime plaguing HACFM low-income public housing continues to be avoided. Of course, no matter how much talking the HACFM do, the legacy of gun violence and crime is not going to disappear.
- Each time we solicited Chairman Scott's assistance, we pointed to the documented crime at all existing HACFM low income properties and related how there was no reason to believe it will be any different at Horizons. For him to say that he is "troubled" by the "assumption" that there will be a "problem" is ridiculous. He is behaving as if the history of HACFM project crime does not exist.
- Furthermore, Mr. Scott's statement, "but just to assume that because certain people will be living in close proximity that there will be a problem, I find that hard to take" has nothing to do with reality. Never has anyone, except Scott himself in this article , alluded to any demographic characteristic of Public Housing residents. As such, Scott has attempted to portray our opposition as founded upon bigotry. In other words, he can't deny the facts so he attacks those presenting them.
Unfortunately, the few advocates of the project that we have encountered all base their argument on a defense of the "concept" of Public Housing; conveniently overlooking its real-world implementation and consequences here in Ft Myers, Florida, as owned and operated by the Fort Myers Housing Authority. As such, we argue our position armed with facts , yet proponents defend the action with platitudes and inanities. For them, the crime doesn't exist; they refuse to acknowledge it – because their position would be untenable otherwise.
Tanglewood Elementary School versus HACFM convenience:
The fate of Tanglewood Elementary is at question; however the HACFM enjoys tremendous funding and many other options available to it for housing development. Therefore, divesting itself of the Horizons property would not significantly hamper the HACFM’s initiative, but would most certainly preserve the integrity of Tanglewood School.
Who are you going to believe: Me, or your lying eyes?
In the article, Goodson and Scott both side-step the documented history of violent crime at HACFM low-income housing (where 2 children were shot just this past May, a man was fatally shot in February; a man was executed and a drive by shooting occurred 2 years ago) yet somehow still expect people to accept that the conversion is safe in the face of these facts.
How could anyone see fit to ask of others that they ignore a track record of violent crime associated with a new project destined for their community and urge them to accept it?
Responsibility:
Ultimately, if we do not someday face this issue of crime plaguing low-income housing in Ft Myers, it will never be safe.
It is our opinion that the HACFM needs to acknowledge, recognize and address the chronic violent crime plaguing each of the low-income projects under its supervision. The same goes for Mr. Scott and the Lee County School Board with regard to its refusal to acknowledge the potential threat to Tanglewood Elementary as posed by the HACFM and its pending Horizons conversion. Both these organizations effect great influence upon our communities, and all of us, including those in need of safe public housing and a safe education, deserve and are entitled to much more responsible social leadership.
