[Press Conference: "Community Housing Development Completion Highlights" (has open)]
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BEING A, BEING A PART OF TODAY'S RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR A CARING SAFE PLACE IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.THIS ORGANIZATION IS ONE OF THE TWO.
PARTICIPATING COMMUNITY, UH, IS ONE OF THE TWO PARTICIPATING, PARTICIPATING CHODOS IN THIS COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION EFFORT, BOTH THE CARING SAFE PLACE AND A CHANGE HAPPEN IS A NON OR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY DEVELOPING SINGLE FAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CITY GAS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CHODO PARTNERS, ALONG WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE HOUSTON LAND BANK, THE HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, MAYBERRY HOMES, DOMINION QUALITY HOMES, WELLS FARGO, AND MANY OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE HELPING MAKE HOME OWNERSHIP A REALITY FOR MANY FAMILIES AND HELP REVITALIZE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
TODAY, I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR LEADER TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT OUR HOUSING INITIATIVES, WHO ARE AND WHO IS LEADING THE EFFORT, ALONG WITH PROVIDING CLEAR DIRECTION IN UNCERTAIN TIMES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HE HAS SERVED THE CITY FOR 32 PLUS YEARS, AND IS ALWAYS THE CLEANEST DRESS MAN IN THE HOUSING BUSINESS.
OUR DIRECTOR, MR. KEITH, BY I TELL YOU, LIKE THE MAYOR TELLS ME YOU ALREADY GOT THE JOB, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
UH, WE STARTED THIS DEVELOPMENT, UH, THIS DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM BACK IN 2018, UH, AND WE NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD FINALLY GET TO THIS, TO THIS POINT.
SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK, UH, ALL OF, UH, THE MEMBERS OF MY TEAM WHO, UH, PERSEVERE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THE CITY CITY'S COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION IS BETTER KNOWN AS CHODOS, UH, TO DEVELOP AND MARKET AFFORDABLE, SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WITH NON-PROFIT DEVELOPERS USING A HUDS HOME FUNDING.
TO BECOME A CHOTO, A NONPROFIT DEVELOPER MUST DEMONSTRATE AND CONTRIBUTE INNOVATIVE IDEAS, CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S MISSION, TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE HOMES THAT THEY CAN AFFORD IN COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY CAN THRIVE.
TODAY, WE ARE CELEBRATING WITH OUR FIRST CHO DEVELOPER A CARING, SAFE PLACE.
Y'ALL NEED TO, Y'ALL, Y'ALL, Y'ALL DON'T KNOW.
Y'ALL NEED TO GIVE A CARING, SAFE PLACE.
STAN AND I GO BACK, STAN AND I GO, GO WAY BACK.
I MET STAN WHEN, UH, HE CREATED A TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE DEALING WITH, UH, AIDS AND HIV.
UH, I, I THINK EVERYONE IN THE CITY WAS VERY, WAS VERY NEW TO WHAT HOPPER STOOD FOR.
SO I LEARNED MORE ABOUT HOPPER AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT, UH, THAT DISEASE AND THAT PROCESS WAS WORKING.
I LEARNED MORE FROM HIM ON A COUPLE OF VISITS THAT I MADE WITH HIM, AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, EXCELLENT FRIENDS AND GOOD FRIENDS, AND WE'VE HELPED DO A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL TRANSITIONAL HOUSING SINCE THEN.
SO, I WANT TO THANK STAN FOR ALL THAT HE'S DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THINK OF THE IMPACT OF THESE HOMES WILL SOON MAKE ON YOUNG LIVES, YOUNG COUPLES, UH, NEW FAMILIES, FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS, RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES OR SENIORS SETTLING AND AGING INTO RETIREMENT.
THIS IS A NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
OF COURSE, OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE NOT OURS ALONE.
IT TAKES A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AS WE HAVE, UH, HAD WITH, UH, REVEREND PHIL AND OF COURSE, GREAT LEADERSHIP.
FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, OUR GREAT CITY HAS BENEFITED FROM GREAT LEADERSHIP.
OUR LEADER DEDICATED TO GREATNESS IS MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
THE MAYOR SAW A NEED FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN HOUSTON AND REMAINS FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT, UH, THAT WE DO JUST THAT, DELIVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO TODAY, UH, LET ME INTRODUCE OUR GREAT LEADER, THE LEADER OF THE GREATEST CITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
LET ME BRING ON THE GREATEST MAYOR, AND I'VE SERVED SIX, SO I KNOW HIM.
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TURNER.AND I'M GONNA SAY TO DIRECTOR BIDEN AND WHAT HE JUST SAID TO CEDRIC, YOU ALREADY GOT THE JOB.
LOOK, UH, I, I CERTAINLY, UH, APPRECIATE, UM, UH, THOSE GRACIOUS REMARKS AND, AND THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR BY THEM.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO DIRECTOR KEITH BY, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I WANNA START OFF, UH, I, I KNOW WE IN DISTRICT B IN
UM, BUT EVEN IN HER ABSENCE, I WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER LEADERSHIP.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO COUNCIL MEMBER ASHA JACKSON.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS OF DISTRICT F, WHOSE WORK WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING TODAY HAPPEN.
SHE CHAIRS THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCILMAN CHAIRMAN FOR THE LAST THREE, THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP FROM THE A LEAVE AREA COUNCIL MEMBER, DEPUTY THOMAS.
AND THEN AS DIRECTOR BYMAN SAID, WE ARE HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY WITH REVEREND STANLEY FIELD, UH, AND HIS LOVELY WIFE AND MAYBERRY HOMES FOR TODAY'S MILESTONE EVENTS.
AND, UH, REVEREND LESLIE SMITH IS ALSO PRESIDENT, SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO ALL OF THESE HOME BUILDERS.
SHARON MAYBERRY AND THE MAYBERRY HOME TEAM THROUGH THE YEARS, UH, HAVE MADE IT THEIR MISSION TO REVITALIZE, UH, THE HEARTS OF HOUSTON ONE HOME AT A TIME BY TAKING QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, NEW HOMES FOR HOUSTONIANS.
AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTONIANS.
ABOUT A WEEK AGO, WE WERE WITH REVEREND LESLIE SMITH ON HIS BOW, UH, FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND THEN ALONG WITH ALL OF THESE BUILDERS, UH, THEY ARE BUILDING HOMES, UH, ON, IN THIS AREA, RE HOME AREA.
BUT, UH, I ESPECIALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE ARE DOING IN SET GAS BECAUSE THIS IS AN AREA IN NEED OF DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SO, UH, UH, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE HERE.
I'M JUST VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE, UH, WE, UH, WE ARE HERE.
I SAID TO, UH, TO, TO DIRECTOR BY, WE NEED TO DO EVEN MORE IN TERMS OF BUILDING, UH, IN THE CITY GAS AREA, ALONG WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
SO, THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR MAKING TODAY, UH, POSSIBLE.
YEAH, LOOK, WE HAVE A GOAL OF TRYING TO BUILD, OF JUST TRYING, OF BUILDING 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UH, BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
MY TERM ENDS ON DECEMBER 31ST AT 1159.
YEAH,
SO
AND SO WE, UH, THE GOAL IS TO BUILD 3000 SENIOR FAMILY HOUSES, OR AT LEAST TO GET THEM STARTED, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
WHAT WE ARE DOING, WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY IS MOVING US CLOSER TO ACHIEVING THAT GOAL.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS ALREADY MADE GREAT STRIDES TO IMPROVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IN HOUSTON THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, THE CHODO, UH, CHODO PROGRAM, THE CITY WAS ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE NEARLY $2.3 MILLION IN HOME FUNDS TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 10 AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE SET OF GAS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF HOUSTON'S BEST QUALITIES IS ITS DIVERSITY, BUT WITH DIVERSITY COMES CHALLENGES.
CHALLENGES SUCH AS ENSURING EVERYONE HAS AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME.
AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
UH, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE VOWED TO INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVENTORY IN OUR CITY.
AND DO YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT IN, IN MANY WAYS FOR A, FOR OWNING A HOME IS LESS THAN RENTING ONE? YEAH.
AND ONE WAY OF KEEPING THAT HAPPEN IS MAKING THAT HAPPEN, IS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE PRODUCTS IN OUR CITY.
TO BE SPECIFIC, UH, OUR GOAL TO ADD 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UH, UH, AND TODAY WE ARE 10 CLOSER TO OUR 3000 SINGLE FAMILY GOAL.
AND AS WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE HAVE MADE THAT GOAL A REALITY, WE HAVE BROKEN GROUND, CUT THE RIBBONS FOR BEGIN THE DESIGN PROCESS ON THESE HOMES AND UNITS.
WE'RE ALSO CREATING RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES, UH, 7,000 TO BE EXACT THROUGHOUT A MULTI-FAMILY PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THAT NOT ALL HOUSTONIANS WANT TO LIVE IN AN APARTMENT COMMUNITY.
SOME WANT THE SATISFACTION OF DRIVING UP TO THEIR GARAGE AND HAVING A YARD FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND PE THEIR PLAY IN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, PEOPLE WANNA BE ABLE TO OWN THEIR HOME
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AND THE LAND UNDERNEATH THEIR HOME, AND WE WANNA MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THAT TO OCCUR.AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S THE WAY YOU KEEP ALIVE.
COMMUNITIES LIKE CGA, THEY WANT TO FEEL PROUD OF THAT SPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF OWNING A HOME.
AND SADLY, MANY HEARTBROKEN, HOUSTONIANS AND OFF ARE OFTEN DEPRIVED OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.
HOWEVER, THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS LIKE WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS, WE CAN MAKE THE DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP A REALITY.
AND SO WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR CHOTO DEVELOPERS AND THE HOUSTON LAND BANK.
I SEE CRYSTAL STONEHAM THAT'S RIGHT HERE FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT HOUSTONIANS ON THEIR HOME BUYING JOURNEY.
LASTLY, TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MANY HOUSTONIANS.
SO I WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK DIRECTOR BYNUM.
HE IS, YOU KNOW, THE BEST DRESSED, YOU KNOW, WELL, WELL COORDINATED, COLOR COORDINATED, TY AND ALL OF THAT.
AND THE STAFF, THE HOUSTON HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF.
I WANT TO THANK, WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM, ESPECIALLY THE SINGLE FAMILY PROGRAM AND THE LEADERSHIP OF CEDRIC LASAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK TO MAKE TODAY HAPPEN.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AS WE WORK TO GET TO THE, THAT GOAL OF BUILDING 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING OUT HERE.
THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT IN THE CITY,
LET, LEMME TURN IT BACK TO NO, TIFFANY THOMAS.
SHE SAID THE WEST SIDE IS THE, THE BEST SIDE.
I KNOW, BUT I KNOW I'M ON THE NORTH SIDE.
SO, AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU, UH, I'M ON THE WEST SIDE AND IT TAKES A WHOLE LOT FOR ME TO LEAD A BELTWAY.
SO, UH, BECAUSE I LEFT THE BELTWAY, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, MAYOR TURNER KNOWS THAT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HOME OWNERSHIP.
I RECALL MY OWN STORY WHEN I PURCHASED MY FIR FIRST HOME IN THE COMMUNITY OF MY CHOICE.
SO AS I LOOK TO MY LEFT AND I SEE MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND I SEE THE NEW DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING, UM, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THAT PRIDE IS.
UM, I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, HAVING NONPROFIT AND CHODOS DO THIS WORK, IT'S INSTRUMENTAL.
OFTENTIMES DEVELOPERS GET A REALLY BAD NAME AND THERE'S A BAD NARRATIVE AROUND DEVELOPERS COMING INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT TAKE PRIDE IN COMING BACK, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A STORY TO THIS COMMUNITY, THEY UNDERSTAND, UH, THE PEOPLE, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES.
UH, IT, IT MAKES THIS TYPE OF WORK ULTRA SPECIAL.
MOST OF MOST OF THE THANK YOUS HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
I WANNA ECHO ALL OF THE WORK WORDS OF, UH, OUR MAYOR, MY OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, COLLEAGUE WHO'S NOT HERE.
AND LET ME JUST AS AN ASIDE SHARE, SHE IS ACTIVELY FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT B.
THAT'S, GO AHEAD AND GIVE HER A CLAP FOR THAT.
SHE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL HAVE NOT JUST AFFORDABILITY, BUT YOU HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND OPTIONS.
SO YOU CAN LOVE SET GAS, THE FOFO, ALL OF ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
BUT IF YOU'RE, BUT YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN CYPRUS, WE WANT YOU TO COME BACK TO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, RIGHT? WE WANNA CREATE PATHWAYS WHERE YOU CAN AFFORD AND HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND GET THE GROCERY STORES AND HAVE THE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE SO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES CAN FEEL SAFE.
I THINK ALL OF YOU FOR ALL OF THIS, UH, TODAY, I THINK THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK, UH, MAYOR TURNER APPOINTED ME IN 2020, AND WHEN HE APPOINTED ME AS CHAIR, I SAID, WELL, WHAT I DO TO HIM, WHY WOULD HE DO THAT TO ME? UH, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WE HAD FIRST INHERITED OUR, OUR FIRST AMOUNT OF, UH, HARVEY DOLLARS.
UM, BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE DONE AN AMAZING WORK AND A LOT OF THAT AMAZING WORK HAS HAPPENED AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
SO I DEFINITELY WANNA BIG UP THE, THE, THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ALL OF YOUR NAMES, BUT WE KNOW ALL OF YOUR WORK BECAUSE OF THE PRODUCT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE TODAY.
UM, IT'S MY HONOR AND PLEASURE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, BUT I'M READY FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING IN THE HOUSE TOUR.
SO, UM, I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M READY FOR.
UM, SO MAYOR, I TURN IF THERE'S ANY, ANYTHING ELSE, MR. SAIN? THANK YOU MUCH.
UM, I WANT TO BRING UP MR. STANFIELD, UM, WHO HAS CREATED THESE BEAUTIFUL HOMES OUT HERE AND ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MENTION PJ FROM COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, JACKSON'S OFFICE IS HERE, UH, ON HER BEHALF.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, UH, COMING, UH, MAYOR, UH, TURNER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, DIRECTOR BYNUM, UH, CEDRIC SAIN, UM, ALL OF YOU ALL THAT ARE HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, REPRESENTATIVES, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, ALL THE REALTORS, OUR REALTORS.
I HAVE SEVERAL STAFF MEMBERS FROM A CARING SAFE PLACE THAT ARE HERE.
IF Y'ALL WOULD JUST WAVE YOUR HANDS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, A LADY THAT I CALL MOTHER PATSY HERE.
WE HAVE OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER HERE THAT HANDLES ALL OF OUR MONEY.
WE HAVE OUR COO HERE AND WE HAVE A COO THAT'S STEPPING INTO THAT POSITION, EFFECTIVE JUNE 1ST,
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WHICH IS NONE OTHER THAN MISS STEPHANIE FIELD.JUST RECENTLY FINISHED UP HER MASTERS AND READY TO GO.
I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY, WON'T HOLD YOU LONG.
I, UH, STARTED DOWN AT BETTER LIFE, UH, IN TWO THOU.
JUNE 26TH, 2000, UH, I'M SORRY, OF UH, 96.
AND, UH, WE STARTED HIV PROGRAM.
I WAS THEIR FIRST 5 0 1 C3 EMPLOYEE.
AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THERE WAS NO, NO PARAMEDICS COMING.
AND SO WE, UH, STARTED TESTING INDIVIDUALS FOR HIV AND SYPHILIS AND CHLAMYDIA.
AND FAST FORWARD TWO YEARS LATER, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE POSITIVE, BUT THEY HAD NOWHERE TO STAY.
I'M THE GUY THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OCCASION IS, BUT RISE TO IT, MAYOR.
AND, UM, PASTOR WOODY WASN'T READY TO DO HOUSING AT THE TIME.
THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO I RESIGNED, MET PASTOR STAGGERS, MOVED IN A RANCH STYLE HOUSE IN, UH, FIFTH WARD.
THEY SAID, WHY YOU GOING TO FIFTH WARD? I SAID, WELL, IT'S A HOUSE OUT THERE.
THEY SAID, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? DO YOU HAVE THE MONEY OPERATE? I SAY, NO, BUT I'M GONNA MOVE IN.
AND SO FOLK THOUGHT I'D LOST MY MIND.
YEAH, I MOVED IN, WAS IN SEMINARY AT THE TIME, UH, AND, UH, MOVED IN THE BUILDING, BOUGHT BOX, BOX SPRINGS AT ONE PLACE, MATTRESSES AT ANOTHER.
AND THE VERY PEOPLE THAT I TESTED DOWNTOWN THAT HAD NOWHERE TO GO, I WENT BACK DOWNTOWN AND SAID, HEY MAN, I GOT A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN LIVE.
I SAID, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU HAVE SOME HOPE, COME ON.
WE STARTED, UH, WORKING ON THE PROGRAMMATIC SIDE, MR. BYNUM.
A YEAR, ABOUT ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER, WE GOT OUR FIRST $40,000 GRANT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER, UH, I HAD AN AUDIT THAT WAS DUE.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN CAME IN, BIG TALL GUY, LOOKED VERY SERIOUS, CAME IN TO LOOK AT OUR STUFF AT THE TIME.
AND, UH, IT WAS MR. BYNUM LOOKING VERY SERIOUS.
I SAW THE CITY CUS SAYING, MAN, WHAT HAVE WE GOTTEN? WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO? BUT IT TURNS OUT, UH, MY ACCOUNTANT TOOK CARE OF ALL OF OUR, OUR FINANCES.
WE DID ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? EFFECTIVELY, A YEAR LATER, WE GOT ANOTHER GRANT.
FAST FORWARD 2006, WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE IN THE FRONT, THE HOUSE IN THE BACK AND BUILT A $1.3 MILLION TRANSITIONAL FIRST CLASS STATE OF THE ART TRANSITIONAL LIVING FACILITY IN THE HEART OF FIFTH WARD.
THEY SAID IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE.
I BELIEVE THAT YOUR INTEGRITY WILL GET YOU WHERE YOUR ABILITY CANNOT.
AND SO I WAS ABLE TO BE THE, UH, DEVELOP ON THAT PROJECT, FIRST PROJECT ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET.
WATCH THIS WITH NOT ONE CHANGE ORDER ON THAT PROJECT.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE, WE, WE DID WELL WITH THAT, UH, LOW RISK ODD FOR THOSE YEARS.
WE WERE ABLE IN 2012 TO BILL A 15 UNIT, FIRST CLASS APARTMENT COMPLEX.
ABOUT A, ABOUT A MILE AND A HALF DOWN THE STREET.
$2.4 MILLION HAD ONE CHANGE ORDER UNDER MY WATCH BECAUSE WE HAD TO GO UNDER THE FOUNDATION.
IT WAS A LITTLE DAMPEN UNDER THERE, BRING IN SOME CLAY DIRT, SAYING ALL THAT TO SAY THAT WHATEVER THE OCCASIONS WERE, WE ROSE TO THEM.
THOSE VERY PEOPLE THAT MOVED IN THOSE FACILITIES STARTED BUYING HOUSES.
THEY STARTED GETTING THEIR LIFE TOGETHER.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE WE ALL TEST POSITIVE FOR SOMETHING, SOMETHING.
AND, AND, AND SO WE STARTED MOVING FORWARD.
I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A, A DISPARITY IN HOUSING.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THE INTEGRITY THAT WE HAD ALONG WITH THE CITY, WE BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST CHODOS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, IN ALMOST 25 YEARS, WE'VE NOT HAD ONE FINDING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I BELIEVE OUR FISCAL INTEGRITY SPEAKS DIRECTLY FOR US.
AND SO IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THIS FLYER RIGHT HERE THAT I PASSED OUT, UH, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT, JUST REAL BRIEF ABOUT THE CHOTO SINGLE FAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WEAR A SUIT TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE IN WORK MODE.
IT IS TIME TO BUILD SOME HOUSES.
ONE THING I REALIZED, AND THIS MAY SOUND COMICAL, BUT IF THE MAYOR GOT HEARTBURN, KEEP BUYING THEM AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, CEDRIC HAS, UH, INDIGESTION, THAT MEANS THAT I HAVE A UPSET STOMACH.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? I MEAN THAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON, IF HE'S NOT HAPPY, IF HE HAS A PROBLEM, THEN I HAVE A PROBLEM.
WE OUGHT TO BUILD SOME HOUSES.
WE BUILT THESE HOUSES UNDER THE, THE LEADERSHIP OF A FRIEND, UH, SHARON MAYBERRY.
AND THIS GENTLEMAN DESERVES A HAND.
SO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, HE DESERVES A HAND.
UM, I, I, I, THE WHOLE TEAM DESERVES A HAND BECAUSE ONE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THE MAYOR.
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YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY BEEN SUCH A BLESSING TO US.AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FLYER, IT SAYS THAT A CARING STATE PLACE IS CITY OF HOUSTON CHOTO, UH, DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE NEXT SIX HOUSES THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD ON, UH, ON ANGER STREET.
SO IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THIS, UH, IT TALKS ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T REALLY WANNA HOLD YOU TOO MUCH LONGER, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
I THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN US DIRECTOR BYNUM.
UH, CEDRIC LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THERE'S A LADY OUT HERE THAT HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR 25 YEARS.
SHE'S BEEN MY WIFE FOR 25 YEARS IN FEBRUARY.
NONE OTHER THAN MY OWN STEPHANIE FIELD.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF DAUGHTERS OUT HERE, SAMIA AND, AND, AND, AND, AND ASHLAND IS OUT HERE.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE THANK YOU.
I WANT TO TRY TO GIVE SOME TIME BACK.