Statement of Bishop Sean O’Malley on Public Housing, September 10, 2001

Over the past six months Catholic Social Services in Fall River has seen a 40% increase in families and individuals requesting services because they are homeless or because their homelessness is imminent. We have also found that of 550 families seeking assistance, the majority was spending over 50% of their income on housing. With the rising costs of rental properties, the situation is bound to grow worse. More and more families forced to look to public housing find themselves on long waiting lists.

At a time of such a shortage of housing for the poor, the razing of Watuppa Heights is ill advised.  The fact that there are funds available ($9 million) to renovate these homes is another reason not to reduce the available housing stock. Public housing provides permanently affordable housing for low-income families no matter what happens to the economy or the availability of subsidized housing. In fact, the rising rents and property values in our area make public housing more crucial than ever.

The concerns of local leaders about other communities not caring for their own citizens are well founded. No one should be forced to leave their local communities to be exiled to the other side of the state, far from family, friends and familiar surroundings. We desperately need legislation to prevent this. It is wrong to move families away from their support systems that can assist them in time of crisis. These families need schools that are familiar to the children, doctors who know the family's medical condition, and relatives and friends who might lend emotional support and child care that could allow parents to continue working or find work.

On the other hand we want to be a community that is open to those who desire to make Fall River their home. In the past it was Irish, French-Canadian and Portuguese immigrants who struggled to establish themselves in this part of the state. Many times it was a painful process. Now there are other ethnic groups finding their way to our fair city, often they are people of color: Asian-. Hispanic— and African-Americans. We do not want to pull in the welcome mat because "they are different." Given our history as a city of immigrants, we should be able to empathize with the new arrivals.

Public housing needs to reflect the social consciousness of a community; accordingly it must be well maintained, well policed, and well administered. Residents whose conduct is inappropriate should be removed so that a safe, crime-free environment is maintained for the families who live there.

I urge our mayor and public officials to work to bring about legislation that would prevent cities from shirking their responsibilities by shipping their poor to other venues. At the same time I appeal to the whole community to make Fall River an example of a city that welcomes those who want to make their home here, be they rich or poor, Black or White. Rather than destroy Watuppa Heights, our task should be to make it the finest public housing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.