The
Richmond Tenant Organization (RTO)
The Richmond Tenant Organization is comprised of the following members representing the
following communities:
MARILYN OLDS
President
Creighton Court PATRICE SHELTON
Vice President
Hillside Court PATRICIA WILLIFORD Treasurer
Mosby Court ANNIE MAHDEE
Secretary
Gilpin Court DYANNE BROIDY
Member
Fairfield Court
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The Richmond Tenant Organization (RTO) represents the thousands of families living in public housing communities managed by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA). We speak for those whose voices often go unheard or ignored. The recent news surrounding the infrastructure funding of Creighton Court is of great concern.
The City of Richmond made a commitment to fund the infrastructure of the new Creighton Court Development. This funding request was not a surprise. City officials sitting around the budget table were well aware of the amount that RRHA was asking for. They were not unclear about what was needed. RRHA requested a mere .4 percent of their total budget for this project. This critical piece is necessary for this project to be successful. The city must step up. As other cities nationwide have learned, local government support is vital to the successful revitalization of public housing. In order for meaningful change to take place, everyone must do their part. We are simply calling on the city to honor their commitment.
This project began MORE THAN A DECADE ago and has been suffering from fits and starts ever since. Many of the people that started in this process are no longer involved and have moved on. And yet, the families that live in public housing are still here. We are still here. This is heart wrenching to the families who are looking forward to this project moving forward. Even those who do not live in the Creighton community, but live in other RRHA public housing communities look at Creighton as a beacon of light, a beginning for what will eventually take place in their own communities.
All of Richmond’s public housing is obsolete and needs to be transformed. This is not an opinion. This sentiment is underscored by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD’s current model encourages a mixed-use, mixed-income development. This is a strategy that benefits not only the families living in public housing but also the Richmond community, at large.
We, the RTO, are asking for the city to do what they said they would do. No excuses. Provide the infrastructure funding for Creighton Court. Our public housing families need this. Richmond needs this.
