As the battle for affordable housing wages on in Houston, the city's workers union is putting pressure on Mayor John Whitmire to bring back laid-off Housing and Community Development Department staffers. Their potential rehiring is seen as a critical step in boosting the city's ability to tackle a growing housing affordability crisis that leaves a quarter of Houston renters spending more than half their income on housing, according to recent U.S. Census data.
However, the mayor faces additional environmental concerns. The Union's demands dovetail with State Rep. Christina Morales' recent call for Whitmire to halt a controversial affordable housing project due to toxicity fears. Morales cited the proximity of the development to a former Superfund site with lead contamination and areas with buried toxic incinerator ash. "Why would you continue building a structure when you don't know if it's safe for anybody to live in it?" Morales told FOX 26.
The call for staffing reinstatement comes after the previous administration discontinued a $60 million affordable housing program and laid off 40 employees, including all 16 members of a specialized division responsible for post-Harvey rapid housing construction. The union and former staff believe the layoffs have directly impeded progress on affordable housing, as stated in a Houston Chronicle report.
Last year, Whitmire garnered endorsements from several major labor groups and recognized affordable housing as a priority in his campaign. His current review of housing programs arrives amid union optimism for a potential shift in City Hall's work culture and responsive leadership. "He has asked me just recently to give him time and be patient because he is trying to work on all our issues…our communication is open, and it’s awesome for us because we’ve never had that kind of relationship with a mayor before," Sonia Rico, president of Houston's municipal workers union HOPE AFSCME Local 123, said according to the Houston Chronicle.
Despite clashes in vision with past administration, the union and affected workers remain hopeful. Whitmire's consequential first steps as mayor may set the precedent for how Houston handles both its critical need for affordable living spaces and the health and safety of its residents in environmentally compromised areas.
