Dear Editor,

I am elated that the Board of the Louisiana Housing Corporation has chosen to invest in adequate housing in the Cypress Point RAD project which includes Redmond Heights and Oakhill Projects.

Upon inquiries and advocating for profoundness of this long coming news on the Housing Grants projects in District A, I acknowledge receipt from Bogalusa Housing Authority and from Louisiana Housing Corporation. Louisiana Housing Corp New release dated June 13th was received announcing awards for the 2017 Restore Community Development BIock Grant (“CDBG”) Flood Piggyback Notice of Funding Availability to certain residential rental facilities that funded projects from around the state. Unfortunately, in 2017 these projects were unfunded and historically there were consideration by some to demolish these housing units.

Adequate housing is of great importance. Case studies and research has shown that while housing has long been neglected, it is vital to invest in housing in order to implement successful development of our citizens lives. “Producing multiple benefits by in vesting in housing: The role of housing in poverty eradication projects is potentially significant because of the range and number of benefits that such investment can support. Community led housing initiatives have led to improvements in health, children’s development, safety, education, household income and the capacity of communities to work in partnership with local authorities.

In most cases these initiatives, when managed at local level, have also proved highly cost effective. A new study published in the Journal of Developmental Psychology looks at the relationship between housing characteristics and the well-being of low income children. The results reveal that housing quality was the most consistent and strongest predictor of a child’s well-being. Five housing characteristics were analyzed in this study: physical quality, residential stability, ownership, affordability, and receiving a housing subsidy. The public health community has grown increasingly aware of the importance of social determinants of health (including housing).

We as a community are to recognize that substandard housing is an important social justice issue that adversely influences all areas in our lives.

The Bogalusa Housing Authority Board and Bogalusa Housing Authority Administration and staff are to be commended for their hard work and endured diligence in seeking and successfully obtaining quality housing throughout Bogalusa. Congratulations to you all.

Gloria Kates

Bogalusa City Council, District A