Houston City Council delays vote on cancer cluster relocation funding for Fifth Ward residents

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston City Council opted to delay a vote on Wednesday that would give the Houston Land Bank $2 million to help move residents out of a deadly cancer cluster in the Fifth Ward.

In September, the city set aside $5 million to help residents move out of the site of industrial contamination. This meant the city would give 40% of the funds marked for relocation to the land bank, which acquires vacant abandoned or deteriorating (VAD) properties for community development.

"This community has been waiting for a very long time to have some type of relief," Councilmember Tarsha Jackson said.

Jackson, who represents the district, initially urged her colleagues to push the item through without delay. At-large Position 4 Councilmember Leticia Plummer, who has been active in the district, pitched the hold.

"This is not delaying anything. It's just this particular item is forming an actual agreement with the land bank," Plummer told Jackson. "The community doesn't understand what that looks like. We were promised in the previous administration that the community would actually have a sit-down meeting with the land bank. That they would have the opportunity to sit down with the land bank and understand what does that look like, what do my taxes look like, how much am I going to owe? All those details. Once we sign this contract it's going to be really difficult to go back and do that."

The agenda item offers few details but states that the land bank would serve as the master builder for residents that choose to relocate, and that they may purchase a home on the land bank's lot.

"My understanding is that the program is currently being built out. We are flying the plane. Building it while we fly it," Jackson said.

District D Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz supported Jackson's efforts to push the item through. She attempted to close debate but was voted down.

"Thirty days may mean nothing to you, but it means a lot to this community," Evans-Shabazz said.

The three residents ABC13 spoke with said they were all happy council opted to wait 30 days.

"You can't build a plane and fly it at the same time. I have never heard of that being a good solution," Sandra Edwards.

She told us that the lack of information made her suspicious. Her neighbors, Camryn Easley and Joetta Stevenson, agreed.

Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello, who is leading the relocation effort, said nine of the 42 households eligible for relocation have opted in. Edwards is currently opting out. As is Easley.

"That's like saying, 'I'm going to go bake her this cake, and it's going to be chocolate,'" Edwards said of the land bank agreement. "I'm allergic to chocolate, but you didn't ask me about it first. You're going to go bake this cake and bring it over here. You're hurting me because I'm allergic to the chocolate. Talk to me. Make some plans. When you make plans, include us in the plans. We can't trust you if you don't trust us to include us."

Council will revisit the matter on Feb. 7. In the interim, they plan to facilitate a meeting between the land bank and residents.

"You cannot throw money at something you have no plan for," At-Large Position 3 Councilmember Twila Carter said.

For more updates on this story, follow Shannon Ryan on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.