Photo: TxLIHIS
Residents work to improve public housing
In 1995 the Texas Legislature directed all public housing authorities to place a resident on their boards of commissioners. This led to an increase in resident involvement in the management of public housing.

Hundreds of volunteer “public housing residents’ councils” have been formed across Texas.

Public housing residents led by Ms. Tillie Baylor (left) have taken over management of the George Loving Development housing development in Dallas.
Residents patrol the housing development and elect block captains. Residents have eliminated many of the drug problems by holding family problem hearings. If a child has problems with drugs, then the resident board informs the parent of the problem and works with the parent solve the problem. Residents solving problems in their own community is the priority of public housing resident leaders.
Photo: Patricia Moore
This public housing resident put her three children through college while a resident of Allen Parkway public housing in Houston.
Remedying past injustices with new desegregated public housing
Photo: TxLIHIS
A landmark court victory led to the construcion of this public housing developoment in an upper middle class neighborhood in Dallas
Tired of living in segregated communities amidst environmental hazards a group of public housing residents sued the Dallas Housing Authority and the City of Dallas.

After years of struggle over a court ordered desegregation plan, the Dallas Housing Authority built a 74 unit public housing development in an upper middle class area in North Dallas. Despite the initial concerns of neighbors, the development is now recognized to be a high quality residential community.