DAVENPORT, Iowa — Davenport residents are asking for federal assistance over what they say are continued housing issues.
The Quad Cities Tenant Alliance and Quad Cities Interfaith hosted a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Zion Lutheran Church to ask the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for greater assistance.
Several people complained about the collapsed apartment on 324 Main Street, citing it as a key example of this need for assistance. "Our lives changed in May when I went to the store and my 12-year-old called me to say 'Mom, the ceiling fell in,'" Elisha McGowan said. "I was in shock and very scared."
Residents and non-profit organizations said Davenport's housing problems go beyond that situation. "With the rental shortage, my kids and I are homeless and apart from each other every single day," McGowan said.
"The housing crisis in the Quad Cities is not something that is new by any means ... but now is the time that we really need the government intervention and everybody coming together before it gets worse," Humility Homes & Services executive director Ashley Velez said.
One of the requests from the community is for HUD to audit landlords and city government to ensure grant money is used properly. Another request is $10 million in funding over 10 years to be given to housing nonprofits in the area.
"We'll ask HUD to audit local municipal compliance with HUD standards for building inspections, maintenance, tenet recertification, tenet lease renewal policies and protocols, and landlord business practices," Dennis Platt from Quad Cities Tenant Alliance said.
Representatives for U.S. senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley were also at the town hall meeting. Community members are wanting to meet the senators directly to talk about these issues. The staff said they'll forward the community concerns to their respective senators.
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