Opinion ID: 2819925
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Demolition

Text: The Galveston Housing Authority (“GHA”) is the PHA that manages and administers public housing in Galveston County. In the wake of the storm, the City of Galveston declared four public housing sites “unfit for human occupancy” and it ordered GHA to demolish Oleander Homes, Palm Terrace, Magnolia Homes, and Cedar Terrace. 8 Consistent with HUD’s practice in like cases, GHA sent a letter to HUD announcing its intent to demolish Oleander Homes and Palm Terrace without seeking prior authorization from HUD’s Special Applications Center under section 1437p. 9 Lone Star Legal Aid, a nonprofit legal organization, filed an administrative complaint with HUD opposing GHA’s demolition plan on behalf of displaced public housing tenants. GHA and LSLA reached a settlement of the complaint under which GHA agreed to provide replacement housing on a one-for-one basis for all residential units destroyed by Ike and to incorporate the terms of an agreed upon replacement plan. 10 Having satisfied LSLA’s concerns, GHA moved forward and demolished all four sites, including the housing units situated at the Magnolia Homes and Cedar Terrace sites, on August 6, 2009. 11 It then submitted a formal demolition application to HUD. 12 In a letter dated April 15, 2010, HUD approved GHA’s application “as outlined in [an] enclosed memorandum from [HUD’s director of 7 Id. at 62,265. 8 R.3384-87. 9 R.3390, 4686-87; see 24 C.F.R. § 970.1 et seq. 10 R.3390-92. 11 R.4608. 12 See supra Note 6 and accompanying text (citing 79 Fed. Reg. 62,250, 62,265 (to be codified at 24 C.F.R. § 970.33)). 3 Case: 14-40955 Document: 00513127196 Page: 4 Date Filed: 07/23/2015 No. 14-40955 SAC] to the HUD Houston Program Center.” 13 In the enclosed memorandum, the SAC director stated, “[b]ased upon our review, and finding that the requirements of 24 [C.F.R.] Part 970 and Section 18 of the [United States Housing Act] have been met, the proposed demolition . . . is hereby approved.” 14 The memorandum also included a general description of GHA’s intended future use of the property. 15 On June 17, 2010, HUD issued a letter of amendment and clarification, restating its approval of GHA’s demolition application and acknowledging that “a public housing authority . . . may demolish public housing property without prior approval from [HUD] if the property suffers abrupt damage from an act of God,” that the Magnolia Homes and Cedar Terrace sites fell into this category, and that after demolishing them GHA had submitted a formal application “to evidence that the demolition was in compliance with Section 18 of the [United States Housing Act] and 24 [C.F.R.] Part 970.” 16