HOUSTON – Houston City Council will provide $5 million to help residents who want to voluntarily move out of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens cancer cluster.
Cancer-causing chemicals found near the Fifth Ward rail yard caused residents to be diagnosed with leukemia, lung and throat cancers.
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“People are constantly being diagnosed with cancer and dying from cancer,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “And of course, people have been asking UP, Union Pacific, to step up and assume responsibility. UP continues to say there is no causation, there is nothing wrong out there, but it does not negate the fact that the Texas Department of Health has found a higher concentration of people with cancer than any other parts in the Houston area and children dying from cancer. Those are the realities, those are the facts.”
Mayor Turner said the money provides an option for residents to take care of their families. To relocate everyone, if they choose, would cost between $30-$35 million, Turner said. The city hopes Harris County and UP will contribute to the fund.
Council Member Letitia Plummer pointed out there are 41 residents who would benefit from the $5 million.
“My hope is that we would consider codifying the process once it is completed. Once we’ve had the community meetings, we really put something solid in place so that in the next administration, the community has the same protections that you created for them,” she added.
KPRC 2 Investigator Mario Diaz broke down the numbers during the KPRC 2+ segment ‘Pop-Off Politics.’
Those with a paid-off mortgage will get a new home for roughly $250,000. If there is a mortgage, they will get a new home but will need to pay the existing balance. Renters can get up to $10,000 to move out of the area.
“Financing the talking points, not just the talking points but the money where these individuals will be able to retain equity in their home wherever they choose to go, which is really important because this is not imminent domain,” said Council Member Tiffany Thomas.
The vote was delayed a week by Council Member Plummer in an effort to tell residents what the city plans to do.
Now, Mayor Turner says, “The remaining steps will be in collaboration with the community and the people who are directly impacted by the cancer cluster.”
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