Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 3 May 2001 — Page 27

The Muncie Times, May 3, 2001, page 27

SMITH FROM PAGE 13 nublic housing to a new level of excellence, a level that public housing had never been to before or since. “That was a humbling experience. I had never had that happen to me. People, black and white, young and old, rallied around me. Some even wrote school reports and term papers about it. It was a current events story. People talked about it. They phoned me. They offered me support. “There was support from the Concerned Clergy Coalition. Spiritually, that made it possible for me to move forward. The greatest support came from my family, my church family and from the Muncie community. People would stop me on the street or phone me to offer their support. It was wonderful. “People said I handled myself with grace and dignity. I appreciated that. That public, much of it from people I did not even know, helped me through a very difficult time. My love for public housing continues. After all, I am a product of public housing. To me failure in public housing is not an option. So I wish them well in what they are attempting to do. “I do not want to say anything negative about the Muncie Housing Authority.” Smith refused to be drawn into saying whether she would take legal action against the

MHA for the manner in which she was fired. “Right now, I’m in prayerful consideration of what I might do regarding the Housing Authority. Beyond that, I would rather not say,” she said. Between June and November 2000, Smith became a HUD consultant for a Chicago firm that had won a contract to work with at-risk public housing agencies in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. “I was providing technical assistance to public housing agencies that were at risk. I worked with five agencies in Georgia, Texas, Florida and Louisiana. Four of these agencies,” she said, “scored 86 or better in HUD reviews after we worked with them. One agency that had been in trouble for 4 years, scored over 60. “We submitted emergency grant for an agency in Louisiana. We asked for $100,000 from HUD. We were given almost $200,000. In its comments, HUD said it was “obvious the agency was receiving technical assistance because the language and appearance had changed. I, personally, did not get or benefit from any of this money. But I felt good about it, about the help we had provided.” As a result of that consulting work, Smith was offered a job last November to work with the HUD office in New SMITH SEE PAGE 35

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