Houston City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a portion of the Greater Fifth Ward Voluntary Relocation Fund that would support residents moving from the contaminated, state-designated cancer cluster.
The decision comes after Mayor John Whitmire postponed the vote in early January to gather more information about the relocation process. He, along with other council members and community residents, expressed reservations about the plan, which the previous administration, led by Mayor Sylvester Turner, approved last September.
“I think the administration, city council, and city hall are reiterating how committed we are to making this vote today,” Whitmire said. “We’re making a statement, and I think we’re on the right track.”
The vote allocates $2 million of the total $5 million to the City of Houston and Houston Land Bank for the administration and management of the relocation process.
Our coverage of Houston’s cancer cluster
- City halts development in Greater Fifth Ward cancer cluster following Landing investigation
- Whitmire slows down relocation program as Fifth Ward residents request more information
- Landing Investigation : Houston’s Greater Fifth Ward is in a cancer cluster. Why don’t all the new residents know?