Part One – I’ve Been Right Here

I was born in Louisiana. Yes, over 40 years I know I’ve been right here in Houston. I was on Section-8 housing. Due to Hurricane Ike, I lost my house. Because, during the storm… all the residents had to move to different areas. When I came back, wasn’t nobody checking mail. I miss one meeting due to the storm, and it was on my application, I told them on the application, I said, “Due to Hurricane Ike, all the residents were displaced to different places.

Then I ended up moving in with my son, you know. Because, you know, I didn’t have anywhere to stay. Until I found this place.

Part Two – Each Other’s Company

I went to Kashmere Multi-(Service) Center on Lockwood, and they’re the ones that told me about New Hope Housing. So I came out here and applied for an apartment. I’ve been here, right at three years, ever since, yes.

I’m just the type of person, I like my own space, you know? I move on my own, you know. I like traveling, cooking, landscaping… you know, stuff like that. I enjoy that, yeah. We have two courtyards, we sit out there and talk. Play cards, dominoes, you know… whatever. When the weather’s good, we sit out there, you know, we fix our food, we sit out, and we eat. Just enjoy each other’s company.

Part Three – A Piece of Your Own

I moved right here in 5th Ward. That was my first stop when I came to Houston. So I’m right back in the same area I was, years ago. New Hope wasn’t here, they say this used to be… Sakowitz Court, I think they used to call it. And then they tore it down and built these units.

As my dad would say, “A piece of your own is better than the whole of someone else’s.”

And as my mother would say, “If you ain’t got pie, take puddin.’”