Fort Worth (WBAP/KLIF News) – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is spending the second part of this week touring neighborhoods in North Texas. On Thursday, Mayor Betsy Price took him to several neighborhoods in Fort Worth.
The two visited churches and community centers in Morningside, Stop Six and Cavile Place. Ft. Worth has worked to restore the neighborhoods.
“When we begin to increase public safety and increase the walkability and health of the community, more people are going to start coming in and taking pride in their home,” Price says.
In Stop Six, Ft. Worth has opened a community center and police station. Cook Children’s has opened a clinic on Berry Street, near Highway 287.
“When we fully integrate healthcare centers into our communities, people aren’t using the emergency room for primary care,” Carson says. “It’s way too expensive, and it’s inefficient.”
The Trump Administration has proposed a $6.2 billion cut to the budget for Housing and Urban Development. The budget states block grants that fund affordable housing and anti-poverty programs have not demonstrated results.
“When you use resources efficiently, you can get a lot more done,” Carson says. “Keep in mind, this administration considers housing part of our infrastructure.”
Carson says the budget would not eliminate programs but shift the cost to infrastructure issues. He says Ft. Worth can serve as a model on how to help people become self-sufficient instead of forcing them to rely on government programs.
“We are not going to be able to solve our problems within silos,” he says.
Carson will meet with Mayor Mike Rawlings in a neighborhood near Fair Park Friday.
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