By Paul Tuthill
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Springfield, MA – Federal and Massachusetts state government officials have pledged to be watchdogs over the tornado rebuilding effort in Springfield to prevent housing discrimination. Fair housing advocates say they're concerned about what appears to be an un-even pace to the recovery efforts so far. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is creating a panel to monitor the rebuilding to assure full compliance with fair housing laws and will report its findings to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. MCAD Chairman Julian Tynes said it is important that as Springfield rebuilds, the city's poor are not pushed aside.
City officials say the tornado on June 1st destroyed more than 500 housing units, including many multi-family houses and apartment buildings in the city's poorer neighborhoods. Tynes said he has noticed there is not much work going on in those neighborhoods, while contractors are busy repairing single family homes in more upscale neighborhoods.
Tynes said the MCAD has the authority to obtain insurance company records to determine if there is any discrimination in the claims handling process.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, John Trasvina came up from Washington Thursday to tour Springfield's tornado damaged neighborhoods and to meet with minority community leaders, and housing specialists. He too pledged to be a watchdog .
Federal law prohibits discrimination in housing and housing related services based on factors such as race, color, national origin, and family status.
Charles Rucks, the executive director of Springfield Neighborhood Housing services, said the tornado did not discriminate on the basis of race or economic status, and the re-building needs to be even handed.
Meris Berquist, executive director of the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center said just as poor neighborhoods were targeted a few years ago by people selling sub-prime mortgages, these areas could be targeted by people looking to profit off the disaster.
MCAD commissioner Jamie Williamson says rebuilding from the tornado gives Springfield an opportunity to increase minority homeownership and to break historic patterns of segregation that have negatively impacted education and employment opportunities.
Springfield's interim Chief Development Officer, Christopher Moskal said the restoration of the city's housing stock will be addressed in a forthcoming master plan.
A 15 member grass roots advisory committee has been created to help craft the tornado rebuilding master plan. The committee includes representatives from each of the seven neighborhoods most impacted by the tornado, and people drawn from educational institutions, faith based, business, labor organizations, and housing specialists.