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By Betty Wotring
The Resident Advisory Board (RAB) is made up of 30 members.
These members are the officers from the Fort Myers Housing Associations, Bonair Towers,
Southward Village, Palmetto Court, Michigan Family, Flossie M. Riley Gardens Apartments
and Royal Palm Towers. Each association has five officers. One officer from each
association was elected from their board to be on the RAB, making a total of six members
on the board each with representation from each development and one from the Fort Myers
Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. The officers of the RAB are, President-Mary
Williams, Vice President-Sharron King, Secretary-Barbara Hall, Treasurer-Clotie Davis and
Parliamentarian-Val Fuller.
The RAB is now working with the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of the City of Fort
Myers to finish the Hope Gardens project. The construction of 32 low-to-moderate
single-family homes over a three year period. The Hope Gardens construction site is
located at the corner of Ford Street and Edison Avenue in the Dunbar Community of Fort
Myers. A total of 30 homes will be constructed at this site with an additional 2 homes
being constructed other sites. The project will target Fort Myers Housing Authority
tenants as prospective home buyers with the initial emphasis being placed on tenants of
the former Housing Authority’s Southward Village Annex (the Hope Gardens site was
originally Southward Village Annex prior to being demolished).
Mr. Harry Adams is the Executive Director of the CRA, and the RAB finds his knowledge of
redevelopment of communities a knowledge that they have needed from the beginning of the
Hope Gardens project. With the CRA’s assistance we look forward to staying on
schedule and providing quality homes to qualified residents.
The RAB is an organization which works to make a better life for residents of public
housing and our community. By doing things together, much more can be accomplished than
when each person works alone. The RAB represents all residents in interpreting to
management the needs and interest of residents, and acts as a good neighbor to families
who have suffered a loss by death, fire or who have serious illness. By working together
we can also do much to improve the appearance of the community and create a congenial
atmosphere. The RAB also represents the concerns of the residents in working with the
police on security for our developments and community.
* Note: Resident Advisory will be relocating their office in the near future
to the Administration Building behind Royal Palm Towers on Bay Street and sharing offices
with Lee County Housing Development. *
     
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