Jackson Lee – “Radio One’s generosity exemplifies the corporate social responsibility all Houstonians would like to see exhibited by all who call Houston home. It symbolizes the silver lining in the clouds of a horrific storm, and the promise that comes with the first sliver of sun breaking through the grey sky.”

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, and Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on Radio One’s Harvey Didn’t Win – Back in a Home Giveaway:

“The need for affordable housing has been persistent in the Houston metropolitan area. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Houston’s housing supply is in dire straits: there is only about one affordable rental unit for every five needed. This need was exacerbated last year when one of the costliest and deadliest natural disasters ever to make landfall descended on Houston. Hurricane Harvey is the largest housing disaster to strike the U.S. in our nation’s history. During Hurricane Harvey over 300,000 structures flooded in southeastern Texas, where extreme rainfall hit many areas that are densely-populated. At its peak on September 1, 2017, one-third of Houston, our nation’s fourth largest city, was underwater with 34,575 evacuees in shelters across Texas.

“When the storm passed, the true measure of Harvey’s destruction became known. The storm and resulting flooding damaged 203,000 homes, of which 12,700 were destroyed. Once safety from the deluge was certain, a community was galvanized to help its neighbors rebuild and return to their lives. The task to return our neighbors to a sense of normalcy will take many hands, through the myriad of resources. Some will take advantage of critical grant programs, for which I am proud to have advocated. Some, on the other hand, are in greater need and in some instances, have nothing to repair and are in need of new housing altogether. In these instances, neighbors are stepping up to help their neighbors, so that members of the community can put their best foot forward and emerge stronger from the storm.

“Which is why the efforts of community leaders like the Radio One Family, which boasts in its portfolio music radio stations many Houstonians enjoy, like Majic 102.1, 92.1 Radio Now and 97.9 The Box, are so critical, and their most recent campaign to bring a measure of restoration to Houston is so important, and affirming. Radio One’s initiative, Harvey Didn’t Win – Back in a Home” giveaway is a testament to change—the will to change destruction to restoration, and the will to take something bad and turn it into good. Indeed, Radio One’s generosity exemplifies the corporate social responsibility all Houstonians would like to see exhibited by all who call Houston home. It symbolizes the silver lining in the clouds of a horrific storm, and the promise that comes with the first sliver of sun breaking through the clouds.”