Oct. 3, 2003 – Residents of 20 public housing communities in the territory will elect their own community leaders on Nov. 18.
Elections are held every three years to determine who will speak for the residents of the various communities, according to Kathleen Greenaway, acting resident supervisor on St. Croix. A resident council consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and public relations person will be chosen in each housing complex, she said.
Candidates must be legal residents of their housing community, be at least 18 years of age, be in good financial standing, and have no criminal record.
The resident council of each housing complex will receive funding from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department to be used to benefit the community, Jennifer Lettsome-Tuckett, resident services supervisor on St. Thomas, said.
Each resident council is a not-for-profit organization, and as such can conduct activities such as bake sales and car washes to raise additional funds, Greenaway said. "The money goes into an account, so they can put back into the community in the way of programs," she said.
The 20 housing communities encompass 1,579 residential units. Voting will be by secret ballot and will close at 6 p.m., after which residents are welcome to witness the counting of the ballots.
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