Gerard A. Bell

3401 Golden Drive

Unit D

Chalmette, LA 70043

(H) 504-473-3468

(m) 215-422-2479

emcolzie@yahoo.com

To whom it may concern,

I am writing this letter to find assistance in getting legal assistance for a suit, also to advise the pertinent persons that can help politically to right a wrong and stand by me with my recent housing situation and help my city. I will not mean to be longwinded, but I will start at the beginning.

Being displaced after Katrina to Philadelphia , Mayor John Street accepted federal funds to assist me an others though housing, job placement, etc.
Once we arrived, we were placed in the John Wannamaker School, it was set up as a make-shift shelter, 1111 Cecil B Moore, Project Brotherly Love, the organization used to tunnel the money, set up by Philadelphia,  denied me housing due to criminal conviction. I thought that was strange since my conviction was not only when I was a minor, 10 years after the fact, and President Bush waived all red tape, we were then placed in a hotel near the Philadelphia airport, Extended Stay America . PHA and the city of Philadelphia continued to deny me? How?  Being forced by Federal Government in receiving housing from PHA which was awarded in beginning. I am faced with the same administration from the shelter school who denied me, an sending me back through the same process of denial (shelter). They went to the extent of having me arrested when to attend a meeting in seeking housing help the date of appointment, Mrs. Jane Diveto had me arrested an car taken with no complaint or charges filed by PHA or the city. I have written to HUD office of fair housing in reference of this matter, filed a formal complaint, made several phone calls and office visits, nothing was done.

I even went to the extent to show cause of Mayor John Street misappropriating federal funds through such acts of denying all survivors. Under the non profit clause, when clause is shown all federal funds must be reimbursed back to the federal government. I feel that of knowledge of misappropriated  federal funds by John Street and his administration should be reimbursed to the City of New Orleans ,(were I know I would not be denied), when in the same instance the city of Philadelphia denied there own citizens at the time of Katrina hit the gulf coast. In acceptance of millions of federal funds to assist people like myself an others and nothing was done. I feel my civil right has been violated under due process.  How do I know this, you may ask? Where is this knowledge coming from? I worked inside the system and know where the money was allotted and where it did not go. I also had a hand in taking a census of all Katrina survivors and was friend with quite a few of them, most of which are now back home. It really is wrong, the citizens of Philadelphia are under the impression that they were bumped off a list for housing and assistance that they waited for over two years for, but very few of us got any of that help that was promised.

At this time, I am still out of a home since the first date of applying for housing. I feel retaliation will an have taken place due to writing complaints against Belinda Mayo of OHCD, PHA Jane Divito the same woman who denied me (strangest thing since first applying I was given a Client number 223068 for a house but never had a house through PHA).

I did not ask to go to Philly. The question also remains, FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WENT TO THE CITY TO HOUSE ME AND OTHERS WHO WERE DENIED THIS IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT! If the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT assisted me how come the state and local denied me when the funds come from federal funding? And if so the federal government would have not assisted me under traumatic times. Because I had a rough childhood does not mean I should be homeless, mind you I was employed before the storm (pile Driver) 1846 local union, and I was not able to receive employment when I was displaced to this city. I was even almost overcharged for the transfer of my books from New Orleans to Philadelphia . One hardship after the next, when I know of other people who were home or went elsewhere, their headaches stopped.

All I wanted to do was follow instructions of the Federal Government, doing what was required of me to receive a house for me and my family, the assistance in which I was awarded. Nothing more.

If there is any advice you can assist me with I highly appreciate it in advance!

Sincerely,

Gerard A. Bell