79R3382 MMS-D

By:  Hodge                                                        H.R. No. 51 



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, One of the largest housing discrimination lawsuits 
in U.S. history, a class action suit filed in 1980 by Dallas 
attorney Mike Daniel on behalf of three African American clients, 
has been settled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; and
	WHEREAS, In his argument, Mr. Daniel demonstrated 
convincingly that HUD had maintained a system of segregated public 
housing throughout East Texas; U.S. District Judge William Wayne 
Justice found for the plaintiffs in 1985, ordering HUD to integrate 
public housing in a 36-county area; and
	WHEREAS, Notwithstanding the clear validity of the 
plaintiffs' contention--only one housing unit in the region was 
integrated at the time the suit was filed--change did not come 
easily; nearly 2-1/2 decades elapsed before another federal judge, 
in January 2004, approved a settlement that would end federal 
oversight of HUD's operations in East Texas; and
	WHEREAS, According to the terms of the agreement, which 
affects some 10,000 families, HUD has consented to create 1,500 
additional integrated units in the region; when officials concluded 
this settlement, approximately 45 percent of black families and 67 
percent of white families residing in public housing in East Texas 
lived in integrated facilities; and
	WHEREAS, In addition to achieving a substantial level of 
integration, the lawsuit has spurred significant improvements in 
historically black housing projects, including the introduction of 
such amenities as air conditioning and paved streets; and
	WHEREAS, A member of the National Housing Law Project Council 
of Advisors, Mr. Daniel has long been at the forefront of legal 
efforts to protect and expand the availability of affordable 
housing; his spirited, unflagging efforts have helped to secure 
decent shelter for countless citizens, and through his tenacious 
advocacy in this East Texas case, he has contributed immeasurably 
to building a stronger, more just society in the Lone Star State; 
now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor Mike Daniel for his instrumental role in 
achieving the desegregation of public housing in East Texas and 
extend to him sincere appreciation for his commitment to ensuring 
housing justice for all Texans; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Daniel as an expression of high regard by the Texas 
House of Representatives.