(La Porte, IN) - A La Porte official is defending his lone vote against plans for homeless housing in a residential neighborhood.

 

Councilman Roger Galloway said he went against the wishes of the administration because the people living in that neighborhood were vehemently opposed to the plans.  

 

In late August, Galloway was the only member of the City Council to vote no on a request to change the former commercial zoning on the property to multi-family residential zoning, as 16 housing units for qualifying homeless people have been planned in the former Rumely Street Coca-Cola bottling plant

 

Galloway asserts that the council should have listened to the residents in that neighborhood but has, instead, imposed its will on the people.

 

“Someone said I didn’t have any courage and backed down to the people. The courage was standing up to the whole council and sticking up for the people. That whole neighborhood did not want it. In my opinion, it shouldn’t have been put there. We forced our agenda on them,” he said.

 

To qualify, people must be homeless, have other issues in areas like substance abuse and mental health, and must be able to live independently despite any physical disabilities.

 

In-house services to address those issues, along with job training and placement, are planned to give them a chance at remaining off the streets.

 

Housing Opportunities, which has similar housing in La Porte and Porter County, plans to use a more-than $7 million state grant to redevelop the building.