Rep. Bill Huizenga requests action to improve Harbor Towers

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - For years, there's been a demand for action at Harbor Towers, a troubled public housing complex in Benton Harbor.

Thursday, Congressman Bill Huizenga pressed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge to act, in Washington D.C.

Rep. Bill Huizenga, stated, "What I am specifically requesting is a plan of action to improve conditions for the residents of Harbor Towers."

The congressman asked for details on how Harbor Towers will be repaired.

The eight-story building has 80 government subsidized units, originally meant for low-income tenants and those age 55 and up.

Last winter, all the residents had to be evacuated when water pipes burst during a winter storm.

They've dealt with mold, bedbugs, broken elevators, and more over the last five years.

"I want to move to something that is very local for me in the 4th Congressional District of Michigan. In Benton Harbor … I have been working very closely with Mayor Muhammad and others in that area. It has been brought to my attention that conditions at place called Harbor Towers in Benton Harbor have been very challenging," Huizenga said. "My office has been working with the Detroit Field Office on this particular property and I am wondering if that has risen to your level of attention. Do you have any kind of an update on working with the Benton Harbor Housing Commission to improve the living conditions and security at Harbor Towers?

Fudge responded by saying that the matter had not risen to her level yet, but that she would, "find out and get you an answer within the next 24 hours as to the status, what we are doing, and where we are."