COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia Housing Authority held their first board of commissioners meeting of the year on January 16th, one year after the deaths of Calvin Witherspoon Jr. and Derrick Roper at Allen-Benedict Court.
They started the meeting with a moment of silence for them.
The property has been at the center of lawsuits and changes within the Columbia Housing Authority.
"For us our goal is to demolish the Allen-Benedict Court property," says Ivory Mathews, interim executive director. "We are certainly on task to having that done. Our goal is to have those units completely demolished by the first quarter of this year."
Currently the housing authority is conducting an environmental assessment of the property before a demolition can take place.
Mathews was appointed as interim executive director after Gilbert Walker retired in June. She says her goal has been to rebuild trust with residents, many who thought their voices were not being heard.
"Regaining public trust isn't done overnight," says Mathews. "So we continue to just be good listeners, good responders and always remember that our primary core mission is to provide affordable safe, decent, sanitary housing for our residents and that's what we're here to do."
Her 12-month plan, which was established in July, has worked to revamp the housing authority. She hopes to move it forward, enhancing current housing and developing new properties in the future.
"Brick and mortar cant speak, families do," says Mathews. "So when the families speak, that's what's most important to me so that I can listen to those families and be accountable and responsive to their needs."