When you live on the government dime, you "...just got to get used to it".
Beyond the boarded windows and vacant lots, William Booker still sees Gilbert Manor as his home.
He and his elderly mother moved out of the housing project into Olmstead Homes in July. He said it's still hard to believe the place he called home for 17 years no longer exists.
"It still hurts because once you get used to a place it's hard to get used to a different area," he said. "I don't see none of my friends anymore."
Mr. Booker was one of more than 250 residents of Gilbert Manor who were required to move to make room for the Medical College of Georgia's new dentistry school. The last resident moved out Sept. 30, said Richard Arfman, director of planning and development for the Augusta Housing Authority.
The majority -- 57 percent -- were moved to other housing projects. Most of the rest -- 37 percent -- received vouchers for Section 8 housing.
Work on the $112 million project is set to begin. Clearing of the site will begin in the spring, and MCG hopes to break ground on the building by the summer, said Dean Connie L. Drisko. The goal is to move into the property by fall 2010.
Mr. Booker said it hurts to see all the apartments -- 278 units -- boarded up and awaiting demolition.
"I miss it a lot, but I am making new friends here," he said. "I just got to get used to it."
Reach Stephanie Toone at (706) 823-3215 or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
MOVING ON
258 Gilbert Manor residents
Here's what happened to the residents who lived at Gilbert Manor before being moved out to make way for Medical College of Georgia's new school of dentistry:
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Olmstead Homes 92
Peabody Apartments 17
M.M. Scott 13
Ervin Towers 6
Oak Pointe 5
CherryTree Crossing 5
Allen Homes 4
Underwood Homes 3
Hal Powell 1
Dogwood Terrace 1
Issued voucher 94 (private sector)
Evictions 8
Private housing 6
Nursing home 1
Home ownership 1
Deceased 1
Source: Augusta Housing Authority
Comments
When you live on the government dime, you "...just got to get used to it".
He has lived for 17 years in public housing! and he's complaining because he has to meet his new neighbors? He should have been cut off after a year. Congrads to the one that moved out of Gilbert Manor and actually purchased a home, a happy new year to you! The rest of you need to work on your New Years resolutions - like get a education and a job and pay your own way. Don't be lazy and expect taxpayers to pay your way. It's about time we make them work for their housing. Why do we have to wait untill they are in jail?
Olmstead Homes needs to be turned into a lodge for the base ball and Masters visitors. Add amenities, landscapping, gate it and call it Guest Lake
Gilbert Manor was this located on Hwy #1..or Deansbridge rd.?
I miss a lot of my old neighbors that I grew up with as well, most of them have moved into their own homes after completing their educations and working a steady job. In fact the person that I most miss recently moved away to start a new job last year. He was in his 30's when he went back to college, at night to finish his degree, while at the same time working to support his family. After finishing school, he was accepted into dental school out of state, too bad for me that I don't get to hang out with him anymore, what is this world comming to?
i wonder if that one deceased is jed........
whine whine whine. get free swag on other peoples money, and whine some more. man, i wish other people paid for 1/2-3/4 of my housing. (apart from my house-mate, lol). get a job. go to school. or grab a spot on the park bench. wastes of space i tell ya.
I cannot believe Augusta makes such a big deal out of the Xmart, because "Its right at the entrance of our fine city." Yet we have Olmstead Projects right next to our little lake, the stadium, and just down the stree from and entering the Masters. Oh well, this will never be a good city until we force people to support themselves. 17YEARS in public housing! I could pick up the paper today and find a job! At least the illegal immigrants are willing to do roofing, painting, masonry, and framing. Every ex-con should be carrying a load of shingles up and down a ladder making an honest living.
17 years???? And he is not even embarrassed to say it!!?????
Poor, poor, mistreated victim. Receiving handouts for 17 years and has to relocate a few bocks to continue getting the handouts. What is this world coming to?
Come on folks, we all know we owe the downtrodden, woe is me citizenry everything they can get. Don't begrudge those who have learned to milk the system to live lives free of the worries, hassles the honest hardworking taxpayers edure to care for them. Just wish they would be as eager to let us use their SSNs so we may claim them as the dependents they wish to remain.
HOPE ALL SEE THIS AS THE SARCASM IT IS MEANT TO BE.
Could it be that, he was working, and the fact that it was his mother that needed the housing, and he was her caregiver? You have certain situations that call for the child to stay with the parent, rather than put them in a nursing home, where it would cost the stae more to take care of the parent. Please, this is a new year, lets not judge each other so harshly, until we know the whole story. The reporter should have done a better job of reporting indepth, the whole story.
Whatever, I have too much pride and no matter what I will find a way. I keep stashing away for the worst case scenerio anyway, as well as not creating stupid debts. Again, I have more respect for the immigrants that come here to exploit the fact that its easy to find a job in the U.S. and I WILL judge those that call themselves American and refuse to find a job and get educated. Hell, we cannot even get them to finish H.S! Too bad they cannot visit another country to see how others have it and the extremes they go to to support themselves and their families. Look at the guys from Sri Lanka and Pakistan and other coutries living like rats without roofs, while they build exotic skyscrapers for Dubia, Saudi, Kuwait, and Qatar. They only make enough so their families at home will have a grain of rice. It's freakin sad, yet our own have no pride, loyalty to those giving them handouts, and no ambition for the future. Even last night on the news SC had to take out a federal loan to keep unemployment checks flowing. A direct example of how others are a drain on our country. I'm not talking about those recently unemployed I'm talking about those living decades on the gov dime.
Another example of the Chronicle giving credence to unworthy news...who cares??? Good riddence Gilbert Manor. Now if some sort of incendiary device would take out dogwood terrace and olmstead homes, now that would be news!!!
DD, I have often wondered about taking some of these kids (and adults) with the attitude of 'entitlement' to a 3rd world country so they can see just how good they have it!
is it too much to ask to move if you have been living for free for the last 17 years, I think not.
ROTFLMAO. When I read his comments, I have to admit that I could not stop laughing. I started thinking about my Father and how far his boot would be up my behind if I had given the same interview. I have been on my own since the age of 17 and to read those comments had me laughing but not because I thought it was funny but because I wonder how out of all the people in housing that they were able to find one of the most pathetic excuse of a person to interview? Now unless you come back and said that he is a person of special needs, someone should drop kick his [filtered word] so far out of housing until they will need the Hubble Telescope to find his [filtered word].
mimsy, he doesn't know who his mother is. give me a break, he's milking the system, relying on the man, taking advantage, thugging around, a parasite to society, I can go on if you like.,
What do you mean by " He doesn't know who his Mother is"?
I know where all the ones om sectiom 8 relocated to. And its really a shame that "you can take them out of the projects, but you can't take the projects out of their hearts". (note I didn't end by saying the word "Mind". That is because their baboom, baboom, baboom, baboom, baboom, has reduced their minds to something that dosen't exist anymore!
bm (that, in itself is funny! lol)--a free for all...is what this world is coming to. Happy New Year All!
Congratulations to the "1" resident that opted for Home Ownership! Welcome to America!
Living in the projects is not free... I am grateful to live somewhere different & better, but they do not live free. Stories like this only serve to remind white folks their tax money is spent on something other than giving other white folks federal handouts. Had this story been about whites living on subsidized housing at the Bon Air on Walton Way, you guys would be saying "those poor little white ladies need our help!!" I have clients that have lived at the Bon Air for seventeen years, but because white folks need race baited stories about blacks in the projects and not whites in the projects, this is it... Again I say "White folks in Augusta are a trip!!" I am still wondering why all those young white girls from Columbia county keep chasing those brothers from the projects?
We should just all be grateful thzt new homes were found for these people and thankful that we were not in their circumstances.
Thanks for the insight cparker. As for the white girls chasing the brothas- They're probably trying to collect some child support. Some people have to learn the hard way.
When I read his comments I assumed they were made by a child. Then I saw the photo of a middle-aged man...Anyhow, I found it to be a strange article. cparker---every segment of society has it's own trash.
Yeah STEVE-O we know all White males pay their child support and on time.
Olmstead Homes needs to be turned into a lodge for the base ball and Masters visitors. Add amenities, landscapping, gate it and call it Guest Lake. Augusta needs to have prosperity not concentrated poverty next to the ball park. The following findings would most likely reflect on Augusta too: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/memphis-crime
The majority of our Richmond County deputies do not live in Richmond County. Most of the upper level Richmond County administrative jobs are filled with people who do not live in Richmond County. Jake Oglesby, director of Augusta Housing Authority lives in North Augusta, S.C. What does this say ? Richmond county has a problem and the only way that it will be remedied is through social engineering.
The majority of the comments have not lived or visited overnight in Olmstead Homes. The city should honor each of these experts with a three day, free weekend pass for your honeymoon. I cannot attest for everyone who lives there, but I can attest the honeymoon packages will net be re-sold for profit. I will offer to pay the city for a normal unit for these purposes, who wants to sign up first?
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