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Nov 10, 2009 6:52 pm US/Eastern
Exclusive: Jasper Howard's Mother May Lose Home
Mother Of Late UConn Player Says, "If I Lose My Place, I Won't Have Anything."
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Jasper Howard, a University of Connecticut football player, was killed outside of school dance.
University of Connecticut/AP
The mother of a slain University of Connecticut football player fought back tears as she told
CBS4 she has received another devastating blow just weeks after burying her only son. Joangila Howard fears she may lose her precious sanctuary: her home.
"If I lose my place, I won't have anything. I won't have nothing. All I got is me and my 2 kids. I already lost my son. It's hard. It's really hard. I don't know what to do. I lose my son. Now I could lose my place. Where are my children going to live?"
Howard's 20-year-old Jasper was stabbed to death Oct. 18, after a dance at the student union at UConn. She has been despondent ever since. Now she feels worse.
That's because of a letter she recently received from the Housing Choice Voucher Program for the Miami-Dade Public Housing Agency. She says the more than 800 dollar subsidy for her rental home will end next month. She says that's because a series of electrical problems at her home were not fixed. And the home failed an inspection, and the county was not able to get access to the house to re-inspect the property.
Howard says the county had been insensitive to her plight. She says she was overwhelmed by having to deal with her son's death and there was not enough time to address the electrical problems.
"I went to the Voucher office and explained the situation," said Howard. "But they didn't want to hear that. All they said was we are sorry for your loss. But you have to go through the process. All they wanted to know is why I missed the re-inspection."
"The one time I miss the inspection," said Howard, "you want to take my voucher. I don't understand that."
Howard said she has never had any problems before during the six years she has rented the home, not far from Miami Edison Senior High School, where her son Jasper played football before going to UConn.
"I just want to live in the home with my 2 kids," said Howard. I don't have my son. He's gone. I just want to be with my children. What are they going to do?"
And she thinks of Jasper, the son who went to UCONN in order to eventually help her financially and help her move to a nicer neighborhood.
"He was going to help us get out of this. But I can't do nothing now that he's gone. I'm trying my best to do what I can," said Howard. "All I can do is try."
The Miami-Dade Public Housing Agency issued a statement saying that it was the responsibility of the owner of the home where Howard lives to fix the property. The agency said HUD regulations required that all Housing Choice Voucher units be inspected every year---and must meet minimum housing standards as determined by HUD, before assistance can be paid. Howard says she only has to pay $283 towards the subsidized rent of $1150.
The Housing Agency said Howard's home failed an inspection on October 8th due to a "ground fault interruption." Another inspection was scheduled for October 30th, some two weeks after Jasper was killed. But there was no access to the property.
The property owner has 15 days to correct the violation. He has to ask for a re-inspection. If he does not comply within 15 days, Howard will have to move out.
But the Housing Agency says Howard will be given a voucher for a subsidy at another home. Howard has also asked for a hearing before the Housing Agency.
"This just isn't right," Howard said. "This just isn't fair."
If you can help Howard and her family please contact
Neighbors 4 Neighbors at (305) 597-4404.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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