The Heritage Oaks article in the Star included info that the Federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) was providing a “Grant” to the City of Shelby to build those Heritage Oaks homes that were to sell for $180,000 to $200,000. Certainly not homes that HUD low-income properties are known for. Could it be that the City of Shelby has connived and colluded with HUD to get HUD to fund grants for Shelby developers to build high-end properties at no cost to the developers and then sell them at high-end prices. Taxpayers money to build the homes and the developers get nothing but profit?
Alas, Mr. Willie Greens proposed project on East Dixon Blvd and Main Street was to be privately funded by Mr. Green himself. The standard method of private construction that America was founded on. And, the Shelby Heritage Oaks Project would be funded totally by taxpayers. The new brand of Socialism-Cleveland County Style. The rich get richer and the poor working-class folks get poorer. And the poor welfare crowd stays the same–stay at home and get paid NOT to work and to vote Democrat. Or maybe not to vote at all and let others vote for them-in mass or by mail.
While I was looking all this up and putting the pieces of the puzzle together, I discovered something else. The answer to this question: Who is the biggest slumlord in Shelby???
Hint, it’s NOT a Republican!! Hint, it’s NOT a Democrat, although it is Democrat controlled!!! Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!! It is the City of Shelby!!! In the form of the Shelby Housing Authority!!! Joined at the hip with the Federal Housing and Urban Development Agency—HUD!!! The same HUD that is joined at the hip with the US Department of Justice-who is over the FBI. So much for fair investigations and proper investigations!!!
Is it no wonder that Shelby gets away with murder??? As in the instant case of Mr. Willie Green vs. The City of Shelby in its many forms.
But, all this in Shelby has turned out to be just the tip of an iceberg.
HUD was involved with the investigation of Fidelity Bank a few years ago in a complaint that Fidelity Bank was discriminating against minorities in lending money for home mortgage loans. HUD performed an investigation of Fidelity and found that Fidelity did indeed discriminate against minority loan applicants whose loan applications were denied although their “financials” were better than white applicants whose loans were approved. In settlement with HUD, HUD announced that they had levied a $1,000,000 fine against Fidelity. But, reading the fine print, HUD allowed Fidelity to set a two-year goal to approve “good” minority loan applications at a level of $500,000 per year for two years. Something that, according to Federal and State Law, Fidelity was to have been doing in the first place. When, now Fidelity just had to meet the $500,000 threshold and then go back to discriminating against minorities. When I called down Fidelity on this, they replied that there was No Fine against them by HUD. That they had done nothing wrong. And technically, Fidelity was right. Apparently, HUD has ceased to be a champion for minorities trying to compete fairly in the marketplace with everybody else. Not just discrimination against Mr. Willie Green, but against everybody with a dark (non-white) skin color.
But there is more. HUD seems to be using that Fidelity Bank Scheme as part of the Progressives new plan at throwing tons of money toward housing, like in the Heritage Oaks deal previously described, where certain people make tons of money off skimming large fractions of the cash for building and selling (or subsidizing the rent) of overpriced homes.
For instance, the HUD Secretary, Marcia L. Fudge visited the Catawba Tribe’s (Of the Kings Mountain Casio fame) Headquarters last week in Rock Hill, SC, Secretary Fudge sent a Twitter message to the Catawba’s thanking them for their hospitality and restated her role in the $2,000,000,000 to be given to Native Americans as a part of Biden’s “Build It back Better” Plan. I just saw a press release, that will likely be discussed by the Cleveland County Commissioners, that the Casino will be receiving 500 more slot machines soon. Don’t you have to think, why are Tribes like the Catawba Tribe-getting ready to roll in the cash from the Casino, getting a part of this $2,000,000,000 that us taxpayers will eventually have to pay for??? And, just how much of this so-called $3,500,000,000,000 ($3.5 Trillion) Infrastructure plan will be going into just how many boondoggles??? Is this all HUD has to do now, throw money everywhere with no real plan except to spend tons of money???
On that very same day that HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge sent the message to the Catawba Tribe about the $2 Billion to be spent on Native American projects, Secretary Fudge sent an announcement that she was also going to Charlotte to visit Mayor Vi Lyles about Charlotte’s part of Biden’s “Build it Back Better” Plan. Apparently, HUD is going around to Democrat Controlled Cities in North Carolina and all around the USA offering them tons of free money.
But what is a good example of what kind of housing are we getting for out tax-dollars. For that, lets make a round trip right back to Shelby, NC.
I punched up Heritage Oaks Shelby NC and this is the first house I came to. I copied the page showing the house for all to see.
This house is located at 925 Kearney #55 Shelby, NC. This house is priced at $215,000. It is 1239 Sq. ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths with a garage. The house sits on one-third of an acre. It was built in 2005 during the housing market boom; right before the big bust in 2008. The property history shows this house was on the market for less than half the asking price just last year.
What I find strange, perhaps criminally strange, about this Heritage Oaks project is its history as well as its associations-public associations and likely secret and unethical, as in conflicts of interest associations.
First of all, Heritage Oaks is a part of a development under the namesake of the Cleveland County Community Development Corporation. A so-called Non-Profit Corporation with close ties to both the United Way as well as HUD. The City of Shelby and the Shelby Housing Authority have members on the CCCDC Board. The name itself conjures up a conclusion that this is some sort of governmental agency that is supported by taxpayer funding. A closer look indicates a real possibility that this is some sort of private-public “partnership,” with a dead rat “smell” about the whole thing. A smell usually associated with insiders manipulating the books and records so that they make big profits that go into their pockets and the benefits are small when compared with the cost.
When you google “CCCDC” and click on “About us” this is what you get:
Cleveland County Community Development Corporation, was created in the Summer of 1992. CCCDC was started by several local citizens, who recognized the need for low and moderately priced housing in Cleveland County. CCCDC had a very specific strategy and persistence as we responded to the need and met the challenge, of offering affordable housing options in our community. Cleveland County CDC believes that homeownership extends beyond housing. The services we provide are access to affordable homeownership, pre and post homeownership counseling, and overall support for individuals when needed to become and remain homeowners and good neighbors.
Note that I underlined CCCDC was started by several local citizens. Nowhere does it name those local citizens. I consider that such a lack of transparency a major indication of corruption. When I checked the North Carolina Secretary of State’s website for “Corporate Information” I found some mention of other entities that did NOT have Cleveland County addresses. Another indication of a high potential for corruption for a so-called Non-Profit with “Cleveland County” a part of the corporate name. (Kind of like Eddie Holbrook’s “Shelby Land Partners” morphing into a group with a Charlotte Address with associates. Just like the 10-Apartment rezoning request described at the beginning of this article.
Now, I have been copied, along with other news media and governmental officials (including HUD) by Mr. Willie Green in the distribution of his complaint and message to very high levels of HUD management alleging discrimination against Mr. Green by the City of Shelby and allegations that HUD itself has been a part of that cover-up. This message and other details will be provided in Part 2 of this article. Along with additional issues we have discovered along the way in researching and writing this article.
In the meantime, look over this picture of the Heritage Oaks House (925 Kearney Drive #55) previously mentioned. Do YOU believe this house is worth $215,000? Especially in an “Affordable Housing” neighborhood???