Kashmere Gardens to receive $900K for permanent generator at community center

HOUSTON - The Kashmere Gardens Multiservice Center, a key community facility in Houston's Fifth Ward, has secured $900,000 in funding for a permanent power generator, a move celebrated by residents who have long endured power outages during severe weather episodes.

Residents of the Fifth Ward greeted news of a substantial investment into local infrastructure with relief and optimism as Kashmere Gardens prepares to install a permanent generator. The move is one step in a plan to establish a resiliency hub in one of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods.

"It's great, man. I love it." Terrance Louis, a Fifth Ward resident, said.

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Ernesto Ramos, another local, echoed the sentiment, "I think that it’s a blessing because they need the generator and in every which way we need it and anything we can get help from is a blessing."

Houston city officials heralded the announcement of the Kashmere Gardens Resilience Hub's funding as a significant step forward for an area that has faced challenging living conditions.

"This particular community has experienced weather events, repeated power outages, family has endured unbearable heat, freezing and cold, and lack of resources," stated Council Member At-Large Letitia Plummer. She underscored the neighborhood's urgent needs, noting that Kashmere Gardens has a 20% lower life expectancy rate than other communities in Harris County.

Joetta Stephens, a resident of the Fifth Ward, shared a grassroots perspective on the difference the new equipment will make. "We’re tired of scrambling, trying to find sources of power, places for warming, places for cooling. This permanent generator is what we need."

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The funding, amounting to $900,000, is expected not only to provide relief during times of freezing temperatures but also to serve as a cooling center through Houston’s notoriously hot and humid periods.

Donna Jernigan, another resident, acknowledged the significance of such assistance in the neighborhood. "It means a lot. A lot of people here don’t have the resources; they need help, and to know that it’s here in the neighborhood for them to come is wonderful."

Emphasizing the impact of the funding, Mayor John Whitmire stated that this initiative was necessary as many in this underserved community will benefit from the resilience and support the generator will provide. Whitmire said the city ultimately plans to install permanent generators in other resiliency hubs across the city.