Monday, the City Council Rules Committee recommended the federal government stop assisting Jacksonville’s Eureka Garden apartment complex, unless management makes it safer.
The Westside complex receives public housing vouchers to provide subsidized rent for low-income residents and ranks near the top of the list for violent crimes.
But the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee is asking the government to stop assisting unless substantial, proactive steps are taken to secure the safety of the apartment complex.
Councilman Warren Jones is the resolution sponsor. He says Eureka Garden should be fenced-in and gated.
“You have one way in, one way out,” Jones said. “They have a staff person working at the gate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and you have to show a picture ID before you go to visit anyone”
He says this control mechanism is important because the complex is 400-units large and knowing who is in and out would make a difference.
“All the murders that occurred in the last 10 years at Eureka, not a single individual lived in Eureka Garden, they come from other areas,” Jones said.
The full City Council will vote on the Eureka Garden resolution next week. Even if it passes, it’s a nonbinding measure.
