Harrisburg / Manchester

If you're an activist, I encourage you to visit this area. Swallowed by major roads, cut in half by East 610 and bordered to the south by yet another freeway, Harrisburg/ Manchester is kind of a disaster. A huge system of train tracks also runs through the middle of the neighborhood, which is unsightly and dirty. But what is to be done about the situation in this part of town? Much of the population is uneducated, without transportation and holds jobs that are considered 'dead-end'. The homes in the area are not maintained according to any association or standard. They are small and could possibly receive 'shack' status, and the majority of the homes in the area were built well before 1950. The Houston Port Authority and Ship Channel also operate in this area, and this is by far the biggest problem area for poor Harrisburg/ Manchester. The Port Authority operates The Port of Houston Turning Basin, Houston Public Grain Elevator #2 and their Woodhouse Terminal all right on the northern border of the neighborhood. Recent studies are showing that the Port of Houston is a potential health and pollution hazard. With them operating right in your backyard, how can anyone be expected to live a decent life, or at least one where they don't have to fear for their lives? Something has to change here.