[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16735-16736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          HONORING IDA WELLS ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 10, 2001

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to join the many family, friends, and colleagues in paying tribute to 
an outstanding member of the New Haven, CT, community--Ida Wells. Ida 
is a tremendous individual who has shown an unparalleled dedication and 
commitment to our community and it is my privilege to honor her today 
as she celebrates her retirement from the Board of Commissioners of the 
Housing Authority of the city of New Haven.
  Originally from Newark, NJ, Ida first came to New Haven from New York 
City only 16 years ago. In that time, she has developed a reputation as 
one of the leading advocates for public housing residents. Ida, a 
public housing resident herself, became active in her building as a way 
to fill her time. Prior to her appointment to the Housing Board of 
Commissioners, Ida served as Crawford Manor's tenant council president 
for 8 years. Even then, Ida was one

[[Page 16736]]

of the first people her neighbors turned to when they needed a strong 
voice on their behalf.
  As a Commissioner, Ida's job has not always been easy. With tedious 
budget reviews and resolutions to consider, she has often said that at 
first she felt like she was in the middle of a three ring circus. Her 
fellow commissioners have described Ida as a calming force during tense 
meetings--always asking the sensible question, what will this do for 
the residents? While she may have looked like the mild-mannered patron 
of the board, Ida has been one of the most outspoken members when 
addressing the treatment of public housing residents, especially her 
beloved seniors. She has shown a remarkable dedication to her job and 
has done much to enrich the lives of many families and seniors. Most 
recently, Ida started a partnership with Yale University with the hope 
that the program will connect Crawford Manor residents with the rest of 
their community through neighborhood events and trips to the theater. 
Ida brought a wealth of knowledge to the board from her years of 
experience as a tenant--demonstrating a unique commitment to ensuring 
real change for her neighbors and fellow public housing residents.
  After nearly two decades of service as a resident representative, you 
can be sure that Ida's retirement from the Board of Commissioners will 
not impede her from continuing to advocate for public housing 
residents. Though she will certainly be missed in her official 
capacity, I am sure her strong voice will continue to be heard. It is 
with the greatest thanks and appreciation for her outstanding service 
to our community that I stand today to honor Ida Wells on this very 
special occasion and extend my very best wishes to her for many more 
years of health and happiness.

                          ____________________