Delmarva Today: 1-29-21
Harold Wilson’s guest is Research Director for The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) in Washington, DC, Lance George. The topic is the lack of plumbing and adequate water in homes and communities in the US that create Third-World conditions for many families. Data indicates that at least 460,000 homes across the country do not have a functioning bathroom or lack an adequate water supply. The Delmarva does a little better but not by much. Data indicates that 1,765 homes here on the Eastern Shore lack plumbing forcing families to use night pails, unsanitary privies or backyard port‐a‐johns. Lance discusses how The Housing Assistance Council and other organizations are addressing this issue on a national basis. In addition to providing financial resources and technical expertise to local organizations, Lance’s organization, (HAC) is promoting a national awareness program called The Last Outhouse. He says, “Many housing problems in the United States seem intractable. But the number of homes without adequate plumbing has declined dramatically over the past few decades. Taking a page from the public health field, with a final push of resources and energy we can eradicate this housing and health scourge once and for all.”