IS DRUG POLICY FAIR? PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS OPPOSE SUPREME COURT RULING

Eleanor Moore, 92, thinks mothers share the blame when their children get
into trouble. But the grandmother, who has lived in Taylor Homes on
Wilmington's Northside for more than 30 years, doesn't think it's fair to
evict an entire family if one member uses or sells drugs.

"I don't think it would be right," said Mrs. Moore, who had 13 children and
raised 12 of her grandchildren. She would have known if any had been
involved with drugs, she said, but the whole family wouldn't necessarily know.

In a ruling Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal law giving
public housing agencies the right to evict tenants if someone in the
household is using or dealing drugs. Some tenants in Wilmington's public
housing disagree with the ruling.

Shamaine Mack and Lashanna Adams, also Taylor Homes residents, said Housing
Authority officials should target people who are actually involved in drugs.

"I don't think that is fair to the families at all," said Ms. Adams, who
has a 4-year-old son.

Evicting whole families would only add to the homeless population in
Wilmington, said Ms. Adams, 24. She has lived in the Taylor Homes public
housing complex all her life. Ms. Adams said outsiders, not tenants, cause
drug problems there.

Ms. Mack, who has three sons, ages 3, 5 and 6, said those who are involved
in drugs should be put on the Wilmington Housing Authority's list of people
forbidden from Housing Authority property. The authority has a list of more
than 200 people who are prohibited from going onto its property. The list,
last updated in September, can be viewed on the agency's Web site.

Fred Boyd, who lives in a house across the street from Taylor Homes, said
if he knew someone in his house used or sold drugs, he would kick them out
- - after giving them a second chance. Mr. Boyd, who was visiting with Taylor
Homes residents, said the Supreme Court ruling could help rid neighborhoods
of drug abusers and dealers.

An existing Housing Authority policy allows officials to evict families for
criminal activity involving some of its members. Executive Director
Benjamin Quattlebaum said each case should be judged independently before
tossing families out of public housing.

Since he took over as executive director in November, Mr. Quattlebaum said
the Wilmington Housing Authority hasn't evicted any families because of
drug use by a member. But the agency has several possible cases pending.

Between September and December, the Housing Authority evicted five tenants
involved in drugs. On Wednesday, Mr. Quattlebaum was unable to provide
statistics on evictions before that time.

It used to be more difficult to evict residents from public housing.

In 1997, public housing officials in the state helped get a state law
passed that allows them to bypass lengthy appeals and go directly to a
District Court judge to get an eviction order. Before the law was passed,
it could take months to evict someone.

The Wilmington Housing Authority's Web site is www.wha.net