In the aftermath of the tornadoes, a post about public housing.

This is a repost of my reply to the heartbreaking OP by Syrinx: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1050037

We need public housing, now more than ever. Tell your Federal, State, and Municipal representatives to correct this shameful situation! http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt Get after the media for ignoring the situation: Amy Goodman and “Democracy Now!” http://www.democracynow.org/about/contact Rachel Maddow rachel@msnbc.com More media: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111

It is time to let our "progressive" media know that poverty and homelessness are ALSO progressive issues, and they need to be broadcasting these facts so that everyone understands them, and is ready to take action.

Thanks so much! :loveya:

can hold raffles and bake sales for cancer-stricken toddlers, but not pass universal single payer health care. We can collect food, clothes, and blankets for families that lose their homes, but we can't stand up and say that _every_ person has a right to be housed, and here's how the government can do it.

God save us from our perverse bootstrapper logic! :cry:

Or might as well be... right in the Garden District.

Because everyone knows WalMart is a better neighbor than those gadawful public housing projects that upscale "liberals" keep bitching about (because they will no longer take poor people in their own god damned "blue" college townships.)

Don't forget Clinton and his HOPE VI program engineered the destruction of public housing in cities like Chicago and NOLA and Obama is fully committed to carry it out.

Another fact:

In Washington DC they replaced the mostly elderly Carrollsburg public housing, an entire neighborhood of townhouses, with empty land for local white ethnic cleansing specialist in "new urbanist" garage townhomes in order to "make it possible" to build the new ballpark on land nearby (by clearing away the minorities). The Democratic Party of DC, which had a white council voting majority (in a majority-minority city) was fully on board with this. The only two developments built by this team in DC both turned the surrounding neighborhood from 80% black and mixed-income to 80% white and upper class in less than ten years. Two different neighborhoods, same pattern. Entirely segregated by income (and, thanks to credit tests, race).

Oh, and the elementary school for the area had to be closed because the student roster went from 800 to 2.

More proof that privatization has been a failure.

I really thought we would turn away from all that in 2009 and return to Demand Side Economics.

It is really painful to read about public housing being demolished.

We need more of it while cruel Republican policies are still in place and as the consequences of climate change become more severe.

housing development that is destroyed by either nature or policy, more will join their ranks.

Republican policies don't help anyone but the rich.

Even though I knew it was there and therefore longed for my Democrats to zoom in all FDR in 2009.

I've sent emails to Tom Cole and both of my idiot senators. I know it probably won't change their minds, but it's worth the 10 minutes.

THIS information should be known by ALL progressives.

You say it probably won't do much good to write your congresscritters and, sadly, that is probably true. Until we have a LOT of people writing them, you are correct.. they aren't going to be swayed.

The only way to get more people to write is for more people to understand the issue, and that means that PROGRESSIVES need to get the facts!

It would help tremendously if you could help with this part of it.

Thanks! :yourock:

In 1978, HUD's budget was over $83 billion.

By 1983, HUD's budget was only $18 billion.

From 1996 on, HUD has spent $0 on building low-income housing while thousands of units have been demolished.

It looks, therefore, like a large portion of the remaining budget is being used to DEMOLISH rather than to BUILD low-income housing.

Since all of their money is going to demolish public housing anyway.

It is a broken agency, defrauded of any progressive purpose, kept around only to serve the interests of the developers and the Blue Dog Urban DINK advocates.

(NOLA reconstruction money is going to demolish an ENTIRE SECTION of New Orleans just north of the French Quarter, one of the oldest parts of the city, to build a suburban-style medical complex run by LSU out of Baton Rouge.)

What a crime this is.

:kick:

There will be a quiz. :hi:

And sent it to all my elected peeps.

I hope you will include the part about Rosedale being destroyed. :(

Now, if I can ask more.. would you please also write to our "progressive" media, which doesn't see this as an important issue?

Tying it in to the tornado would be good, and keeping it current.

GreenPartyVoter has in her journal a request for writing to media, complete with links.

We would really appreciate it!

:yourock:

K & R

K&R

In my state (WA) where we have some of the highest rents in the nation behind NY, and CA, they have razed and gentrified so many neighborhoods that were affordable. This was done WITH the help and applause of "housing advocates" who took HUD money and then used it to build "affordable housing" for the muddle class to buy, leaving the poor literally out in the cold.

Now the streets of Seattle and its suburbs are teeming with the homeless who are marginalized and made illegal while being plied with "band aid solutions" like tent cities and food banks. These are people who need support and instead they are given these lame substitutions for a home.

A story of someone I met while advocating with our state legislators on a lobby day that still moves and haunts me:

I was assigned to visit with our legislators with a young Iraqi vet who was trying to deal with homelessness, head injuries and PTSD and was "lucky" enough to live in a tent city. He had come to our state capitol not for himself but for his neighbor who was dying of cancer and too sick to come with him. He had painstakingly written a letter about this friend he left with his legislators, begging them that for the last few months of his life, just once, couldn't they allow this man to die in warmth with a real roof over his head?

I hugged him and told him how proud I was of his service even though he was being treated so horribly himself after giving his life to our nation. I told him through my tears that not only was I touched by his love for his friend, but of his continuing selflessness for himself who also deserved a home. Yet we still give these lame band aids while the psychic blood transforms into tears and gushes rivers of blood through our collective soul.

I am sad and mad about what I have seen over the past 30 years that is degenerating down to a selfish population of people who only care about what they think is "theirs" while hoarding resources that could help thousands.

Here is what Chief Seattle said once about this land that is denied to his people and now ours. Words that we should have heeded rather than continue on with things that should belong to all:



A Suquamish Elder told me that in Chief Sealth's time the idea of owning and staking out a piece of land and then claiming it, was like trying to stake out a piece water or air and claiming it (which nowadays the wealthy are also trying to do).

I can hardly wait for the day when we again see things their way ...

Love
Cat

as Chief Seattle put it, it's just so eloquent and so true.

I weep for people like the poor young man in your post. And I weep for those who are too hardhearted to care enough to do anything.

yet another low income apartment complex. That leaves us with exactly 45 units that are income-based in my entire town. 45 units!

No wonder why it's becoming so popular around here for families to double and even triple up in housing-they can't afford anything else!

That's what low-income housing was supposed to end, but we are LETTING it happen again.

Here is an excerpt from a comment on another site about facts I posted:

"Unfortunately, Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) is part of a larger group that is apparently committed to demolishing all public housing and replacing it with means tested owner occupied housing and the old fashioned urban renewal (razing) of areas that can’t be gentrified. I’m sure our church doesn’t support those things but they’re part of a group that does, because that’s what all the other local churches want."

This is up to ALL of us to stop this!

I hope you are working with people in your town to end this practice, and make sure there is enough low-income housing for ALL.

Thank you for sharing this..it is really appalling, but it just isn't what "progressives" want to be involved with now. :(

Right now they are more concerned with sports tourism, creating a new park, and putting new water slides in at the local water park.

Oh, and building a new jail. They're really concerned about having a place to incarcerate everyone.

...but hey, some rich guy gets to claim it all for tax deductions for being a "service" while using all his prisoners for slave labor.

And we say we are a "civil society".

Yeah right ..."when they came for me there was no one left to speak ..."


Cat in Seattle

The current jail is in an old grocery store and it will cave in sooner then later.

The problem is the city/county only cares about the aesthetics, not about the actual health and welfare of its citizens. We may be small but we do have a growing homeless population.

All the old apartment complexes that were income based have since been shut down, renovated, and are now advertised as housing for the local college students. What else can a working family do, when they don't have enough to pay the rent?

Somehow, we MUST organize.

Can we talk?

:yourock:

Drop me a line.

I've noticed far too many people who are no longer able to afford housing, yet work full time jobs. It's because there is no affordable housing in my town. All housing is aimed towards young college students, who double and triple up, or towards military personnel, who receive BAC to assist with payments.

The working poor around here don't get hand outs, or even a hand up. They just get the shaft.

that they're now trying to work with is supposed to do more to end the ghetto than throwing up an entire block of housing like they did in the late 70's - early 80's. If you look at the $83 billion budgets that created some horrible housing conditions along with concentrations of crime, but went a long way to enrich local contractors/campaign contributors - I can't see anyone successfully arguing that that model was anything but a failure.

While this newer voucher system is horribly under-funded, I still think it has better promise for creating more diverse communities where everyone has a stake in the welfare of the community as a whole vs the old "push them over there into one area so they don't degrade our neighborhoods/schools" approach from before.

DUers to NOT do this scattered housing thing. They had very good reasons for it, and I hope you will be openp-minded enough to listen to them. THEY are the ones affected. Its time to listen to those of us who have to live in these "experiments".

be? I'm not trying to be argumentative, actually started a non-profit for affordable housing for disabled veterans and trying to make sense of what's out there and what's the best alternative to current plans.

use, not strong suggestions that I speak to some nebulous group.

it.

Sorry you thought my good suggestion was "nebulous".

Please try to remember that those of us on the bottom rungs do NOT get coverage either in the corporate media or even in the "progressive" media.

Nor are we listened to.

along with any form of "housing suggestions" - I see your posts all over complaining that no one is listening to you - and yet here I am, and you're really not saying much.

This is my organization - NobleHouse Foundation, Inc. - it's brand new, but we're completely serious about trying to make some difference. And we've already gotten commitment for donations from a few major companies, it's a matter of trying to put it all together. You claim that there are better alternatives to current and past models, I'd love to hear what they are.

But considering that you were still posting DU responses 3 hours after you posted this saying you didn't have time - I really have to question if you're serious? Or simply get some sort of status by posting about how badly you have it while ignoring requests from others who have a genuine desire to hear what you have to say to hopefully implement it in such a way that it does make an actual difference.

Either way strains the claim that "you" aren't listened to pretty badly

Would you be willing to do some of the work that I am involved in, or do you just want to rag on me?

This is getting beyond ridiculous.

There are NOLA people here who posted about this. Try doing a DU search.

Try posting an OP, asking NOLA DUers.

YOu CAN do this.

I suspect you aren't living out of your car, so YOU have resources and abilities that I don't have.

Try working on it rather than criticizing.

And the insinuations and insensitivity IS rude. And thoughtless. And uncompassionate.

important to you than actually taking any steps to make a difference. Good luck with that. I've posted a request for info in the LA forum, hopefully I'll get the info I need there.

You had 3 chances to do something proactive - and totally failed to take advantage of that. No I'm not living out of my car - and you have no clue what work I've been willing to do in the past or currently.

Yes, it's beyond ridiculous. Good luck with your current framework, I doubt it changes anything, but I've been wrong before. But please don't ever post about how no one tries to help again, it'll only be pure hypocrisy - you had a chance to make a real difference and decided it was more important to make it completely about you. Major Fail.

FINALLY, you post to the LA forum.

You COULD have chosen to do that without picking a fight with me.

I pity those who come to that organization.

My folks keep asking me why I don't get involved with WIN and that is why, as explained in that post.

At that time the population registered at 16,000. We've had a population boom in the last decade yet have lost nearly all income based housing.

The only income based housing outside of those units are for the elderly and disabled. Working families have nowhere to turn. And don't even ask about Section 8-it's nonexistent around here.

Rosedale Court today.

Somehow, we MUST find a way to get people to take action on this, and ensure that new (and better!) housing is built for them.

We MUST.

Thank you so much... this is just so heartbreaking!

Many are in the temporary shelters.

The longterm prospects seem pretty grim. But Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox seems like he genuinely cares about the people, as did President Obama on his recent visit.

Thank YOU, for your obvious and heartfelt concern. :hug:

dropped the ball in helping the Katrina victims, hence my trepidation on what will happen in this case. But you are right, there are new people at the helm now and that could make all the difference.

Please keep us posted over the long haul? If for some reason the issue isn't addressed, or at least not in a timely fashion, let us know. I am sure many DUers would be more than happy to write or call and lend their voices.

:hug:

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20110510/NEWS/110509653/1007/news02?p=all&tc=pgall

It's a start. :)

All those people were sent to other places for housing. We were assured that ALL were taken care of.

After the media spotlight was taken off, those people were kicked out of where they had been placed, and many had no where to go and no way to survive.

There was a rash of suicides.

I am skepticle about the claims of Section 8. There are YEARS of waiting lists to get even on a waiting list.

I sincerely doubt they are being placed in Section 8 housing ANYWHERE.

:kick:

The list's population, well over 50,000, is nearly equivalent to that of the entire city of Mountain View or Milpitas.

Worse still, the city of San Jose merged its housing authority with the county's years ago, so no help there.

The county housing authority has been known to tell would-be applicants to go somewhere else, like Oakland, where the list actually opens from time to time, live there for a year, then transfer their Section 8 voucher back here. :grr: :banghead:

:banghead:

Year after year after year.

Yet, people think there isn't a problem. Homeless people can find a home if they just "try".

What will it take to wake people up?

Is this a figure that is well-publicized, or did you happen upon it somewhere?

many of the people who need affordable housing have disabilities. In fact, about eighty percent of what we do is try to place people in housing. What little affordable housing there is here is often not accessible.

And no, it is not a figure that is well-publicized. Nor is the fact that we accomplished the seemingly impossible and now have more homeless people than San Francisco! (OK, we have over twice SF's total population, but still...)

I guess what I'm asking is.... if there are 50,000 needing homes, and 1,000 homes available, then obviously, many are going to get left out.

I went to the website I saw for San Jose, and it said that NOBODY has priority... it doesn't matter if you are elderly, homeless, etc.

Yet, people I come across, and many right here on DU, thinks all you have to do is go apply, and bingo, you get a place to live.

Is your organization looking at any particular ways to make this obvious to the population, and build demand for housing?

We do not operate any permanent housing. What we do is teach people with disabilities basic daily living skills, for instance, how to find housing. There's a similar agency almost anywhere in the country:

http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html

And yes, many do get left out. :(

to live. :(

I asked because GreenPartyVoter, who put those OP facts together, has noted that there are all these organizations like Coalition for the Homeless, Low-Income Housing Coalition, etc., who do a good job of compiling facts, but aren't doing a lot to get those facts out to the general public. The PERCEPTION is there is plenty of housing, but homeless people are too lazy or too drunk to find it.

Its a giant game of musical chairs.... waiting for someone to die so you can have a place to live.

So, I ask, what would it take to get some sort of publicity campaign going to make this information generally known?

And, where can I find the figure of 50,000 that you gave?

Mahalo. :yourock:

list we are growing!

http://www.hacsc.org/t_faq.php#4

How long will it take for me to reach the top of the Waiting List?

It is not possible to predict how long it will take for someone to get to the top of the Waiting List. The wait depends on the rate of turnover in the rental assistance programs and the level of funding made available by HUD. In many cases, you may have to wait 4 to 9 years before your name will reach the top of the List.

And that's after you finally get on! :wtf:

meantime? :mad:

river embankments are popular (most rivers around here are dry). Flophouse motels work nicely :sarcasm: , as do doubling up with relatives, and, of course, the ever-popular automobile. :(

Meanwhile, Palo Alto has a "sit-lie" ordinance, essentially making it a crime to be homeless amidst the glamor of Stanford, Facebook, etc. Even San Francisco passed such an ordinance! Aren't they supposed to be progressive?

don't have to look at you."

How do you stay sane?

Thanks for sending the link! Somehow, we MUST get the general populace to understand this stuff!

Oh, and I suppose the ever-popular Habitat For Humanity is building homes for all the people you serve?

we also have a secular group called Rebuilding Together. But yeah, it's a drop in the bucket.

All people deserve shelter, food, education, and health care. Period.

I helped with the set up of the homeless shelter for vets in Wheaton IL (which has now grown so large, there are now TWO houses!) and this is in one of the most affluent areas of the country, Dupage County!!

The crisis in housing for keeping families together is even more extreme. I haven't worked with the local PADS organization yet (http://www.hesedhouse.org/pads/index.html) since I've moved but their aim seems to be to try to keep homeless families together.

The numbers are staggering as the lists grow longer and longer for people waiting for housing. My local food pantry is crushed with people and we work like mad to keep up.

:kick:

For them, all public housing is bad, scattered site = owner occupied housing in the suburbs where 10% is means tested for the lower-middle class and 90% is market rate, and ANY affordable rental housing in their community is a POX on the well-mannered progressive town they struggled to create over the past 20 years of gentrification.

And chances are, they're the people running every branch of the local party, local college grads, local enviro activists, etc.

Same thing with transit and a couple other issues that just aren't Dem issues anymore.

years there have been people (not just Dems, of course) gnashing their teeth that we can be seen from the main road.

Egads! The horror!