A week ago I wrote this in an "addendum to g,g,and g."
"Jacking up could be demolishing 6000 units of housing
over a decade while your population is growing by
14,300. Voila!"
then I went on to talk about creating scarcity and
supply and demand and other basic economic principles.
I was taking a sarcastic jab at Carol Becker when i
used the "jacking up" analogy and also her avowed
support of the Mayor.
Carol responded: "State of the City 1992 found 177,227
units. This included 76,811 single family homes and
56,761 in buildings with +5 units. In the 1999 State
of the City, there were 177,569 units, with 77,660
sing. fam. homes, with 58,855 in buildings with +5
units. It is inaccurate to imply that there has been a
loss of 6000 housing units and thus imply a scarcity
being created by the demolition of housing units."
Well then how about the number 1,984 units demolished
in the decade from 1989-99? Admittedly it ain't 6000
but then again it's not Ms Becker inplication that
there was no loss and that in fact there was a
whopping increase of 342 units over 6 or 7 years.
And it is important to note this came during a net
increase of 14,300 new arrivals to Minneapolis, 50,000
or so of them Somalian refugees who live primarily
within the environs of the city of Minneapolis. Then
consider the large influx of Latinos to the city
sopping up low cost housing like it were so much brown
gravy on a meat loaf dinner.
The implications of the dearth of low cost housing and
the influx of foreign immigrants weigh most heavily on
our poor black population increasingly scattered to
the less friendly environments in the suburbs and who
then feel even more isolated in the majority society.
This also has implications for black enntrepreneurship
and economic development.
Housing statistics are very difficult to interpret
especially factoring in geographic and demographic
data.
If you go back 20 years which is a reasonable cycle in
that it covers a decent range to see a trend and
because it corresponds to the administrations in City
Hall of Don Fraser and his protege Sharon Sayles
Belton, you see how different neighborhoods saw
changes in the number of units in different categories
that is difficult for me to analyze. I suspect the
numbers would verify my previous conclusions relative
to immigrants and the transplanted native black
population.
Complicating the analysis is how units are accounted.
In 1980 a new category appeared in the distribution of
housing units by structure and community. THE CONDO,
TOWNHOUSE category which began to balloon. Whether or
not this is a good thing is open to consieration.
It's always best when one can own their house but when
poor people who cannot afford such a structure are
displaced in favor of those that can pay you have
gentrification, or perhaps re-gentrification in that
we see the reversal of the flight to the suburbs that
began in the late 50's and carried through the 70's.
I received a number of replies on these posts. One
post spoke of the fact that the Hollman settlement
called for relocation to scattered sites in suburban
communities. This is no solution.
First of all, suburban communities are having their
own problems just keeping up with their own needs in
the affordable housing arena without being saddled
with Minneapolis' exportation.
Second: If you had witnessed the testimony of Ms Terry
Tyler in last Friday's Near Northside Implementation
Committee, you would reconsider the remedy to the
problem.
Ms Tyler is a young black single mother who moved to
Chaska in good faith as a result of the Hollman
settlement relocation and in her own words "my life
has been a living hell and if I could move back today
I would."
She then recounted a pattern of racist harassment that
was "oh so polite" only to the degree that nobody put
a burning cross on her lawn or showed up in white
sheets carrying torches. They just complained at every
chance to municipal authorities. one could not help be
moved by her story.
I know all about Chaska. My former wife fell afoul of
the white majority Missouri Synod Lutherans for being
"one of those kind of women" dontcha know and she
couldn't get away quick enough.
I hate to be a suburb basher but if a tornado ripped
through Chaska I wouldn't bat an eyelash. Better yet,
I hope Ms Tyler sues and takes those sanctimonious
prigs for all they've got. Serve 'em right.
Well I think I have wandered sufficiently from my
beginning point and given the sunshine I think it's
time to go out and play.
Oh, but before I go, for those interested in housing
issues I found a story in the May 4th issue of Finance
and Commerce about Jim Graham and his idea to build
carriage houses a fascinating story and a welcome
addition to a possible solution to some of our housing
problems.
Cheers!
In the inimitable words of Arnord Schwarznegger "I'll
be back".
Tim Connolly
Ward 7
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