I would like to add a few pieces of information from the census and permit
data as a backdrop for the discussion. If you look at construction and
demolition permits from 1990 through year end 2000, there was a net loss of
1575 housing units. However in the 1990 census there were over 11,000
vacant housing units with a vacancy rate over 6%. The vacancy rate is now
around 1%. This would imply that the 14,235 increase in population filled
in most of our vacant units. Also, there is no good data on how many Somali
are here. The census showed and increase of 20,870 Black/African American
people in Minneapolis, which includes Somali and other African immigrants.
It will be another year before the census reports 'ancestry' which will
provide breakouts for Somali and other immigrants.
Laura Lambert
Powderhorn Park
-----Original Message-----
From: timothy connolly [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 1:45 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Mpls] housing and gentrification
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.
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