I wanted to add my two cents in here, but I'll try to make it short and sweet.
I believe that everyone has a right to decent and affordable housing. I
don't believe too many people disagree with that idea. What concerns
some, typically middle to upper class folks, has more to do with how
renters and/or lower income individuals/families live or how they
behave. So now it becomes more of a class issue and values issue
between these two groups.
To preface my background; I grew up for a good part of my life as a
renter and on welfare due to various life circumstances. I'm neither
proud nor ashamed of that fact. It's just my life experience. Then, 2
years ago, my family and I were lucky enough to be in the position to
purchase our own home in Central Neighborhood. My personal attitudes
have never changed as to how I took care of my home (meticulously, being
a rather anal-type of person with a very orderly mother) either as a
renter or a homeowner, although I probably do put a bit more time into
trying to make my home look more like who I feel I am, which as a renter
I was not able to do many times.
What I have come to learn is that what the fear of "affordable housing"
is has more to do with the fear that those who live in it will not or do
not take care of it as well as others might like them to. I believe
that there are enough examples of this for all to agree on and at the
same time there are as many reasons behind why people chose to live the
way they do that are just as valid.
I believe we could bridge this gap for the most part if we would be able
to get more people to take more pride, ownership and responsibility in
their homes whether they be apartments, townhomes, single family homes
etc...When our values start to come together the things like class,
race, ethnicity, culture don't seem so far apart.
Until we reach that point we will continue to have the very debate we
are having right now though and each side will feel equally right and
virtuous. This will take some time and flexibility on the part of us
all, but we can do it if we so chose.
Matthew Dufresne
Central Neighborhood
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