Victoria, I am an African-American woman. I am a single parent of two (now grown) children. I had been married to my children's father, but chose to divorce because it was not a great marriage. No, neither one of us was on drugs, nor drank, never have. I have lived on $532 a month; had Section 8 housing, and had to move to the suburbs.
You list all those rentals you notice, and go on to list what you call the "real problems". Talk about breaking hearts, it breaks my heart to have to read email like yours in public. I don't believe my life was better living in the suburbs. And why shouldn't people want to live near their friends? You can't tell me that you don't like living near your friends. I don't see a moratorium on how many white people should live in a given area, nor real estate agents shaking their heads in Edina saying "too many white people here, better spread them out. Sell them a house in the Phillips neighborhood." And why should we live with family? Are not women (and men) with children, regardless of their income bracket and circumstances, allowed to make choices? How many of your family members are living with you? In-laws? If your response is less than five, maybe you should consider a family reunion at your place. Victoria, everyone is not living off of your paycheck. How many Section 8 tenants do you have in your units? People don't want to rent to us, oftentimes without knowing what great tenants they are missing out on. You wouldn't believe some of the crappy places that landlords tried to rent to me as if that was all I was entitled to because of my circumstances. Ask some of those same landlords how they felt after I took them to court in regard to their properties and won. When I had Section 8 my landlord did not want me to leave. While on welfare I went to design school, and I enhanced their property. Do you know that sometimes poor folks have criminal records that they did not even earn? Unlawful detainers put on them by landlords who want them to leave because they asked for running water and heat in exchange for the rent they paid? Things like this prevent many decent people from getting decent places to live. They simply get tossed in the heap and left. I have given most of my life over to doing community work. I don't believe in throwing people away like rotten fruit. Yes, there are some bad apples, but don't throw out the entire barrel because of them. You say you have encountered a few of "them." I say go out and encounter more. Engage the masses in a decent fight, Victoria. Fortunately, humanity is not a crime. Engage in it often. If people want these renters to live in decent housing, rebuild affordable housing in areas that they are entitled to live in. Don't pigeonhole them into accepting thinly veiled segregated standards. Pamela Taylor (A college graduate and former NRP Neighborhood Specialist and Central resident, currently engaged in Community Economic Development in South Florida) --- Victoria Heller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Friday's Strib classified ads had 584 vacant > apartments listed: 157 renting > for $599 or less and 290 renting for between $600 > and $899. Sunday's paper > will reflect even more. Every neighborhood has "for > rent" signs displayed > because many housing providers cannot afford to put > ads in the newspaper. > > The real problem is that we have too many people > with no prospects for (or > intentions of) earning money. We could build a > thousand new housing units > (adding to our incredible public debt) - and these > people would still have > no money. Many have criminal records, horrible > credit histories, and/or > prior evictions. No one will rent to them, not even > public housing. > > Many young women with children have family members > living in town who won't > accommodate them. My sister is a nurse in the > maternity ward at > Fairview-University. I suggest every elected > official in Minneapolis take a > tour of that facility. It would break your heart to > see who we are sending > these newborn babies home with. > > Child neglect used to be a crime. What happened? > > Gregory Luce only tells part of the story. His > example of a single mom with > two children receiving $532 MFIP benefits and $269 > in food stamps reflects > only CASH benefits. This same woman could live in a > 3 bedroom townhouse in > Bloomington for $160 per month (Section 8 requires > rent payments of 30% of > income - no matter how small that income is.) The > Federal government pays > the balance. Then there is free medical care for > the entire family, free > transportation, free education, WIC subsidies, > Headstart, and endless other > publicly funded programs. > > A single person with no children making $8.25 per > hour would take home > $13,455.00 annually. A single person with four > children making $8.25 per > hour would take home approximately $20,000.00 > annually because of the > "earned income tax credit" - assuming the person > filed a Federal tax return. > > Young women with children would have a much better > life for themselves and > their children if they lived with other family > members, possibly friends, or > Heaven forbid - one of the fathers! But they don't > WANT to do that. They > WANT their own place - at the expense of others. > > I've encountered several young women in similar > circumstances looking for an > apartment. They carry with them a list of available > Section 8 apartments - > located in Lakeville, St. Cloud, Aitkin County, even > Edina. But they don't > WANT to live there, they WANT to be near their > buddies in Minneapolis. I > say too bad. If they WANT someone else to pay their > rent, they will have to > live where the housing is available. > > Lack of affordable housing is a myth - though very > profitable for some. The > truth is that we have too many people with not > enough money. Either we > figure out a way to get them employed, or we agree > to support them for the > rest of their lives. > > Victoria Heller > (30 years of accounting experience for subsidized > and market rate > apartments) > Current apartment building owner - Ward 2 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic > Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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