Mr. Luce is impressed with the City Council action in the Zoning and Planning Committee to approve the application of CVI, a supportive housing project of PPL that will tear down affordable housing to locate additional special needs populations in Phillips.
As well, I am impressed that Minneapolis, one of most segregated cities in North America, marches so steadily to tune of discrimination, segregation, re-institutionalization, and redlining of its most vulnerable populations into the neighborhoods Phillips, Stevens Square and Whittier. With more than 320 social service agencies, and 57 supportive housing projects these three neighborhoods have hyper-concentration more severe than exists anywhere in Minnesota. Too strong to call Minneapolis segregated? Quick, think of where you find concentrations of African Americans, people of the Jewish faith, Asian Americans or the poor living in Minneapolis? If you're honest and you have lived in Minneapolis more than few months, you came up instantaneously with the neighborhoods. More insidious are the forgotten populations of the mentally ill, chemically dependent and developmentally disabled. They mostly live among neighbors like me, in Whittier, Stevens Square and Phillips. Stevens Square with nearly 30% of its population needing support services is the very model of segregation. Yet the City Council recently approved "Lydia House " in Stevens Square, the 34th facility within 1/4 mile. For 30 years concentrating residential facilities into social service enclaves has been well-recognized as discriminatory, and contrary to the important national health policy of de-institutionalization. Concentration serves neither the disabled client nor the neighborhood, who every right to live where they want. The Minneapolis Zoning Law requires 1/4 mile between supportive housing facilities for the precise reason it promotes integration to help these populations live throughout Minneapolis. This spacing law cannot be waived, varied or ignored without resorting to a convoluted reading the federal Fair Housing Act. This federal housing law is designed to open up closed neighborhoods, not to jam facilities into neighborhoods hyper-concentrated already. The proponents argue federal law trumps local law, so local law should be ignored. It's a clever way to discriminate; while you're doing it argue that you aren't. However, while this policy discriminates against populations who need supportive services, it does serve the financial well-being of non-profit corporation executives who treat these three neighborhoods as their "free trade zone" to ply their trade of extracting millions in taxpayer money. Mr. Luce (North Phillips - Work) lauds the Committee's commitment to openness, fairness, and full participation. Full participation? Really? I didn't see the full participation of the people who will use supportive housing being asked if they prefer to live in the highest crime area of the city, in part because it is inundated with vulnerable people who need support. Rather I saw the over participation of those who draw financial gain from these enterprises. The neighbors in Whittier have filed a lawsuit against the City and Plymouth Church over Lydia House (www.TheLydiaHouse.com). Their request to the Court: Enforce the spacing law, promote integration and stop discrimination. The neighbors in Ventura Village will file suit shortly against the City on the same grounds. If the Courts do what the City Council lacked the courage to do: just say "no" to the supportive housing industrial complex to more projects in these neighborhoods, like Mr. Luce, I get a sense of good things to come. John Cevette Whittier - Live _______________________________________ 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
