I recently attended the Affordable Housing Summit and was very concerned that the Mayor's office seems to be proposing regulatory reform that includes weakening the 1/4 mile spacing provisions of the Zoning Code (Chapter 536) regarding "supportive housing." Such a change would undoubtedly further concentrate supportive housing into a very few neighborhoods, and reinforces the fortress-like stance of the rest of the City. We all know it is time for reform of many housing policies. I fear, however, that weakening the 1/4 mile spacing law is not reform, but a retreat to the City's most retrograde practices, i.e., segregating the poor and disabled into pre-selected enclaves.
It is far past time for a larger portion of the city to shoulder a fair share of the civic responsibility to care for the needy. Arguments that urge us to disregard matters of spacing, and that tout the value of "existing infrastructure" are circular, if not cynical, and will certainly lead to further segregation of the poor and disabled into already struggling, overwhelmed, high-crime neighborhoods. They are a sad perpetuation of the unworkable status quo. While the housing crisis is real and urgent, it is no excuse for continuing to segregate the neediest citizens, whether by intention or not. Now is not the time for us to shrink from the admittedly difficult task of convincing greater areas of the City that they have a duty to contribute to housing solutions, and not just with lofty talk or cash contributions. We should all consider the impact of removing one of the only legal inducements to bring about real integration of the poor and disabled into the larger fabric of the City. It would be foolish remove or weaken the one tool that allows for positive change to take place. As we begin anew to tackle the issues of the poor and needy we need to remember that we don't all start at the same place. Some truly "heroic" neighborhoods have long been leaders in the delivery of services and supportive housing. For example, Whittier has 23 supportive housing facilities, Phillips 23, Stevens Square 11, Central 10. These four neighborhoods supply 43% of all supportive housing in City. By contrast, almost half of all Minneapolis neighborhoods (38) have NO supportive housing. 18 neighborhoods have only one facility. Like dead-beat dads, these dead-beat neighborhoods often talk big, yet never seem to make the time or space to really share the civic duty of caring for the poor and needy. Tom Berthiaume _______________________________________ 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
