Jana Metge writes: As the former Director of CNIA from 1992-2000, I do not have the same recollection as Wizard. But, our NRP meetings were videotaped and available at the NRP office. Anyone is welcomed to watch them and see for themselves. We also compilied the statistics of the distribution of NRP funds, Joe Horan has this available, as well as Earl Rogers from Southside Neighborhood Housidng Services.
"The Healy Block" renovation was developed through MCDA Administrative dollars. A $14,000 contract hired Tom Zahn to put together a re-development plan for this area. MCDA then created a historic rehab fund which provided rehab funds to PRG to rehabilitate three of the MCDA owned proprerties, through a competitive city-wide process. The other homes on the block, at the time, were done with homeowners sweat equity. At the time there were 14 vacant and boarded, deferred M & R homes in the Healy Block area. This initiative was started by the block, but supported by Richard Barrett, then Housing Chair for CNIA, now Assistant HN County Juvenile Probation Director under Michael Belton. Richard, an African-American who grew up in Central, believed in the historical significance of this block, and it's preservation. Another goal was to preserve and rehab as many of the 144 boarded and vacant properties in this 72 block neighborhood. Together with Honeywell and funders and 3 other neighborhoods, we created the HOMS Initiative. Again, funding was distributed according to goals set. Jim Buesing can be contacted for this information as well. But, since I sat on the Advisory Committee, I do know that 67% of the homes were sold to families below 60% of metro area median income, 156 new homeownership opportunities were created, over 50% of ALL jobs went to Mpls. residents and HOMS exceeded the Minneapolis' minority hiring requirements for work done. Homes were sold to 68% people of color, 87% first time homebuyers, 85% to existing residents from South Mpls. Neighborhoods. After the creation of HOMS, 4 houses on the Healy block were granted rehab grants. At the time I was there, the grants were $15,000 per household throughout the neighborhood, except for one resident whose house received $30,000 and another receiving $45,000. It's always challenging to be fair in a neighborhood organization, but the type of comments Wizards writes below I never heard at NRP meetings or Board meetings (even in our most heated settings). If comments are made, it is not OK, Wizard is right....but let's separate comments from individuals from the work of a neighborhood organization. People in Central want to move on, let's all help them. - jana Metge Wizard writes: You've never participated in the neighborhood meeting cycles either before or after the onset of NRP. I have. I've sat in meetings monthly and twice monthly for years on end. Those who claim to speak for the poor are virtually always labeled as being out for themselves. Those who speak for the poor are most often also black and poor themselves. But no one mentions, for example, that the whole Healy block routine (which went on for years) was about a very, very few people speaking only for themselves and getting the city, NRP, and whoever else to pay for it. There have been other initiatives requiring meeting cycles as well and there, too, the poor and the black, particularly, are labeled and accused of wanting to control all the money and of being in it only for themselves. That was the accusations for the so called Blue Crew. Were they are more larcenous at heart? Nope. Were they any less larcenous? Probably not, but they had seen the most vocal whites get everything they asked for and felt secure in their belief that black people, who have lived in Central for generations, didn't appear to be getting the same deal. _______________________________________ 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
