Yes, I agree with Jim, it is time for a neighborhood alert. While Minneapolis has never given much more than lip service to racial or economic integration, we are about to see even the lip service go away. The Shelter Advisory Board with the assistance of the Mayor's office is touting zoning changes that would eliminate any spacing of SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (housing for individuals with sufficient disability that they require full-time on site supervision and programming).
The current law (chapter 536.20), limits supportive housing to one per quarter mile. What happens in fact is that the City enforces this law in wealthy neighborhoods and ignores the law in weaker neighborhoods, thereby creating hyper-concentration in the areas that are already struggling. The vehicle the City uses to circumvent its own laws is the occasional invocation of the Federal Fair Housing Act (four times in the last ten years). Does the City use the FFHA to place supportive housing in one of the 38 or so neighborhoods with none? No, that would require real political courage. The City has only used FFHA in areas already concentrated with supportive housing, like Central, Stevens Square and Phillips, which have up to 17 facilities per � mile. Political power is fascinating to watch in action. Why would the Mayor secretly push these zoning changes that will surely increase racial and economic segregation? It might be his solution to the Lydia House and Collaborative Village law suits and others that are sure to follow. If you get a chance, ask him. And also ask him, the Shelter Advisory Board, and the Council Members how many supportive housing facilities are near their residences. Would it be fair to guess there won't be 17? Segregation is on the march once again in Minneapolis just as if nothing has been learned from Hollman. And we can be ready to hear all sorts of lofty rhetoric about "removing barriers" justifying why we must not just accept segregation, but embrace it. Wouldn't it be nice if our housing advocates and political leaders would just suck it up and go to battle with the many fortress neighborhoods who have shunned the poor and disabled entirely, rather than attack the few neighborhoods with the best records of accepting and nurturing our neediest citizens? Tom Berthiaume Whittier, Stevens Square, Loring Park, Navarre _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
