Mr. Hohmann, You dismiss neighborhood concerns about upcoming zoning changes as "conspiracy theories," as if nothing is going on and we are foolish to be concerned.
Here are some facts. -In February of 2002, The Shelter Advisory Board, a group made up almost exclusively of individuals employed by housing entities, sent the Mayor's office, the zoning changes they want, which include elimination of ANY SPACING of supportive housing, as well as other significant changes. The current standard, when it is (rarely) enforced, is ONE supportive housing facility per quarter mile. This is a major change in zoning policy. -In April, at a Housing Summit the Mayor voiced no opinion about such changes. -In June, aid Erik Takeshita, committed to shepherding the SAB changes through the Council. -In June, neighbors from Whittier and Stevens Square met with the Mayor specifically to determine his stance on supportive housing spacing, and he said, "that's not on my agenda," and changed the subject. The neighbors asked to be informed of any discussions on the issue and to be allowed an opportunity to participate in future discussions. The Mayor agreed to do so. Whittier and Stevens Square have heard nothing from the Mayor's office on this subject. This may be a misunderstanding, but it is not just a theory. The Mayor is a leading voice in housing matters and gained the admiration of many of us for making housing improvements his major goal. Now the rubber hits the road. Where will the housing improvements go? Will there be a racial or economic pattern to the placement? Will more than just a few areas of the City participate? Will poor or low voter-turn-out areas be targeted for the difficult-to-place facilities such as supportive housing? Will he challenge the Council, and non-profit developers to integrate affordable and supportive housing throughout the City? Like you, I'd welcome a definitive statement from the Mayor's office regarding his stance on spacing of supportive housing, whether he thinks supportive housing should be clustered and if so, how dense should the clusters be, and where should they be? This is an important public policy issue, and major changes in zoning laws will be felt for many, many years. 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
