Subject: Mayor's Visit for Award Shows The Hypocrisy of Other Planned Project
We in Ventura Village have instituted a federal lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis in response to the city's attempt to force a supportive housing project into our neighborhood in defiance of one of its own ordinances. In this process, Ventura Village has been demonized for leading the fight against the pattern of discrimination engaged in by the city, and against the arbitrary granting of special favors to an organization that has attempted to "stuff things down the neighborhood's throat". That organization is Project for Pride in Living (PPL). Paradoxically, Ventura Village has been praised for supporting a similar project within its own borders. Without neighborhood support, it is doubtful that Portland Village project could have gone forward. The neighborhood gave support for financing, gave its NRP dollars, gave support at the City Council, and participated in design considerations. The following is a part of a MCDA News Release about the project getting a national award: "The project's design and mission received strong support from Ventura Village, the local neighborhood association, for transforming an area blighted by poverty and crime and providing housing and services to families who had multiple barriers to permanent housing. The architecture complements existing neighborhood homes, and each building has its own social service office space and recreation space. Portland Village provides lots of green space, a fenced play area for children and off-street parking." From the following news release: "MINNEAPOLIS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD http://www.mcda.org/whats_new/Newsreleases/portland_village.htm The Minneapolis Community Development Agency (MCDA) accepted a Meritorious Achievement Award this week from the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) for Portland Village, a multifamily housing development located at 18th and Portland avenues." "MCDA MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PRODUCTION REACHES 2,700 UNITS http://www.mcda.org/whats_new/Newsreleases/multifamily.htm MCDA housing officials and Mayor R.T. Rybak will give an update about multifamily housing projects in Minneapolis on Monday, Nov. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at Portland Village, 1829 Portland Ave. S. - a 26-unit housing project that recently won the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) Meritorious Award for innovation, extraordinary benefit to the community, replicability and affordability." Ventura Village is very proud of Portland Village. After reading this, the Mayor, City Council, and Tom Fulton should hang their heads in shame. What thanks has this neighborhood received for its help, for its work and money, and for leading the fight to create affordable housing in Minneapolis? None except vilification. Ventura Village has given more to affordable housing than any neighborhood in Minneapolis. It has willingly accepted more supportive housing beds than any other neighborhood. Now the city wants to punish us for our kindness and charity, or worse, to treat us like ignorant rubes who can be taken advantage of. Instead of celebrating Ventura Village's kindness and challenging other neighborhoods to be even 10% as caring, the city has made Ventura Village an example of why other neighborhoods might not want to accept supportive housing at all. What should have been a showcase of the benefits such a project can bring to a neighborhood has instead become a model of shame. The unfairness of the actions of PPL and the City of Minneapolis is a MORAL OUTRAGE that should be condemned by every resident of Minneapolis. It should also be condemned by every affordable housing advocacy agency in Minnesota. Ventura Village does not ask for praise and does not ask for an apology, but we DEMAND justice. Perhaps we need a "Good Samaritan Law" for our communities, a law stating that those neighborhoods that go the extra mile to care for the homeless and create affordable housing WILL NOT be punished for that effort. Perhaps the state should instead punish any municipality that engages in such behavior. Perhaps such punishment could take the form of the state's refusing to fund housing in that city for two years. Any city that participates in illegal concentration of poverty in minority and poor communities should be "suspended" from receiving housing dollars for two years and should not be allowed to lobby at the Legislature in any capacity for the same length of time (sort of like what happened when the U of M basketball team got caught cheating). Hennepin County should refuse to fund supportive housing support services in "Impacted Neighborhoods". Funding such services in those neighborhoods contributes to the pattern of discrimination against both the communities and the residents of the projects. Let me say it again: PPL should hang it head in shame. Ventura Village once took pride in Joe Salvaggio and thought of PPL as its own. That same neighborhood now has to resort to federal lawsuits to prevent PPL from running roughshod over it. What was once "pride" in PPL has become a wish for PPL to go away before it destroys Ventura Village. PPL has certainly ruined its good name in South Minneapolis. Jim Schiebel once threatened that if Ventura Village did not want PPL, then PPL would move on. I wonder what a community vote on that offer would be today? Probably the first vote in favor of a PPL idea in some time. To paraphrase the song: "Where did you go, Joe Salvaggio?" For the sake of affordable housing and the protection of all our community, Mayor Rybak, the City Council, and PPL should learn a lesson from the model and relationship established between Herb Frye, Dan Caine and the Ventura Village residents for the Portland Village project. Ask for help, do not demand it, work with the community to fill a community need, and above all - always, always be honest with the neighborhood residents. Portland Village is a model of a community and a non-profit working together. Ventura Village is proud of Portland Village. It is an example of the good things that can come from listening to a community. PPL's CVI is also a model, but of a very different kind. Everyone should watch the City Council's Z&P Committee decision on the 1033 Franklin Avenue building, another attempt to violate the community. Will City law apply in poor neighborhoods, or will the city willfully disregard community interests and its own ordinances once again? Jim Graham, Ventura Village _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
