Good post Bruce! Bruce Shoemaker makes some very good points about "NIMBY" rants by some "Affordable Housing" advocates. Ethical organizations do in fact work with neighborhoods and communities to create housing that is both acceptable and supported by the residents of those communities. In my experience VOA has been such an ethical organization. This is the reason their projects are actually welcomed into neighborhoods. They are considered trustworthy because they do business in a trustworthy ethical manner. VOA, American Indian Housing and other such ethical organizations are why Ventura Village Neighborhood coined the slogan YIMBY. YIMBY, but not "NOT JUST IN MY BACK YARD". I hear an organization that is supposedly an "Affordable Housing Advocacy Organization" has now stolen the slogan.
The problem comes when unethical Non-Profiteer organizations and "Development Organizations" seek to force projects in without regard for the residents, the residents' needs, community planning, or City law itself. Such organizations do damage to the trust of all organizations and developers. They create the environment where not even ethical organizations are sometimes trusted. Such rogue organizations and their political backers do more damage to affordable housing than even the NIMBY neighborhoods. They sow mistrust, fear and classism that are difficult to overcome. Ethical affordable housing advocates should be allying with communities to fight such unethical organizations, not making excuses for them and condemning well meaning neighborhoods. Enemies are much easier to make than friends. Fear is much easier to create than trust. Religious groups in particular should take a long hard look at the glass houses of their congregations before they begin to throw rocks. In the near future VOA and other ethical organizations will be coming to communities to build a new kind of affordable housing. Senior Housing is a kind of housing that already is in critically short supply. Some of this housing will offer "supportive services". Hopefully the unethical developers will not have so poisoned the ground that this important housing has difficulty being accepted and built. Neighborhoods should remember that good ethical organizations, such as VOA, are there to partner with the neighborhood residents to meet real community needs. All neighborhoods should remember that any organization that deals callously, and uncooperatively with other neighborhoods are likely not to be trusted in your neighborhood. For the sake of those needing affordable housing we must all condemn the parasitic organizations whose only interest is profit even if their title is "Non-Profit". But we must also remember that there are some truly good ethical developers also. Some who think police cover for each other should look at the affordable housing advocacy business to see what real covering is all about. Jim Graham, Ventura Village REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
