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Gentrification Solicitation
Last evening I received as call from a member of the D.A.R.E. association which, as far as I am aware of, is an affiliate of the 199 Camp St Neighborhood Association. I was invited to attend a meeting scheduled for Thursday at 6:00PM at 199 Camp Street.
This is the first time that I have been directly contacted by any member of this association. Post work I returned the call for more details. The phone was answered by a young woman – first name: Sara. She confirmed that she was the individual whom had left me the message. I asked her to speak of the meeting agenda. She proceeded to tell me that a meeting was in place to speak of the “History of gentrification” from the 1920’a to current, the history of Fox Point and its urban changes and the learning’s we should take from that movement and the obstacles facing our Mt Hope community and the “gentrification” which is occurring.
I was silent on the phone; initially from shock. When I responded I proceeded to tell her that first, a 6:00PM meeting based on feedback from many of my neighbors who had hoped to join previous meetings scheduled early weekdays does not suit the availability of most of the working professionals in the neighborhood. Despite consistent recommendations regarding meeting times to this association, I questioned her again in regards to this issue. I received no answer. I mentioned that meetings that are scheduled early are only going to attract a demographic who work non-traditional hours which will severely limit the participation rate in the aforementioned meetings.
Secondly, I told this woman that perhaps I was not the best “participant” for this meeting as I am very happy with the improvements that our neighborhood has made in recent years (Thank you Lt. S.) and I welcome all individuals and families alike who are moving to Mt Hope, investing in real estate, improving and maintaining their homes, landscaping, sweeping their curbs, planting flowers and over all making this neighborhood a beautiful and safe place to reside and asked her to either agree or disagree with me.
If you think this so called “gentrification”– is the sole cause of rent increases and property value increases I challenge you to research the economics of our society. The cost of living is increasing all around us, no matter who you are! I am empathetic to anyone who may be “forced” out of their home due to raising rents, but I am enraged that many think the sole cause of this is from the Caucasian or Non-African American population.
I told Sara of the meeting I attended about 1 month ago, where members of our community directly think that it is the Caucasian population and their “Lily white asses” causing this issue! I was and still am outraged at the reverse racism which exists within our community. I told Sara that if the community worked together they could pool resources and their efforts to ensure that the City was properly considering members of various households and ensuring proper housing options. Instead, members of the community are crying “gentrification” and would rather “not see the neighborhood change” and remain in harms way with crime.
Interesting enough many feel that the “crime does not affect them.” At current standing, why would the community want to promote more housing options with mentalities like that? I told her that if she were to review the police reports from this year alone she would notice that most of the illegal activities stem from residents residing in these housing options.
In the last many years of homeownership, all disturbing events near my home in which police were called to intervene, were due to excessive noise and gatherings of individuals residing or visiting tenants in the subsidized housing on my street – not the hard working homeowners and their families or tenants.
Why isn’t local government more actively involved in this? Where is our often disengaged Councilman? Our problems in this neighborhood have been previously diagnosed due to “intercommunity relationships”. Why are neighborhood tax dollars for these programs not being used to create better neighborhoods through relationship building efforts with neighbors, law enforcements and other city officials rather than meeting about “gentrification”?
C.Penardo
Posted at August 30, 2007 10:28 AM