Many times government does things *to* people, without asking them what they want, and without listening to those who speak up. Allied Drive is no exception to this practice, but neither are they alone in experiencing this phenomenon. Though, arguably, in many respects, their stakes are higher. Despite our best efforts to create systems that provide opportunities for people on Allied Drive to have input into what happens to and in their neighborhood, we don’t seem to have gotten it right yet.
I haven’t quite figured out what is wrong, but it seems to be a severe lack of communication both within the Department of Planning and Development (currently being reorganized, partially because of issues like this) and within the City as a whole. Add to that the fact that we seem to have different philosophies within the City staff, within the Department of Planning and Development and throughout the City, about how and when to communicate with the neighborhood. Regardless of why or how it is happening, it is clear, we need to communicate better, more often and start to build some trust between the neighborhood and the City. Unfortunately, when events happen like are reported by Vikki Kratz in this week’s Isthmus (please read! its the third story in this compilation. Here’s some additional background), it sets everything back another step.
I don’t know how to solve the problem, but I do know that I am introducing two resolutions to get a better conversation going in the neighborhood with the City. The first one stems from a meeting I was at on Tuesday morning where a City staff person told us that staff had met and had decided that they couldn’t have people who were displaced from the buildings on Allied Drive because the City was talking to the landlord about a nuisance abatement move into the 2/3 vacant City owned property because the Council has passed a resolution to that effect. I didn’t quite recall what he was talking about, but sure enough, I looked it up and we did say something to that effect. So I wrote a resolution to “undo” our action. Turns out, that caused an uproar in City Hall and now, less than 24 hours after I submitted the resolution, I’m being told that now the city staff feel that they can, in fact, allow Meyer Management to rent to new families to prevent them from being displaced from Allied Drive. One issue resolved, I hope. And the Council hasn’t even voted yet!
The second part of that resolution goes a bit further and says that we should be renewing leases with the current residents in our properties and that we should allowing new people to rent. We currently don’t have a time line for when we will start to rehabilitate or demolish and rebuild on this property. When we bought the 129 units on Allied Drive there were 89 occupied units, and now there are less than 50. 42 families (or maybe even less now as my numbers are about a month old) and some service providers. Three buildings have been shut down. And families have had to move out of the Allied Drive area. (Please read Lisa Subeck’s account of one family’s experience. ) Until we have a timeline for construction, I think we should be keeping these buildings rented and having them produce income.
The second resolution I will be introducing on Tuesday night will provide an opportunity for the Allied Drive Task Force to give the City input on what kind of housing they think should be provided in the Allied Drive area. Currently, residents have been asking for the following:
- No more than 40% of the units would be owner-occupied.
- Of the rental units, at least 50% would be affordable for the folks who live on Allied Drive – meaning someone making $14,900 wouldn’t pay more than 30% of their income for rent.
- No more “innocent” families will be displaced due to City initiated actions. If families are displaced that funding be provided for relocation costs (moving expenses and security deposit help) and that similarly priced units are found for the families to live in.
I’m not sure these two resolutions will solve the bigger problems of communication on Allied Drive, but I think they provide the opportunity for people to start the conversation that is so important to the people who live there. All of this uncertainty about the future of where they live is stressful and we need to better.
