This morning, the Judge approved the City purchase of the Hauk properties. $4.35M.
How are we ever going to decide what to do there? There is great sentiment on the council that this needs to be owner-occupied. Some of us see this as turning our backs on the people who live there and simply uprooting another community and displacing people once again.
Whatever we do in Allied, a few things are clear:
1. Displacement of residents by the City should be kept to a minimum. Anyone forced to move should be fully compensated for their costs.
2. Rental has to be a part of the solution, because many people who live in Allied will not be able to afford any ownership opportunities we can offer.
3. Rent-to-own is likely a partial solution.
4. Low income ownership opportunities should be offered to current residents first.
5. We need three bedroom rentals. No one builds three bedrooms any more and they are getting harder and harder to find. If we eliminate another 80 or more 3 bedroom apartments, we need to replace them in the community.
Stay tuned, this is going to get interesting.
