[Durham INC] instead of plywood on windows...

Sat Mar 5 10:28:10 EST 2011

Lorisa,

I completely agree and I appreciate you and the work DAHC does. I'd love to
talk to you offline sometime about how DCLT got started, and if there was
anyway to get DCLT to work in Cleveland-Holloway and the surrounding area.
At the very least, maybe a group of like-minded neighbors here could create
our own land trust based on your model.

Thanks for your comments,
Matt Dudek

On Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 9:58 AM, Lorisa Seibel <Lorisa at dahc.org> wrote:

> Matt:
> I agree that all neighborhoods and non-profits are different with unique
> paths to the same goals of safe housing and neighborhoods for everyone in
> Durham.
>
> This Spring, I am working with the Housing Results Based Accountability
> group to help the City, County, and Durham community define clear goals and
> measure our progress each year.  We plan to bring proposed goals and
> measures to the INC and other groups in April, hold a community meeting in
> May, and bring our agreed-on goals and measures to the City & County in
> June.  Annual measures should help the City and County prioritize limited
> funding for programs that meet our goals in the future.
>
> I encourage you to hold government, non-profit, and for-profit groups
> accountable.  Also, please support groups that provide needed,
> cost-effective programs.
> Lorisa
> ===
>
> On Mar 5, 2011, at 9:04 AM, Matt Dudek wrote:
>
> Cleveland-Holloway is an example of a neighborhood that was almost hurt
> very badly by giving away property to non-profits. In our approximately 20
> block neighborhood we have around 15 non-profits who operate halfway houses
> and group homes including the fanastic Genesis Home. And the durham rescue
> mission and Urban Ministries serving the cities homeless population. This is
> obviously a very high concentration of social services which can make an
> area undesirable for anyone of any income level that has any choice about
> location.
>
> Additionally, not all non-profits are created equal. For example there is
> one non-profit running a group home here and the house obviously does not
> meet minimum housing code yet the employees drive hummers and jaguars.
>
> The city also almost sold Half of an entire block to a non-profit who was
> going to build a "lock-in" facility for troubled youth right in our
> neighborhood. Luckily the neighborhood fought it and the city listened. A
> year later that nonprofit was being sued by the city for embezzlement or
> malfeasance.
>
> I am not a person who says not in mh back yard, I bought a home with these
> organizations in my backyard, but giving away land to any nonprofit can
> create a concentration of poverty that can make neighborhoods worse, not
> better. I can appreciate free rent, or even free land for groups with proven
> track records, but overconcentrating poverty will cause anyone who has a
> choice, to move.
>
> This is a complicated issue, and I hope my quickly typed email doesn't come
> across as combative or trite. I think this is a great discussion.
>
> Sincerely,
> Matt Dudek
>
> Cleveland-Holloway
>
> INC & Ken:
> Walltown, West End, & Burch Avenue Neighborhood revitalizations were
> initiated by neighborhoods working with non-profits, including Durham
> Affordable Housing Coalition, Durham Community Land Trust, Habitat, and
> Self-Help.  As a result, there has been a dramatic decrease in crime and
> vacant/substandard housing.
>
> Now, the market drives the cost of housing up, especially in my old
> neighborhood, Burch Avenue.  However, it is still one of the most
> economically and racially diverse neighborhoods in Durham.  How?
>
> I am one of the founders of the Burch Avenue Neighborhood Association,
> which created the Durham Community Land Trust 24 years ago.  We started the
> Land Trust because our neighbors had paid rent for 30 years and did not have
> safe, stable housing.  Some of our neighbors had literally worked for Duke
> AND rented homes owned by Duke for 30 years.  With the Land Trust, these
> neighbors finally got the opportunity to buy their homes.  Elderly and
> disabled neighbors know their rents would never rise beyond their fixed
> incomes.  Without the Land Trust, many of our lower income neighbors would
> not be able to continue to buy and rent quality homes in their
> neighborhoods.
> See:
> http://www.dclt.org/aboutDCLT.cfm
>
> The City only provides a relatively small percentage of the cost of
> affordable housing.  However, City funds are critical to leverage private
> financing for homeownership and quality rental homes.
>
> CITY STAFF PROPOSED ELIMINATING OR CUTTING FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES &
> BASIC SERVICES FOR HOMELESS AND HUNGRY PEOPLE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
>
> Programs that may lose funds, include:
> Urban Ministries of Durham's Community Kitchen and
> Interfaith Hospitality Network's Case Manager, who, each year, helps 25
> families with children move from churches into their own homes.
>
> See "Get Involved" on the left side of our website:
> http://www.dahc.org/
>
> INC has already supported a resolution to the City to continue funding for
> housing, services, and neighborhoods.  NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!
>
> Come to the City budget public hearing on Monday, March 7, 7:00pm, AND talk
> with City Council members at Coffees with Council.
>
> Thanks.
> Lorisa
>
> Lorisa Seibel
> Durham Affordable Housing Coalition
> 400 W. Main St. Suite 408, Durham, NC 27701
> (919) 683-1185 ext. 25
> (fax) 688-0082
> Lorisa at dahc.org
> www.dahc.org
> <http://www.dahc.org/>===
>
> On Mar 5, 2011, at 6:53 AM, Ken Gasch wrote:
>
> How does putting more disadvantaged, poor folk in a disadvantaged, poor
> neighborhood help those folk and the neighborhood?  How does that bring
> opportunity to the neighborhood?  How does that increase the socioeconomic
> diversity of the person's social network?
>
> respectfully,
>
> Ken Gasch
> REALTOR®/Broker
> Seagroves Realty
> www.KenGasch.com
> C: 919.475.8866
> F: 866.229.4267
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 6:38 AM, Lorisa Seibel <Lorisa at dahc.org> wrote:
>
>> Ken,
>> I have the same question as Julie.  Please reply to both of us.
>>
>> How has the City policy to give properties to non-profits hurt a
>> neighborhood?
>> As far as I know, the City has only just recently used this policy to give
>> a few properties to Habitat.
>>
>> Thanks.
>> Lorisa
>>
>> How?
>
>
> Julie Omohundro
>
> Durham, North Carolina
>
> <freespirit0623 at earthlink.net>freespirit0623 at earthlink.net
>
>
> *From:* inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:inc-list-bounces at rtpnet.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Ken Gasch
> *Sent:* Friday, March 04, 2011 8:49 PM
> *To:* Melissa's yahoo
> *Cc:* inc listserv
> *Subject:* Re: [Durham INC] instead of plywood on windows...
>
>
> Let them eat cake?
>
>
> This brings me to another point. While well meaning, the city's policy of
> giving properties to non-profits hurts and area's ability to pull itself up
> by its boot straps.
>
>
>
> Ken Gasch
>
> REALTOR®/Broker
> Seagroves Realty
> <http://www.KenGasch.com>www.KenGasch.com
> C: 919.475.8866
> F: 866.229.4267
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> list at durham-inc.org
> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rtpnet.org/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20110305/b9fe9a8c/attachment.html>