Not everyone likes what we do or plan to do.
On Tuesday, the day after our closing, The Dallas Business Journal posted a report on the progress we've made on our CityWalk @ Akard project.
Before the day was over, John Greenan (Executive Director of the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation) received this email message:
Dear Sir:
Although I applaud your interest in meeting the needs of Dallas County's poor, I read with horror the news article in the Dallas Business Journal today regarding the purchase of a downtown building to house low income and homeless persons.
Now that we're finally seeing some improvement downtown, including luxury condo development, you want to offer downtown housing to bums, crazies and drug addicts.
Beautiful.
I noticed that 9 units will be priced at market value. Who in their right mind would rent an apartment in a tower of homeless people?
You've got to be kidding!
For that matter, how long do you think even moderately poor people will stay in your building?
I guarantee you that the building will be trashed and the project declared a failure within 12 months of opening.
Are you even going to rehabilitate the outside of the building? If so, at least some good will come of this Quixotian nightmare.
Please consider finding another outlet for your altruism before you stop the progress downtown.
____________________
As is often the case with critics, this gentleman gets the facts all wrong. CityWalk @ Akard will not be a "tower of homeless people." Fifty units of the 209 will be leased by formerly homeless persons. This ratio is well below some of the best national models. To be clear, we wanted the ratio to be closer to 50%, but the Mayor and City Council had other ideas.
I respect this fellow's right to express his point of view.
But, as I know you would expect, I couldn't disagree more.
It is clear he personally knows no one who is poor or homeless. If he did, his worldview would be much kinder and better informed.
The letter is not entirely without merit. We leased out a house several times a few years ago and everytime it was leased to a low income person it was trashed and we spent thousands of dollars to bring it up to par to lease again. Once we had to hire a truck to haul trash away.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the 13th month when he's proven wrong... :)
ReplyDeleteAnother case of "Not In My Backyard" Do it, but not in downtown Dallas -- ship 'em off somewhere else like they don't matter...
I think what is not being appreciated here, by the gentleman and many others, is the vision of economic integration. This type of integration will introduce resources and a sense of community that is not present in standard low-income housing situations. (I do realize that I'm preaching to the choir here.) For me, this is the beauty and power of the CityWalk @ Akard project.
ReplyDeleteThe gentleman is logical in suggesting that no one would willingly move there if they possess resources to do otherwise. What he is not getting..is that some people will see it as an opportunity for mission and service. There is where the power of Christ can be expressed for all to see.
May God bless this work.
Speaking of hypocricy, have you heard about John Edwards, who is always bashing Wal-Mart? He sent a volunteer to Wal-Mart to buy a Playstation 3 for his son.
ReplyDeleteAs much as the letter, and other NIMBY critics, lights my fire, really, all they do is inspire me to keep educating and advocating. Sometimes it does fall on deaf ears, but just thinking about the potential power of if what I have to say might actually change someone's view....
ReplyDeleteBut then...I'm known as the one City employee who invites her critics to join citizen commissions, empowering them to do more than complain...lol.
Here's an Interesting Book.
ReplyDeleteA synopsis:
"The book’s basic findings are that conservatives who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families and reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans, by any measure.
Conversely, secular liberals who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less to charity. They want everyone’s tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don’t provide them with enough money.
Such an attitude, he writes, not only shortchanges the nonprofits but also diminishes the positive fallout of giving, including personal health, wealth and happiness for the donor and overall economic growth.
All of this, he said, he backs up with statistical analysis."
RC, great news! We will keep you in our prayers. I agree about the benefit of that insurance card! And, yes, we will keep fighting!
ReplyDeleteA similar program in Seattle has actually brought some of their communities together in respect for the homeless and unfortuante. The old cliche of "One bad apple spoils the hole basket full." may be proper for this situation.
ReplyDeleteCome on I've seen those who have money destroy and abuse rental properties throughout the nation.
Keep your head up CityWalk for the Akard project may just prove many wrong.
Scott
Turning It Over
First of all, I think this guy's terminology is funny. They're not homeless people if they live in the building.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, let's just give this guy the benefit of the doubt and for argument's sake say this project fails. I'm wondering how many altruistic successes the writer of the letter has had. I think it's better to act and fail than to not act at all.
The success of the project is almost secondary to CDM's willingness to take risk and try to help the poor.
Press on, Larry!
By the way, I just received CDM's annual statement. While I appreciate that you need and want to send that information out to people, I would just assume you save the postage and printing cost on me. If I was a part of the Dallas community I might feel differently. But as an outsider to your local community, you might as well save that bit of cash.