It's only the middle of the week and so far too much has happened. We all know about the tragedy that happened at Virginia Tech so I won't say much more on that. I really don't have anything "new" to add other than that I keep hearing that Nickelback song play on and on and it depresses me.
I'm one of only a handful of people that know about a recent hate crime committed against a homeless person that happened in Cleveland. I personally spoke to the victim and he asked me to respect his privacy so there's not much I'm going to say other than that this is a full-out national epidemic. This man was beaten on the head with a 2x4 by some kids. Apparently the new trend in teenage entertainment is to beat/throw things at/set fire to people that happen to be homeless. Across the state, across the nation, it is happening all the time with many incidents not even reported to the police.
A few weeks ago, a man in Florida was beaten with a cinder block by three kids--one of them was seventeen and the other two were ten years old. The man nearly died.
The National Coalition for the Homeless released their 2006 Hate Crimes Committed Against Homeless People report. Check it out to get a full portrait of this epidemic.
Also this week: I got notice that ODOT is doing a sweep of a homeless camp. Why--It's located near a freeway in a marginal area. Who cares. If these people are safe, let them be so they aren't forced into a more dangerous area, making them become the next victims.
Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeless. Show all posts
4.18.2007
1.05.2007
Why I Hate Luxury Condos, Part 1
While searching for articles on homelessness via Google News, I stumbled upon this beauty from the Washington Post:
"Million Dollar Condos to Be Built Above Church Serving Homeless."
I congratulate the fact that luxury condos attempt to create a mixed neighborhood. Instead of being secluded in the suburbs, they are built amidst poverty with no intent to keep their residents' eyes hidden from the realities of an urban area. It sounds like a good attempt at creating a melting pot neighborhood.
But this isn't Sesame Street. I highly doubt that owners of $400k 1 bedroom condos have chosen their location so they can mingle with the homeless folks sleeping at their curb. In fact, I doubt any homeless people would be allowed within 100 ft of their million-dollar developments. The problem is this: There is a place for luxury condos and we need to realize that. But that place isn't everywhere. What developers have failed to realize is that WE DON'T NEED MANY LUXURY CONDOS, whether it be in DC or here in Cleveland. We're poor. We have loads of people without homes. What we need is safe, affordable housing. We need more CMHA. We need more mixed-income housing units. We need more housing priced below $100k that is decent (no-frills). We need safe homes for families--who make up the fastest growing population of people that are homeless.
The Homeless Congress has it all figured out-- we could create jobs and housing by having people renovate old, abandoned buildings into affordable homes.
Condos will not make a neighborhood. Look at both Tremont and Ohio City. Sure they've been yuppi-fied, which some people see as a good thing. But it's a strange mix of the wealthy "urban hipsters" and the original poor residents who are continuously being pushed out. Enough pushing. We need to solve the problem.
In the article, a managing broker for a real estate firm had this to say, "You don't need the soup kitchen to make it a tough sell. It's a tough sell because it's a condo, and if there's anything we need less of now, it's condos. It's like overkill."
"Million Dollar Condos to Be Built Above Church Serving Homeless."
I congratulate the fact that luxury condos attempt to create a mixed neighborhood. Instead of being secluded in the suburbs, they are built amidst poverty with no intent to keep their residents' eyes hidden from the realities of an urban area. It sounds like a good attempt at creating a melting pot neighborhood.
But this isn't Sesame Street. I highly doubt that owners of $400k 1 bedroom condos have chosen their location so they can mingle with the homeless folks sleeping at their curb. In fact, I doubt any homeless people would be allowed within 100 ft of their million-dollar developments. The problem is this: There is a place for luxury condos and we need to realize that. But that place isn't everywhere. What developers have failed to realize is that WE DON'T NEED MANY LUXURY CONDOS, whether it be in DC or here in Cleveland. We're poor. We have loads of people without homes. What we need is safe, affordable housing. We need more CMHA. We need more mixed-income housing units. We need more housing priced below $100k that is decent (no-frills). We need safe homes for families--who make up the fastest growing population of people that are homeless.
The Homeless Congress has it all figured out-- we could create jobs and housing by having people renovate old, abandoned buildings into affordable homes.
Condos will not make a neighborhood. Look at both Tremont and Ohio City. Sure they've been yuppi-fied, which some people see as a good thing. But it's a strange mix of the wealthy "urban hipsters" and the original poor residents who are continuously being pushed out. Enough pushing. We need to solve the problem.
In the article, a managing broker for a real estate firm had this to say, "You don't need the soup kitchen to make it a tough sell. It's a tough sell because it's a condo, and if there's anything we need less of now, it's condos. It's like overkill."
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