Neighborhoods

In January of 2010, the Poverty Initiatve, a group based in New York that aims to reignite Dr. Martin Luther King's Poor People's Campaign, visited Philadelphia for an immersion tour. The tour highlighted the history of the struggles of poor people in this city. Willie Baptist and Liz Theoharis, of the Poverty Initiative,  shared stories about the struggle of the homeless in 1995 and 1996.

I came across this mind blowing article in The Bulletin newspaper about a new high-end real estate project on Rittenhouse Square. One thing that is particularly surprising is 300 people showed up for the unveiling including Dwight Evans, Chaka Fattah, Lynne Abraham, and Michael Nutter. What a strage array of folks for the opening of a condo building. What kind of interests are really involved here? Where is the money coming from? As one of the new purchasers quoted in the article "The general rules don't apply in this case". Fascinating!

Gregory Heller wrote an op-ed in last week's Daily News calling for legislation that would halt increases in property taxes for longtime homeowners in gentrifying neighborhoods.I think this is a great way to protect longtime residents in neighborhoods that are developing and would like to see this kind of legislation passed here. But I would also like to hear from those working or living in those neighborhoods.

Here are some key points Gregory makes:

Census data shows that Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate of the nation's 10 largest cities, at 24.5 percent. At the same time, we have a citywide homeownership rate of 59 percent, much higher than comparable cities.

Even the most disadvantaged Philadelphia neighborhoods (with more than 25 percent of residents with incomes below the poverty line) still have at least a 40 percent ownership rate. Compare this to a neighborhood like Harlem in New York, with about 10 percent homeownership, and a citywide average of 32 percent.

We have an opportunity that very few cities have: many low- and moderate- income homeowners. When an area gentrifies, homes may increase substantially in value. From 1999-2005, the median sale price in East Falls went from $70,000 to $202,000; in Fairmount, from $105,500 to $300,000; in Fishtown, from $40,000 to $159,900; and in University City, from $100,000 to $322,500.

Philadelphia has more than 92,000 owner-occupied households with incomes of less than $20,000 a year. If low- and moderate- income homeowners could afford to stay in gentrifying communities, they could benefit from the area's rebirth, and stand to develop a valuable asset. Over time, this approach could have an impact in reducing our city's poverty rate, while revitalizing our neighborhoods in a way that is equitable and diverse.

And the full article here or after the break.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO EVERY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN PHILADELPHIA

The Community Preservation Network has prepared the advisory below for your immediate attention. If you care about being able to control development in your community - wherever you happen to live or work in Philadelphia - then you have ONE week to contact your district Councilperson, at-large Councilpersons and the mayor to STOP this legislation from being passed.

Listen to an excerpt from a community meeting at Songhai City Cultural Center about the Industrial Transformation District Bills currently before City Council. The speaker is Al Alston of the African American Business and Resident Association.

Please attend the city council hearing on February 7th, at 10 am, City Hall room 400.

Here is a link http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/opinion/local2/region/16548228.htm to a Philadelphia Inquirer Commentary about murals in poor neighborhoods.

Murals: Insipid, not inspiring

By Joseph P. Blake

I did something the other day I don't normally do - I stopped to look at one of the many murals that decorate the walls of Philadelphia. I'm not a big fan of murals, at least not the kind usually found in communities bordering on full-scale gentrification, such as Mantua and parts of North Philadelphia. This day, however, my attention was drawn to one painted on the side of a house next to a vacant lot on 16th Street near Montgomery, right across the street from Temple's athletic field. It features images that are almost otherworldly in their presentation and somewhat spooky and unnerving in design.

This from Al Alston:

In case you missed this, there is big trouble at the "non-profit" Brewerytown CDC. And, our sources tell us that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/business/16331806.htm

Their Secrecy, Our Right to Know Four weeks ago today we sent an ultimatum to Chairman Tad Decker of the PA Gaming Control Board (and we sent a copy to the Governor too) to release documents about what is being proposed in our neighborhoods. Despite our right to know, the Gaming Control Board continues to hide these documents, like updated traffic plans and impact studies.

Which leads us to December 11th Two weeks from today, on Monday, December 11th, Philadelphians and our friends from across the Commonwealth are taking a historic action in our State Capitol.

Please join us in Harrisburg to help us liberate the documents and create a more democratic process. For background on Operation Transparency, go to http://www.casinofreephila.org/Operation%20Transparency.html.

The Plan

Regina Medina of the Daily News has a good article of the gentrification of Francisville today:

The neighborhood, like others throughout the city, faces gentrification, increased housing prices and higher property taxes. And that was the topic of conversation over dinner yesterday.

"We were here when this was falling down around us and now we're being run out," said Rob Reddy, 62, who was born and raised on Uber Street.

Reddy and his friends Lee Ruffin and Clayton Morris all agree - Center City is expanding into Francisville.

Here Comes the Neighborhood www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=12925

"Temple's lack of involvement in off-campus development suggests the area may have trouble matching the accomplishments of the Penn community."

Accomplishments?

I think a lot of the displaced [and soon to be displaced] residents of West Philadelphia would disagree with Jesse Smith's analysis of the merits of Penn's "development" of "University City".