Mixed-Income Housing – putting down roots and taking action
“All I have to do is call code enforcement or talk to the Civic League?”
A renter asked me this question, almost in disbelief. She was a mom and spent most of her day at home with her child. She watched the comings and goings on the block, and she had noticed activity going on that made her uncomfortable. She had called me because she didn’t know what to do.
We talked for almost an hour. The part where I shared steps she could take was easy. The harder part was convincing her that the city and the Civic League would listen to her. She had a voice, I told her. She could advocate for her community. People would listen to her, and she shouldn’t let them discount her. As a neighbor who was home most of the day, she saw things that others didn’t. She had a unique, valuable perspective that her community needed.
She said she would call. A few weeks later, she came back and told me with joy that code enforcement and the Civic League had taken her seriously. The city had sent someone out, and she was feeling a lot more comfortable in her home as some of the activity dissipated.
This is one example of the way improving access to housing can cause a ripple effect. This resident was rooted in her home, and she noticed what was happening around her. She had a vision for how her block could be a better place to live. And she discovered that she had the power to help bring that vision to life, and partners who would help her do it.
When you read about FCS’ housing work, I want you to remember this. Yes, making sure that people have homes within their budget is an important end in its own right. When you combine it with relationships and our other pillars, like neighborhood engagement, it becomes the foundation for removing barriers to opportunity, with neighbors leading the way.
Let’s keep working to make sure everyone has a home that can serve as their base for reweaving the fabric of place.
Regards,
Cynthia McNeal, Director of Mixed-Income Housing
