Displaced Poor Have No Options

GUEST COLUMN / Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By MABLE THOMAS , TYRONE BROOKS - Published on: 05/07/07

We agree with the editorial "Good riddance to bad housing" (@issue, April 30).
No one deserved to live in the Atlanta Housing Authority's old, dingy, antiquated buildings that festered in our communities for decades in ill repair and neglect.

What person with money would desire to live in an old AHA project? With money you can live in nicer, mixed-income housing where your tax dollars work for you, not against you.

But we must have compassion and be careful not to rush to judgment in harshly criticizing the single parents and children trapped in poverty; remember many of us with our good jobs still live paycheck-to-paycheck.

We are not opposed to the new mixed-income developments produced by the AHA. However we are opposed to the high level of displacement of the poor who are classified as extremely low and very low income by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and who cannot afford to move from AHA housing into the open market. Units that are being torn down are not being replaced in the open market or through any AHA programs for people displaced. The tearing down of 3,000 more units will increase the number of displaced residents.

The lack of affordable units in this city is at crisis levels. What we need is a combined effort between city, county and even the state to produce affordable housing. This is where the voices of concerned citizens assist us in doing our job.

Most people living in public housing are more than jobless. They have other issues such as health or age that prevent them from working. Most have low skill levels that will only provide earnings a few cents above minimum wage.

Turning around negative behavior requires more time, discipline and intervention. The funds are not available to service providers that can provide the needed level of assistance.

All of us are in agreement that individuals should be responsible, educated and working.

However, that is a conversation that should be held at every level of government by conservatives and liberals if we want an inclusive society.