|
REGULAR MEETING February 25, 2019
<br /> everything,well, guess what?You call the Police,you might get arrested. You know?Then you're
<br /> mad because you called the Police. So, we also have to begin thinking about what we can do as a
<br /> community. So, all these hardcore people staying here until 11:30 p.m. listening to me go on and
<br /> on about one(1) of the most important issues of my heart, we have to step up as a community and
<br /> say, you know what,there is more that we can do. That is how we really solve these problems and
<br /> that is how it becomes sustainable. So, the City can do incentives but that is going to be limited
<br /> because I don't think we want our tax money necessarily used in that way. But, there are some
<br /> things we can do. Somebody in this group, anybody who is interested, please step up and work
<br /> with us to create that tenant organization. We need advocacy and we need education because there
<br /> are tenants who don't know how to care for their properties.They get in there and they are stuffing
<br /> up toilets, breaking stuff and that is a problem, too. So, we need tenant advocacy and tenant
<br /> education. We need landlord certification and landlord education. RIA does an excellent job. The
<br /> people who are connected to that, I've been to a couple of their meetings and they are always about
<br /> improving their craft and working with each other. They even invite tenants to come to their
<br /> meeting.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston went on,But this is an important point. I know,it's long,
<br /> but hang in there with me. One(1) of the things I've heard through this process, also, if you don't
<br /> have the money to fix up the properties then maybe you shouldn't be in the business. Well, let me
<br /> tell you the experience of the people in my neighborhood. I know a lot of people who have parents
<br /> who pass away, and they inherit this home. The home may already be in bad shape. Maybe not
<br /> even livable. But this is still a low-income family that now has a potential asset. They don't have
<br /> the money right now to fix that house up but everybody in here knows the importance of home
<br /> ownership and helping people leverage themselves out of poverty. When we look at the racial
<br /> wealth divide,that is what's happening to African Americans because the current system says, oh,
<br /> sorry, you can't fix it up, I'm going to fine you,next thing you know your house is on tax sale and
<br /> I'm taking it from you. We have a problem with African Americans, other people of color and
<br /> many poor people not being able to pass on generational wealth. So, these are the types of things
<br /> we have to ask ourselves when we create policy like this. How does it impact different people?
<br /> These broad strokes don't work. People have different circumstances. You have the landlord who
<br /> is absentee and just using their house like an ATM. That is problematic but then you also have
<br /> other situations. So, we have to be able to address those. That, again, is where that working group
<br /> can come in, and maybe also some of this appeal process. I know Code Enforcement has done a
<br /> great job, thank you Tracy, in recognizing these issues and other situations. We need to apply that
<br /> here as well.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston continued, So, landlord certification and education, if
<br /> there is a situation like that,which I have seen quite a bit,how can we plug them into a group like
<br /> RIA so they can learn and access the resources the City has available. Now, somebody said it's
<br /> time for a different approach. This is it. We create partnerships like we are doing today. Tenants,
<br /> landlords,home owners and the City.We get rid of that language of the bad tenant,the good tenant,
<br /> the bad landlord, and the good landlord.Truth is,there is bad and good in every group. Let's focus
<br /> on, and this is where we need the help from the community. How can we match those tenants with
<br /> landlords? That is something the City can't do. We can't sit up here and legislate that. But there is
<br /> somebody out here, neighborhood associations, you guys know who the struggling tenants are,
<br /> and the landlords who are maintaining their properties well. Let's get that going so we can starve
<br /> out those people. Why do they continue getting government dollars? I have a real problem with
<br /> that if they're not maintaining their properties, but those people have to have somewhere to go.
<br /> That's on us as a community. Again, the issue of contractors. We need to rally those contractors,
<br /> help train and license those people to meet these needs. And guess what? I think I hit all of the
<br /> things on here. I know you're glad about that but I just want to, again, thank everybody. I don't
<br /> want to see you guys disappear. Once we pass this, and I think it will pass, I know I'll be voting
<br /> for it, we need this kind of advocacy around all of these different ongoing issues because the City
<br /> is going to need help to make sure that this is effective. This is just the groundwork. We need to
<br /> make sure it works. Thank you.
<br /> Councilmember Sharon L. McBride stated, I just want to say thank you to the Administration for
<br /> working with the Council and making sure that we had an opportunity for our input. Also, for
<br /> making the changes. One (1) of the things, I think a lot of it has been said, but I just want to say
<br /> 39
<br />
|