2016-447-E Arts - Susan Simone - Spring 2016 Arts Grant Agreement

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DocuSign Envelope ID:AD5F5195-5261-42DC-B9BC-0C3A2COAA716 leig' - he- Co cp„Als 6,t Northside neighbors need help to hang on to homes I live in the Northside community on some investors, The McDade Street. This area and the knolls I nut challenge tor this Community were part of the town's tom- program is to help munity-development program from 1975- f4'0' low-incoine families 1980.These two areas had the highest cow purchase these homes:, centnition of lower-income and mummy It this community is households, substandard housing and in ,„„ not preserved it will be adequate public facilities. lost to investors pro- The town accomplished some of the - riding high-cost living needed work in these areas through grants • for students who can and other entitlements. This community project was closed out in 1981-1982, Some EDWARDS afford the rent. homes were replaced or renovated. A pre- I recently asked the pared final performance report was sub- Guest Town Council to ex- mined, as a certificate of completion to Columnist tend a housing pw- the federal department of Housing and 1,■■om grzmi to the Northside Urban Development in March 1983, which area.Every few months HUD approved on March 7, 1983, I see a minority family moving out of this In 1980-1981, the town acquired the neighborhood to be replaced by students. Church Street public housing site and This area is prime real estate for investors made street improvements on Mitchell who have no other interest in this neigh- Lane, Whitaker and Caldwell Street exten- borhood but to disrupt the lives of the sions. These street improvements were a have-nots to provide for the haves. Some welcome relief, especially the addition of investors have gone as far as to write let- ! curbs, gutters and sidewalks added to tens to minority homeowners seeking to Mitchell Lane from Lindsay Street to Rose- purchase their homes, even though the mary Street. In 1981-1982, the town used a homes are not for sale, Some of my neigh- grant for housing rehabilitation work hors have had white investors actually which totaled 33 units, knock on their doors inquiring to see their HUD approved a housing assistance property. These tactics used have caused plan in January 1984. During this time the some resentment throughout the neigh- town continued to rehabilitate some borhood, for if this was a black investor homes in these neighborhoods. To my doing this in a white neighborhood they knowledge, the town only acquired two would be arrested for trespassing. homes in the Northside area and sold Through the history of Chapel Hill mi- them to two low-income families, This ac- norities have had to give up something to lion by the town raised a lot of hope in gain something. In the '60s, in order to re- the minority communities, Many minori- ceive better teaching materials, we had to ties felt that the town would continue give tip both of our schools and attend these efforts in the Northside area, But not schools outside of our neighborhoods. We much happened for several years, The do not want to lose our neighborhoods Ix- town finally got involved in the Tancller cause the town of Chapel Hill is doing lit. Project on Merritt Mill Road, but after tie or nothing to preserve our communi- these homes were completed not more ties. We do not want to be scattered than a handful of minorities were able to throughout the outskirts of the county. As move into these homes, many are aware we cannot afford to live From the late 1980s until now the de- in a predominantly white neighborhood creasing levels of homeownership of our because we can't even get a loan films the minorities has become a crisis. Habitat for banks in Chapel Hill to pin-chase homes in Humanity has done a great job, but their our own neighborhoods. hinds are limited, The Pine Knolls revolv- I ask the Town Council to please help ing loan fund was intended to provide stop the loss of Our neighborhoods. We homeownership to low-income workers, need support. Its sad to say that this program has not reached all its goals, but the program did Keith M, Edwards, a former UNC police of- keep several houses out of the reach of ncer, lives it: Chapel Hill. CL t1Lt, 404-4 S6c2.1214■-s' - - '10