Think of whole neighborhood, not one house

Recently a guest columnist in The Greenville News continued the much-needed conversation about the problem of gentrification and its effects on our low-income neighborhoods, and proposed two strategies for addressing the problem. I applaud the columnist’s intentions! So often writers only identify the problem and never offer solutions!

In fact, it inspired me to offer some other ideas related to those he discussed. After 17 years of community and economic development work, mostly through developing single-family homes in the low-income, and special emphasis, neighborhoods of Greenville, I hope that we have earned the right to weigh in.

Since 1998 Homes of Hope has developed 515 homes, 490 of them for low-income families, and currently has 66 more in some stage of construction. We are passionate about a holistic approach to community development that starts with the home, not ends there. Our philosophy is that the home gives us the opportunity for relationship, and the relationship — the opportunity for life change — on both the giving and receiving ends of that relationship.

It is so important for us to think about the whole neighborhood, not just the one house, when formulating strategies for community development. It is also important to us that houses (and thus, families) don’t just become numbers.

One point made in the conversation is that building mixed-income housing in low-income neighborhoods always results in gentrification, a loss of low-income units, and that it is forced on the neighborhoods without their input. In many cases this is true. But it has also been our experience that in many other cases the neighborhood associations in some of these neighborhoods have been the very ones asking for mixed-income housing, as they recognize themselves the benefits of a diversity of income ranges among neighbors.

One thing I often tell donors and volunteers is this; “ If there’s one thing that’s most important for you to know about our strategy, is that we have one.” It is so crucial for us to be intentional and strategic in everything we do in the low-income neighborhoods we work in, and the most important thing is that the neighbors themselves are the ones driving the strategy!

Therefore some of our resulting strategies include not selling our affordable rental housing when the family qualifies for a mortgage, but rather selling that family a different house down the street and moving another family into the rental so they can start their own road map to success. This ensures that there is always housing in these neighborhoods that is available and affordable for low-income families. It is our way of combating gentrification. For an example of this strategy in another city, go to http://bit.ly/1E2SETD.

Another strategy is to mostly build single-family homes. We believe strongly that everyone deserves a chance to have a front and back yard, and a front porch to interact with neighbors. And lastly, we believe strongly in only building market-quality homes. We don’t want to be able to tell a person’s income by looking at their housing.

Considering strategies in these neighborhoods must include the good of the whole neighborhood, not just the data count of housing units. This is long-term thinking. And it must always include the neighbors themselves. They already know what they need. They don’t need anyone else to tell them.

Gentrification is indeed a dire threat in these neighborhoods and we all must be engaged in solutions now, otherwise Greenville could become San Francisco (where their workforce can’t afford to live near the city they work in). It is our hope that solutions will come from within, and will come from thoughtfulness towards whole health, not just housing counts.

Don Oglesby is president and CEO of Homes of Hope Inc. For more information go to www.homesofhope.org.