Why Workfoce Housing Will Be Allowed to Destroy Southern New Castle County
This post is going to get me in trouble.
Last week I had an email exchange with a blogger of a different ilk, whom I consider a friend. He had asked me about my impression of the accusation that racism was a factor in the Anti-WFH movement in Southern New Castle County.
I told him that I knew for a fact that Penrose Hollins thought that racism was the motivation of many of the people at the Workforce Housing meeting last month. I know this because Penrose told me. I said that I agree that there were certainly people at that meeting that expressed concern about “those people” moving in.
Then this weekend I had a conversation with a friend of a friend that I saw at the meeting and he buttonholed me for a few minutes to discuss the current goings-on in workforce housing, namely that my prediction is coming true, that there have been several new applications since that meeting, that will not be effected by a moratorium. Out of this conversation, I saw the future.
The guy I was speaking to (we’ll call him Bernie) was discussing the unfortunate issue that there are only 2 Councilmen in Southern NCC, and the other 11 are largely in areas that will be minimally effected by the program.
“Exactly,” He said. “And when that…” and he looked around to see who was behind him.
I knew what was coming, but I couldn’t say anything. I hoped that I was wrong. I hoped that he would veer off course, or that someone that would moderate his behavior was in sight. “That nigger…”
I am certain that he completed his sentence, but I couldn’t hear it, because some part of my brain was spasming. I stopped him. “Bernie, never use that word around me again. It is not OK.
“Furthermore, everytime you use that word or a substitute for it, like ‘those people,’ you lose another battle in the war to stop Workforce Housing. When you say ‘those people’ it doesn’t matter if you mean African-Americans or not, that is what people will think you mean.”
He seemed to understand for a second. Then he said, “It’s not just black people, I don’t want the Spanish coming in either.” It was then that I understood.
You see, the old adage that it only takes a few bad apples to ruin the whole batch is true. There only have to be a few people that have racism as a motivation to stop this poorly implemented program. After a few meetings with racist overtones, people with valid, rational and legal reasons to oppose the program will stop going to the meetings. They won’t want to be branded with that label, so they will let it go.
And the developers will live happily ever after.
Tags: Workforce Housing
Sounds like “Bernie” was a real dead-ender this weekend.
The Workforce Housing issue is developing strong parallels to the Neighborhood Schools Law. By making this issue about keeping out a certain type of person rather than housing density and supporting infrastructure we risk ceding the “moral” high ground to developers – something they do not deserve.
“Bernie’s” attitude may just pave the way for what he’s fighting against.
LG, good for you for calling him out for his unacceptable language. I don’t know that I would have had the courage to do the same thing (I’m pretty non-confrontational when I step away from my keyboard).
That said, if I lived in SoNCCo, housing density and infrastructure wouldn’t be my primary concerns with this issue. I would be more concerned with public safety. Where there’s poverty, there’s crime. Look at the Smalley’s Dam Road area. Why do you think people shy away from neighborhoods that are built near apartment complexes?
I don’t understand why people have to be afraid to speak up about that very real concern. I don’t mean to sound naive. I know that there are full-blown racists out there and they have no place in a civilized society. I’m just saying that there are legitimate issues with this plan that go beyond just overcrowding.
I don’t really give (or believe) two poops about your little self-righteous “more power to us” liberal propaganda story. I think you guys make up most of the man on the street stories here.
However, where will “those people” send their children to school? Where will “those people” work? There is nothing down here for them. I don’t see too many Toyota Priuses in “those neighborhoods” elsewhere, so I assume they will all need to drive good old fashioned <20 mpg vehicles, with inefficient fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
Skip the nonspecific character assassinations of your imagined racist residents, and go after somebody who truly deserves repeated kicks to their sweet and sours: developers.
After all, do you really think they’re going to build quality housing for “those people”? This is a win win for them. They get to go ahead and build stuff in a dead housing market, and they get to build complete sh.t and look like they are socially conscious.
Monroe – first off, I have established my reliability on this blog and others. I don’t make up stories. Your credibility is limited to your entire body of work, currently standing at one comment.
Second, I oppose workforce housing because it sucks. It is poorly designed and many of the good provisions that were in the original ordinance have been stripped out. I see it as a huge payoff to the developers in the county, not the least of which is Paul Clark’s wife.
Third, you may ignore my argument at your own peril. If it isn’t made perfectly clear to the people opposing this that this is not acceptable behavior or motivation, then you will alienate your best voices. Chuck Mulholland has been doing yeoman’s work down here. He has moved people like I have never seen on a local level. I don’t know Chuck’s heart, but I believe that he wouldn’t want to be a part of a group if it becomes dominated by people motivated by hatred.
If you have questions about how I feel about workforce housing, just click on the “workforce housing” tag at the bottom of the original post.
Geek, you are absolutely right. As long as people insist to be horribly shallow thinkers like your bud’s bud, “Bernie,” the real issue that people like Chuck Mulholland have worked so tirelessly to expose, will stand no chance when this is truely debated (if it ever is).
BTW, there is a circling-of-the-wagons starting around Bell now. Totally selling us out.
***side-topic: speaking of “Bernie,” did you know Bernie’s in Wilimington closed up? No more drinking lunches!!! No, wait…
Dom – It was very hard to call him on it. He is about 25 years older that me and I have known him for about that long. Worse, we see each other several times a year.
There are several reasons to oppose WFH, but “my property values will be affected” isn’t supported by any laws. So if it is to be stopped, it has to be using legally valid arguments. “Those people break into houses” isn’t one of them.
Bell is a total schmuck and doesn’t deserve a seat in council. You can throw Powers right in there with him. The two of them are unable to make a decision for themselves.
If anyone thinks racism is dead around here, and it transcends politics, you are deaf and dumb.
I work for a certain pizza delivery fast food chain here in Sussex County. One town, where a previously predominantly white population is now almost split 50/50 Spanish and white… the store tried to accommodate by hiring Spanish speaking front counter help (who had accents) … and sales dropped 25%.
Another town where the crew was predominantly black, and the store performed badly. Six months later most of the crew was white, the sales increased 15%.
Don’t be blind to racism. Just because this was in slower lower Sussex County doesn’t mean that New Castle isn’t immune to it… and using race as a political card has been in play for centuries. Don’t think it still won’t happen.
monroe
I think you guys make up most of the man on the street stories here.
I have two words for you.
You can think whatever you want buddy. But when people running for Senate seats, state seats and county council seats come TO THIS SITE to find out what is going on that should tell you a lot about our credibility.
Squishy – damn, I miss your humor. That was supposed to be funny, right?
Side-topic – congrats on babydon. Sorry I’ve been out of touch on that. I toasted you with a coffee (that I paid for, you bastard) this morning.
Did you eat the placenta?
Ewwww!
Opposition to this ‘bill’ will make strange bedfellows. People actually worried about infrastructure will end up making deals with racists.
It the infrastructure opponents would work to alleviate some of their concerns, maybe the idea of affordable housing down south could come to fruition.
Ewwww!
What?! 😀
Tons of foreclosures that are remaining empty and already worked into infrastructure could be a first step.
Workforce housing is such a boring name.
I propose we call them “Clarksvilles.”
Yeah, but we couldn’t take the “last train to Clarksville”, because there is no access to public transit at any of these places…
I’m still awaiting an explanation on why, if more than 2,000 houses in New Castle County are currently listed for sale at $270,000 or less (and in this market, the actual number that will sell for less exceeds even that), we have a “shortage” of such housing.
What’s the difference between Workforce Housing and existing Section 8? There’s a scattering of Section 8 households in my (suburban) townhouse development, and that appears to have worked out okay, so WTF? Is this a parallel program or what?
“So if it is to be stopped, it has to be using legally valid arguments.”
Unfortunately, some of those legally valid reasons have been legally changed — for example the mass-transit requirement for certain kinds of housing, including low-income housing.
Section 8 is rent subsidy. Landlords agree to accept rent caps in exchange for federal subsidy.
WFH is aimed at busting zoning laws for new construction. There are plenty of higher-density “town center” designs that are way smarter than WFH.
What the hell! Wilmington has been in a period of gentrification for years. They have pushed the blacks out by allowing crime to escalate because the bankers/corporatists/dupont etc, wanted all that housing for their workers. They wanted the corporate white collar workers to be able to walk or bike to work. Many of the elderly blacks moved out and down to Bear hoping for less crime and a better life.
Now they want to move them even further south (its their problem if gas is so expensive) but you don’t hear anyone talking about a public transportation system to move people from countryside to city to work.
This is pure rascism and has been for the last 20 years. The sick thing is that many of the black leaders are behind this gentrification, in fact they permitted it and signed on to it.
We need lots of housing for elderly who will not be able to keep their homes, and we need housing for the poor and the working poor. Moving it to Middletown is not the answer as their is no transportation.
I have two words for you.
DV is bad at math, what follows is quite a bit more than two.
You can think whatever you want buddy. But when people running for Senate seats, state seats and county council seats come TO THIS SITE to find out what is going on that should tell you a lot about our credibility.
I weep for Delaware
Back to the topic: As someone who’s going to be on the business end of WFH, I can tell you my concerns are wholly one of infrastructure and density. My neighborhood is pretty mixed and my neighbors are complaining about traffic et al. now. Forget about it when they’ve doubled the density.
How about tax breaks for developers who reclaim the crappy parts of Wilmington and/or Newark that are in desperate need of redevelopment. Everybody laughed when they started the places at the Riverfront. Who’s laughing now?
“Wilmington has been in a period of gentrification for years.”
Evidence, please. What neighborhoods have gone upscale in recent years? Please be specific.
“They have pushed the blacks out by allowing crime to escalate because the bankers/corporatists/dupont etc, wanted all that housing for their workers.”
Truly stunning bit of evidence-free horseshit here. Yeah, those bankers et al — including those DuPonters, most of whom no longer work in the city — want to live down there on the East Side.
“This is pure rascism and has been for the last 20 years. The sick thing is that many of the black leaders are behind this gentrification, in fact they permitted it and signed on to it.”
Again, pure horseshit. Hedgeville and Browntown are becoming less white, and have been for nearly 20 years. What neighborhoods have gentrified in that time?
“Workforce housing,” huh? Can we say “euphamism,” people?
When I lived in Hockessin, we didn’t have any stinkin’ workforce houseing; we had Toll Brothers McMansions and something like 43 Negroes in the whole area.
Mr Geek said, in comment #5:
I seem to recall a lot of what some might call “workforce” houses in New Castle County. They were built in the 50s and 60s and 70s, two or three bedroom buff-colored brick ranchers, with one or, if people were lucky 1½ baths, maybe a one car garage and small kitchens. It shouldn’t be terribly difficult to find those plans: they were simple, went up fast, and people can actually live in them.
“I propose we call them “Clarksvilles.””
Clarksville, where work will set you free!
How about tax breaks for developers who reclaim the crappy parts of Wilmington and/or Newark that are in desperate need of redevelopment. Everybody laughed when they started the places at the Riverfront. Who’s laughing now?
Those tax breaks are euphemistically called “eminent domain” and are largely for the benefit of Buccini Polin projects. Don’t know that any one is laughing, but Justison Landing is having a tough time selling out, I hear.
In our campaign this year we offered to have all excess state property be ‘granted’ to a Community Land Trust for affordable housing.
This proposal would have provided 3-4 million dollars a year in available land over a ten year period. Land not being used and offices to be converted etc for the 50%-80% AMI people who need a boost getting in to home ownership.
No extra money from the state and the offices/properties exist now in mostly developed area near bus lines and other services.
WFH is good in theory but not quite on target in reality.
Yeah, but we couldn’t take the “last train to Clarksville”, because there is no access to public transit at any of these places…
*
oh yeah
Cassandra et al, the Riverfront was largely subsidized by state funds and it is generally acknowledged to be known as Carper’s baby. He was the one who supposedly ordered Nathan Hayward to rush down there in the last minutes of his stint as Secretary to ok the moolah for Justinson Street improvements. He and his many friendly supporters hired the no-talents that run the place and partnered with Pettinaro.
The Chase Center is sided with what appears to be corregated metal….WTF? As nice as it is inside, it is hardly a showpiece. The stadium is pretty much ok-looking and the new and rennovated buildings are fabulous.
Having been at the various campaign HQs down there I admit that I am growing very fond of that part of town but I am still amazed at the idiotic choice of dry-wall gray that Buccini used for their Justison Landing buildings. They have the look of a prison with metal grates on the windows and all.
What the hell! Wilmington has been in a period of gentrification for years. They have pushed the blacks out by allowing crime to escalate because the bankers/corporatists/dupont etc, wanted all that housing for their workers.
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This I do not get…WTF??? I wish I had time to go into why this is so bizzare sounding.
One town, where a previously predominantly white population is now almost split 50/50 Spanish and white…
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hey, I live in Newark where there is a huge new population of Chinese mostly attending the UD no doubt but with the economy going south, I wonder how long it will take to have a third button on the phone lines to ask if you want to speak in Chinese. (sort of kidding).
Was a Willing Blogging–that “prison look w/ metal grates” is very chic-chic nowadays in new construction. I have seen it from Providence to Phoenix as the new “metro-psuedo urban” architecture going up for the college age and trend setters in condos, apartments etc. I don’t “get” it, don’t like it, and didn’t buy it…but it’s there..and it’s NOW baby!!!
Geezer: Having lived in Wilmington since 1960 I have witnessed all the changes. Yes, the word is gentrification, it happened all around MBNA. In fact, Jim Sills was Mayor when the “big suits came to pay a visit”. They took him to the window and pointed down to the streets where average black folk lived, and said, “see all that we want it gone”! What they wanted was the city to relax their police in those neighborhoods so the elderly would be too frightened to stay and would sell their properties cheap. Then MBNA bought up whole blocks and offered that housing up to their employees.
Jim Baker has gone along with the “corporate city” plan for Wilmington. He has done the most horrific acts against his own people to accomodate big corporations. Ask anyone who lives in those neighborhoods how long it takes for the police to come when called. Ask anyone if they feel the least bit safer.
SouthBridge and all along the riverfront have “corporate eyes” on that land. Go to the Walnut Street Deli and ask the owner what is happening to his block how they are changing a zoning laws to get rid of small business’s and row homes. If you haven’t lived in the city, if you haven’t attended the meetings with the “people” , you don’t no shit.