Tuesday Morning Paragraph – Does social housing “enable” bad behavior?
Carnegie Community Action Project
Tuesday, June 22, 2009
Dear Mayor & Council,
Does social housing “enable” bad behavior?
Here’s what some people in CCAP’s mapping sessions said about the social housing they live in:
“Housing like the Jim Green Residence makes us feel good about ourselves, not bathrooms that are plugged or with blood all over the wall or … [bathrooms where] you have to put [sandals] on to keep away from the germs.”
“I like [the Jim Green Residence]. I have been living in hospitals like St. Paul’s most of my life. This feels like home. It’s safe. People are nice and friendly here. I have help from a lot of people which I didn’t have before.”
“Four Sisters: It’s my home. It’s where I feel free and I feel safe. The DTES is the place where I’ve drank most of my life and lived in rooming houses….Here it’s like I have a real family. What do they say? Mom and apple pie. It’s my family and my home.”
“Four Sisters or Lore Krill: You can take pride living there. Lore Krill has a water fountain. The roof top garden is beautiful. It’s a sanctuary home. Four Sisters has lots of kids. I like the wine and cheese, the barbeques there, the green space in the middle. Getting a nice home changes your way of thinking.”
Here’s what two mappers said about living in SROs:
“I could have a whole other life if I could just be in affordable housing. Living in an SRO limits my capability of being a grandmother.”
“None of the places I’ve been in are adequate that you can invite your family….”
In short, social housing “enables” people to be secure, helps provide a community, and gives people a base from which to seek their full potential.
Archive of previous paragraphs:
To stop social exclusion
This area is like a stronghold
DTES problems will not change by throwing richer people into the mix
Build On Current Assets