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Housing Task Force - Scope and Research

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A plan of action to provide tenants the platform to be heard, to be provided with alternatives, and to help with moving through with such alternatives. Consider land sovereignty as insurance of a community’s ability to self-determine with regard to land/water stewardship, transit, shelter, development, commerce, etc.  

We have discussed the following questions:

  • Where do we start?

  • How can we engage people?  How can we make our housing movement easy to be a part of?

  • Where are we seeing unacceptable deficiencies? ie. Workplace conditions, living conditions, access to language justice, etc.

  • To what extent are non-profit Owners accountable for the well-being of their tenants and their workers? How is accountability pursued in neighboring regions?

    • In whose best interest are they operating?

  • How can Decidim be used as a bridge for access?

  • How can we connect with neighboring communities?

By providing relief to the immediate needs of vulnerable residents, we can fortify and position people for a more ambitious effort.

The lens is Dignity - this isn't about assigning blame, but having an appreciation for individual needs.

We need to be trustworthy and intentional with this effort, especially at this moment. We don't want to waste people's time or raise hope without having a clear plan that is communicated with willing participants.

An immediate goal would be to serve as a conduit for mutual aid, health/safety, building resources/info, transportation, cleaning services, etc in an immediate sense. A long-term goal (research for could happen simultaneously) could be to acquire deficient properties from delinquent Owners, and hold them to account.

Perhaps NOVASEN could oversee systems of accountability, perhaps serve as a trusted resource for people seeking housing stability. We want people to comprehend and be committed to the cause of serving the interconnected needs of our community. We cannot mess with people's morale or trust, and do not want to misuse resources, people's time. It's important to help people get what they need as fast as possible.

  • Opportunities for collective purchasing:

    • Food

    • Housing

    • Land

    • Contracts

  • COMPLETE: Identified case studies

    • Serrano Apartments

    • Culmoore Apartments

    • Barcroft Apartments

    • Columbia Pike / Bucchanan St

    • Can add more if desired

  • Research case studies (let's start reaching out):

    • First-hand accounts

      • Friends, acquaintances, family

      • People who have organized for Serrano Apartments

        • Kei looking up names of organizers from article 2 years ago

      • Friendly(?) building mgmt: Are any of the building managers well-intentioned and strapped by the conditions of Ownership/financial hardship? (Confirm with Tenants)

      • Risky/awkward: contact negligent property owners and see if they will overshare

      • Professionals: Renters Union, local mutual aid groups, legal experts

    • Public records, Reddit, published articles, crime reports(?)

    • Qualitative transportation analysis

      • Prohibitive to get a license in many cases

      • Unwalkable urban areas

      • Lack of affordable public transportation in needed areas

    • Once we have a firmer plan about what we're committing to, Outreach: Gauge willingness of other residents

      • Are we able to put our own eyes on some of these conditions, and document?

      • Firm-up a list of questions for residents

      • Call to action for engagement / Strategic Alliance

  • Precedents:

  • Tabulate building/property/Owner info, history (Caroline)

    • Get familiar with local code

    • Track efforts by neighboring or similar jurisdictions

  • Identify commonalities

    • Entities: Ownership, investment, management, brokership

    • Common internal conditions: Electrical vulnerabilities, cleanliness, a sense of "home", ventilation issues, mold, old chipped paint/vinyl, accessibility, sound transmission, etc

    • External environmental factors

    • Suggestions from residents / opportunities for improvement

    • Resident wishlist items, immediate and long-term

    • Accessibility to convenient public transportation, public space, supermarkets, etc.

    • Document conditions, if possible

  • Mapping (QGIS)

    • Locations of Interest: Housing, public spaces, access to water, green spaces

      • "Third Spaces"

        • Arlington Community Center - you need to be a 501(c)(3) to be able to operate a community service or to use the meeting rooms

      • Co-operatives; What infrastructure to we need in these spaces?

      • "Good" and "Bad" examples

    • Environment/Topology

    • Redlining study: transportation routes, accessibility, voting districts, "nodes"/areas of connection, walkability

  • Field Trips (maybe this is a separate initiative; Kei and Caroline are typically available and willing on Sundays)

    • Buildings in other areas with similar conditions

    • Contact River East Design Center to see if Anna can do a meeting - she provides community design services and also has a mobile cart that she takes out to educate Ward 8 residents on their rights

    • Redelicious is doing a farm day on Sunday 12/07

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