The Columbian Article:
Editorials
In Our View, Oct. 6: Poor and Secluded
Local poverty pockets are widespread, but so are the sources of solutions
Tuesday, October 6 | 1:00 a.m.
Visitors and new residents in Clark County often remark how there are no "poor" parts of the community. After cursory inspections, their opinion appears accurate. For example, 14 counties in the 39-county state have higher poverty rates. Here, 9.62 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty line while 14 counties are in double figures, including Cowlitz County just north of us, which ranks fourth at 14.92 percent.
But as Columbian reporters Michael Andersen and Isolde Raftery showed in a two-part series, "Clark County’s Pockets of Poverty," that concluded Monday, there’s plenty of poverty here; it’s just not so concentrated. As Sunday’s story reported, "our poorest neighborhoods aren’t across the tracks; they’re around the corner … clusters of disintegrating shacks and trailers are tucked into crannies from Fruit Valley to Camas.
"This mosaic of millionaires and mendicants is both beneficial and challenging for all of the 422,000 residents of the county.
The greater benefit is that no large area is blighted by poverty and thus permanently stigmatized. No one can avoid the "poor part of town," because no one is sure where it is. A side benefit is that Clark County and Vancouver are not plagued by economic parochialism. Invisible but impermeable walls of economic separation that rise high in other cities have not been erected here. Every city and area in the county — from Washougal to Ridgefield, from rolling ridges of north county to lowlands near the Columbia River — includes the richest and poorest. This patchwork means schools and shopping centers for the most part are enriched by diverse levels of people and businesses.
The bad news, though, is that many people draw false conclusions. Poverty might be more difficult to see, but that makes challenges more difficult to overcome. Turning a blind eye to hardship just because it’s diffused is no way to generate remedies.
One effective solution is a more fully engaged citizenry. A more vigorous prosecution of code violations would improve housing conditions. That, though, requires greater vigilance by all of us because, as Andersen reported, city and county inspectors are not allowed to enforce those rules without a complaint. Vancouver has two neighborhood police officers working with landlords and tenants to improve housing conditions. And improving already-excellent neighborhood-association programs in Vancouver and Clark County would reverse ramshackle housing conditions that tenants — fearing retaliation from landlords — are too timid to report.
Thinking outside the box would help, too. For example, Gresham, Ore., requires random inspections of every rental unit in the city. The necessary $816,000 is paid for by $30-$50 fees on every rental unit. In the first year of the program, 52 percent of rental units failed inspections; it’s impossible to measure how conditions were improved by the deterrent effect of that program. Such an effort is worth at least considering in Vancouver and other urban areas.
Another solution is greater involvement by civic associations, churches and other groups.
The complexity of this problem is offset by a simple reality: Poverty is around all of us, and that means all of us should meet the challenge of improving housing conditions. The result would make life easier for tenants and increase property values for landlords and nearby residents.
Response:
To: Columbian Editorial Staff
From: Mark Maggiora, Housing Coalition Lead
4th Plain Corridor Revitalization Task Force
RE: Response to Columbian 10.6.09 Editorial “Poor & Secluded” and associated “Clark County’s Pockets of Poverty” articles
First off--let's get clear about the name Rose Village vs. Rosemere. The name was changed because the Rosemere Neighborhood Association leaders snubbed their nose at the city--saying they did not need to comply with the City issued Charter that prescribes designated Neighborhood Association practices such as open meetings.
The "Rosemere" body still operates--serving as an environmental advocacy group, as that organization is a bona fide WA nonprofit corporation eligible to operate as its leadership chooses. It is no longer a Vancouver City "chartered" Neighborhood Association because it was unwilling to abide by the standards of practice in the Charter. It's existence--along with the history--and the Columbian's reporting of events in the "Rosemere" neighborhood--has created a lot of confusion.
At least the Columbian has cleaned up it's reporting on geographic "Rose Village" events recently. After a couple years of no association representation in the geographic area--a new body of leaders emerged and sought a Charter authorization from the city. Because the existing "Rosemere NA" name was still operating under WA law--the city required a new name to be submitted.
Rose Village arose from the choices--partly in response to the desire of residents to create a new image for the place they choose to live, work and play. And be clear--a majority who live here do choose to be here--as many have been here all their lives--as have many businesses along the 4th Plain Corridor.
So what about the poverty in Rose Village--as well as in other parts of Clark County? It is there to be seen and found--and it is there to be hidden and ignored. And what about those who have no choice in the matter, but to live wherever they can--especially in a place with a roof over the head and with most of the windows in place and doors to close even though they may not lock.
Let's be clear about the alternative in the face of an inappropriate response--we end up putting people out on the street. And I expect most could read the comments that were not printed between the lines that were printed--this condition was the lesser evil and they were grateful for the bit of support existing landlords were providing.
Not that I am in support of landlords who do not adequately maintain their properties--but let's be clear about what alternatives there are to be considered before jumping to the conclusion that additional fees/taxes are the solution as these articles tend to suggest. Looking at the track record in Gresham in terms of both process and results would be a good starting point.
This article ends with the proposition of greater civic involvement--and that truly is the answer. It always has been, and creating structures that provide the means for 'people who care' to step up and contribute in making a difference for others and their community is the means to make that answer be realized.
Sadly--as is often the case with most media efforts--these articles missed the opportunity to highlight some efforts that are exactly that--civic mobilization. Media needs to realize their value is not grounded in just spelling out issues and leaving people in a lurch feeling less hope about the future--but rather doing the extra work to explore what can and should be done--and weaving together the already fragmented fabric of our communities by highlighting these determined responses to issues that plague our communities and our hearts. People yearn for hope in their lives and the lives of our fellow citizens. Let's give it to them!
That is certainly the case in places like Rose Village and other neighborhoods along the 4th Plain Corridor operating under a City Sub area Plan (http://www.cityofvancouver.us/PlanningProjects.asp?menuid=10463&submenuid=18226&itemid=18220) with the Revitalization Task Force (http://4crtf.weebly.com/) made up of housing, business and green spaces advocates working together to mobilize resources and responses to these challenges;
And in Fruit Valley with their FV Foundation (http://www.fruitvalley.org/) and the many community institutions working alongside the FV Community & Family Resource Center (http://portalsso.vansd.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,2099598&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL) to improve engagement;
And the Highway 99 Sub Area planning group launched by Clark County (http://www.clark.wa.gov/hwy99/index.html) invested in realizing new directions for that area's social and economic health.
These are all efforts grounded in civic minded citizens stepping up to make a difference--and they can make a much bigger impact on these issues with more help from people who care to step up and help. Many of the issues being addressed are grounded in both a "life of" as well as a "mindset of" poverty. One is the reality of many, the other is imposed on us all.
The toughest piece of this complexity is understanding how much of poverty comes from the view we bring to the issue--whether it's from the eyes of one who has lived it most their life, or the eyes of one who sees it from afar and wonders why. Both are grounded in fear--and only coming together across these economic and social boundaries will we expose the fear and find the hope to overcome it and make our community and homes and schools something better.
So let's get to work and start building more hope and better communities in the process.
Mark Maggiora, Housing Coalition Lead
4th Plain Corridor Revitalization Task Force
But as Columbian reporters Michael Andersen and Isolde Raftery showed in a two-part series, "Clark County’s Pockets of Poverty," that concluded Monday, there’s plenty of poverty here; it’s just not so concentrated. As Sunday’s story reported, "our poorest neighborhoods aren’t across the tracks; they’re around the corner … clusters of disintegrating shacks and trailers are tucked into crannies from Fruit Valley to Camas.
"This mosaic of millionaires and mendicants is both beneficial and challenging for all of the 422,000 residents of the county.
The greater benefit is that no large area is blighted by poverty and thus permanently stigmatized. No one can avoid the "poor part of town," because no one is sure where it is. A side benefit is that Clark County and Vancouver are not plagued by economic parochialism. Invisible but impermeable walls of economic separation that rise high in other cities have not been erected here. Every city and area in the county — from Washougal to Ridgefield, from rolling ridges of north county to lowlands near the Columbia River — includes the richest and poorest. This patchwork means schools and shopping centers for the most part are enriched by diverse levels of people and businesses.
The bad news, though, is that many people draw false conclusions. Poverty might be more difficult to see, but that makes challenges more difficult to overcome. Turning a blind eye to hardship just because it’s diffused is no way to generate remedies.
One effective solution is a more fully engaged citizenry. A more vigorous prosecution of code violations would improve housing conditions. That, though, requires greater vigilance by all of us because, as Andersen reported, city and county inspectors are not allowed to enforce those rules without a complaint. Vancouver has two neighborhood police officers working with landlords and tenants to improve housing conditions. And improving already-excellent neighborhood-association programs in Vancouver and Clark County would reverse ramshackle housing conditions that tenants — fearing retaliation from landlords — are too timid to report.
Thinking outside the box would help, too. For example, Gresham, Ore., requires random inspections of every rental unit in the city. The necessary $816,000 is paid for by $30-$50 fees on every rental unit. In the first year of the program, 52 percent of rental units failed inspections; it’s impossible to measure how conditions were improved by the deterrent effect of that program. Such an effort is worth at least considering in Vancouver and other urban areas.
Another solution is greater involvement by civic associations, churches and other groups.
The complexity of this problem is offset by a simple reality: Poverty is around all of us, and that means all of us should meet the challenge of improving housing conditions. The result would make life easier for tenants and increase property values for landlords and nearby residents.
Response:
To: Columbian Editorial Staff
From: Mark Maggiora, Housing Coalition Lead
4th Plain Corridor Revitalization Task Force
RE: Response to Columbian 10.6.09 Editorial “Poor & Secluded” and associated “Clark County’s Pockets of Poverty” articles
First off--let's get clear about the name Rose Village vs. Rosemere. The name was changed because the Rosemere Neighborhood Association leaders snubbed their nose at the city--saying they did not need to comply with the City issued Charter that prescribes designated Neighborhood Association practices such as open meetings.
The "Rosemere" body still operates--serving as an environmental advocacy group, as that organization is a bona fide WA nonprofit corporation eligible to operate as its leadership chooses. It is no longer a Vancouver City "chartered" Neighborhood Association because it was unwilling to abide by the standards of practice in the Charter. It's existence--along with the history--and the Columbian's reporting of events in the "Rosemere" neighborhood--has created a lot of confusion.
At least the Columbian has cleaned up it's reporting on geographic "Rose Village" events recently. After a couple years of no association representation in the geographic area--a new body of leaders emerged and sought a Charter authorization from the city. Because the existing "Rosemere NA" name was still operating under WA law--the city required a new name to be submitted.
Rose Village arose from the choices--partly in response to the desire of residents to create a new image for the place they choose to live, work and play. And be clear--a majority who live here do choose to be here--as many have been here all their lives--as have many businesses along the 4th Plain Corridor.
So what about the poverty in Rose Village--as well as in other parts of Clark County? It is there to be seen and found--and it is there to be hidden and ignored. And what about those who have no choice in the matter, but to live wherever they can--especially in a place with a roof over the head and with most of the windows in place and doors to close even though they may not lock.
Let's be clear about the alternative in the face of an inappropriate response--we end up putting people out on the street. And I expect most could read the comments that were not printed between the lines that were printed--this condition was the lesser evil and they were grateful for the bit of support existing landlords were providing.
Not that I am in support of landlords who do not adequately maintain their properties--but let's be clear about what alternatives there are to be considered before jumping to the conclusion that additional fees/taxes are the solution as these articles tend to suggest. Looking at the track record in Gresham in terms of both process and results would be a good starting point.
This article ends with the proposition of greater civic involvement--and that truly is the answer. It always has been, and creating structures that provide the means for 'people who care' to step up and contribute in making a difference for others and their community is the means to make that answer be realized.
Sadly--as is often the case with most media efforts--these articles missed the opportunity to highlight some efforts that are exactly that--civic mobilization. Media needs to realize their value is not grounded in just spelling out issues and leaving people in a lurch feeling less hope about the future--but rather doing the extra work to explore what can and should be done--and weaving together the already fragmented fabric of our communities by highlighting these determined responses to issues that plague our communities and our hearts. People yearn for hope in their lives and the lives of our fellow citizens. Let's give it to them!
That is certainly the case in places like Rose Village and other neighborhoods along the 4th Plain Corridor operating under a City Sub area Plan (http://www.cityofvancouver.us/PlanningProjects.asp?menuid=10463&submenuid=18226&itemid=18220) with the Revitalization Task Force (http://4crtf.weebly.com/) made up of housing, business and green spaces advocates working together to mobilize resources and responses to these challenges;
And in Fruit Valley with their FV Foundation (http://www.fruitvalley.org/) and the many community institutions working alongside the FV Community & Family Resource Center (http://portalsso.vansd.org/portal/page?_pageid=153,2099598&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL) to improve engagement;
And the Highway 99 Sub Area planning group launched by Clark County (http://www.clark.wa.gov/hwy99/index.html) invested in realizing new directions for that area's social and economic health.
These are all efforts grounded in civic minded citizens stepping up to make a difference--and they can make a much bigger impact on these issues with more help from people who care to step up and help. Many of the issues being addressed are grounded in both a "life of" as well as a "mindset of" poverty. One is the reality of many, the other is imposed on us all.
The toughest piece of this complexity is understanding how much of poverty comes from the view we bring to the issue--whether it's from the eyes of one who has lived it most their life, or the eyes of one who sees it from afar and wonders why. Both are grounded in fear--and only coming together across these economic and social boundaries will we expose the fear and find the hope to overcome it and make our community and homes and schools something better.
So let's get to work and start building more hope and better communities in the process.
Mark Maggiora, Housing Coalition Lead
4th Plain Corridor Revitalization Task Force