THE ASBURY VOICE - JANUARY, 2020 ISSUE # 6

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THE ASBURY VOICE

Journal of the People

You are not voiceless but are often unheard

We can change that together

January, 2020 # 6

In This Issue:

Introduction and Purpose

Lots of Questions - No Answers

Introduction of Kokopelli - Charles Trott

The Workers of Good by Rich Quatrone

The Story of KYDS (Part 2)

Experienincg Homelessness in Asbury Park (3)

Farewell to Rev. Gil

Introduction and Purpose of The Asbury Voice

CLICK HERE

LOTS OF QUESTIONS

NO ANSWERS

Taking a Ride with Tracy Rogers Around Town

When introducing the Housing Infrastructure Act of 2019, Representative Maxine Waters of California said, “We are in the midst of a housing affordability crisis across the country, caused in part by the lack of affordable and available rental units, rising rents, gentrification, and dilapidated public housing.”

A couple of weeks ago, I took a ride with Tracy Rogers down the different streets on the West Side of Asbury Park. He is very much involved with affordable housing in Asbury Park and Monmouth Country and is very knowledgeable.

As we were looking out the car window, Tracy pointed to homes we were passing by and explained that they were rentals subsidized by Federal dollars under Section 8. Nonetheless, the rents were astronomical for this area of the City, and the landlords were not keeping them up.

Tracy observed that when Asbury Park was going through its transition, a person could buy these houses and then rent them out and have market-rate rent subsidized by the government. However, as market rates escalated, it was no longer considered affordable housing. This issue is what he describes as gentrification since these houses are no longer affordable for those who need them.

In 2000, Asbury Park had close to 100 abandoned houses of which the City was aware. This was reported on The Scattered Sites Redevelopment Program on their website, which subsequently was updated periodically over the years. Also these abandoned homes were reported on the Abandoned Property list posted in the Asbury Press in 2015. Some of these houses just sat in undesirable neighborhoods for years. Instead of the City taking these abandoned buildings and turning them into affordable homes and apartments, other developers got to them and made them unaffordable.

When we passed by a gray house, Tracy shared that it was vacant when he came to Asbury four years ago, and it sold for $60,000 in a foreclosure. It was then renovated into a three-bedroom house, and the rent posted as $1900. It is an exorbitant rent in the market for homes in this area, and at this time, still not rented.

In September, 2015, Tracy had proposed to the City Council that Regional Contribution Money {RCA} be set aside for affordable housing. By doing that, the City could legally take an abandoned home and encourage homeownership by offering local residents $20,000 of the RCA money to fix it up. This money would not only support affordable housing where it was needed most but at the same time, it would discourage investors from out of town who are not necessarily looking out for the wellbeing of the community.

Now all these abandoned homes that were available to the City have gone to investors. The 2018 Monmouth County Profile Report shows that Asbury Park has the highest rental numbers in Monmouth County. It is nearly 80% rentals, which indicates that most housing is owned by investors. Lacking any oversight, both the care of property and concern for the renter and the community are at risk.

Tracy pointed out Asbury Village as we drove by and explained it was low-income housing as opposed to affordable housing. The difference being that in low-income housing, a person pays no more than $900 for an apartment, and it is reduced accordingly depending on income. The 2019 median income in the City is $39,324 per household. This income is one of the lowest in the State, which indicates the need for both types of housing - affordable and low-income.

As we passed by Lincoln Village, a low-income residence, Tracey commented, “ I expect Lincoln Village to be demolished and rebuilt as affordable housing. Residents who are relying on social security and disability would likely have incomes too low to qualify for the $1,300 monthly rents. People who have fixed incomes are in jeopardy. Lincoln Village could suffer the same fate as Boston Way.”

And that is where we stopped next, Boston Way. Tracy explained that the renovation came from several funding sources at a reported cost of 28 million dollars, which included 13 million dollars in “Sandy Money” with the stipulation that housing be set aside for the homeless. Tracy then added, “A certain number of apartments also were going to be set aside for the people pushed out six years ago. These people were told that everyone would get a chance to return. Now we are being told something different. Because different income brackets will be in the same complex, this is not going to be possible, and a limit is being placed on former residents returning.”

At present, a year after its completion, the Boston Way is reportedly half empty. The Asbury Park Press printed a story of a woman rejected with a Section 8 voucher because she was a victim years ago of the mass incarceration for possession during the War-On-Drug years. It was because of this publicity and the public meeting with the Housing Authority on December 6th, that her case was reviewed.

Tracy added, “So basically, we are saying to people who can’t afford to live in Boston Way, you have to go someplace else or live in the streets. And these are the people who have lived here all their lives and struggled through all the bad times. They lived through revitalization, and now they are being pushed out by investors who don’t want Section 8 anymore but are seeking the highest market price. When it was good for them, they were making a profit off Section 8, and now they seek the highest profit.”

Tracy continued, “The question remains, what are the criteria for housing? A federally funded building is sitting half-empty, while it is desperately needed by people who were pushed out to make it possible to build. Credit and criminal background checks are things that are not mandated by a legal authority or governance - they are discretionary. The developers who are co-partnering with the Housing Authority are making these decisions. Why?”

While Asbury Park has missed a lot of opportunities for more affordable housing, there is still time to do the right thing and do everything we can to make sure our low income community members are welcome to stay and come to live in Asbury Park.

As told to Bill Stevens

All comments are welcome - theasburyvoice@gmail.com

THOSE SYMBOLS THAT KOKOPELLI POINT TO ARE ADINKRA SYMBOLS THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THIS SITE

CLICK HERE

CHARLES TROTT

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THE WORKERS OF GOOD

They meet in little rooms in buildings away

from the rich corridors that get all the fame

and news.

They receive no pay to discuss teen suicide

or to publish essays written by

those who seek to right injustices, fight

entrenched racism, poverty, and homelessness.

They have to decide how much to say,

how much truth to tell, weighing the consequences

truth-tellers have withstood since the beginning

of history.

They listen to the voices most often unheard,

refusing to sit passively at home in front of

televisions, or even to be at home taking care

of necessary personal obligations.

Sometimes they passionately disagree among

themselves and feelings get hurt, but the love

and respect they feel for one another and for

their mutual cause always unites them.

These are the workers of good, those who

apply the moral educations they have received

from religions, family, deep personal moments

of reflection, from trials, difficult tests of character,

or simply from some miraculous uncommon sense

and faith that justice and fairness will prevail.

So, don't mock them. Don't attack them. Don't

fear them. They are always working for the good,

for all those people who cannot meet personally

with them around weathered tables, and for people

even those who don't realize it, who so very much

need the work they do.

Rich Quatrone Sept 27 2019

JESSIE RICKI IS A FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HAS OFFERED TO TAKE PICTURES AROUND THE CITY FOR THE THE ASBURY VOICE.

WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THESE PHOTOS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE

AND ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE GENEROUS OFFER

The Story of KYDS - Part 2

Our Story

The World as We Imagine It

Imagine an individual that cultivates their creative energy

in balance to support themselves

and those around them in a healthy and holistic way,

Imagine an individual motivated and driven

to evolve into the greatest version of themselves

so they can impact their families, communities, and world,

Imagine an individual with an open and healed heart,

filled with compassion, kindness, and understanding

of the self and all souls around,

Imagine an individual who confidently expresses

their authentic self with full awareness

of who they are on a divine level.

Imagine an individual who has all their basic needs met

and has the ability to focus deeply on their uniqueness,

sharing their light with the world,

Imagine a family where love is the foundation we build upon,

and motivated to evolve the previous generation through acknowledgment of the pain, hurt and trauma

of those who came before us.

Imagine a family who cultivates the space of authenticity

and vulnerability, expressing our authentic self

and releasing the judgments of others.

Imagine a family where you feel safe to express your complete being through present moment communication,

A family where we maintain and respect our connection with our elders.

Imagine a community fully connected to one another,

non-judgmentally, only love and understanding of their differences, religions and struggles they experience.

Imagine a community where every child is viewed as their own child, where every success and failure is viewed as their own

and it is in everyone's best interest to see all succeed.

Imagine a community where violence is seen as a cry for help,

poverty is seen as an opportunity to connect and every individual is seen as a part of the collective whole, no one greater than the other.

Imagine a world where everyone is connected

to their full potential and their highest self.

Imagine a world where suffering has a remedy,

where darkness transforms into light through the use of holistic interventions that all souls have access to.

Imagine a world where every individual innerstands

how to connect to the purest essence of their being

and reflecting that energy into every aspect of their life,

A world where everyone clearly realizes their purpose

and how it connects to the whole ...

Stay tuned for the last part of the KYDS Story

"The World We are Creating"

Bringing Balance to the Community!

TO LEARN MORE AND SUPPORT KYDS

CLICK HERE

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Experiencing Homelessness in Asbury Park (3)

A Single Mom

Claire was full of hope, had a job, and was putting away money to buy a home when her life got turned upside down. It all happened as she was about to be awarded a Habitat Humanity house. Claire said, “When I say I was ‘this close,’ I mean, I did my findings, and I did my home visit and was pretty much guaranteed the house. I had been waiting for years - getting my credit right, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Although I had not heard the final word from Habitat, I felt assured I would be transitioning into the house. All previous letters from them were confirming everything I had given them, and I thought I was on the next step.”

This house would have had a $750 mortgage including taxes and insurance. Many people had attended classes with Claire to learn everything they needed to know about all the preparations and paperwork. Claire had a head start on this, as this had been in her sights for years. Despite all these positive signs when news of a lawsuit against her reached the papers, everything changed. Other people who had been denied a Habitat house received letters saying they were missing this or that. Claire did not get that kind of letter. Hers had one line. “We found a family more in need.” Just like that. One line. Claire’s hopes and dreams were dashed. She was heartbroken.

As if this was not enough, her landlord raised the rent, where she was living with her young daughter. It was a raise of $350. This increase and the beginning of legal fees forced Claire to make a tough decision. She sat down with her landlord and said, “Look you know what I am going through, if I have to choose between staying out of jail, or paying my rent, I am going to stay out of jail.”

Claire did what she had to do, and she lost her apartment and took refuge with her Uncle to give herself time to assess what her next move would be. She could not stay there long because of her Uncle’s rental agreement.

Claire heard of a program called “Family Promise.” This program, run by a group of churches in Asbury Park and the surrounding area, reaches out to homeless families during the winter months. It is a women’s hospitality group that creates a safe space for these homeless families. They are allowed to stay in a church for one week. Staying the evening and leaving in the morning after some breakfast. Each week they needed to move to another church in the rotation. And the churches rotate like this during the four months. The whole experience was very humbling for her.

Claire said, “I showed up with my daughter on the first day to begin the program. She was not a spoiled child, but she is an only child and had never experienced anything harsh. Even when it was hard for me financially, she had never witnessed that. I had to have real talks with her. She could have gone and stayed with her father, but she chose to stay with me.”

The families that Claire met at the churches were terrific people. She met a hard-working woman who was going to school and had a seven-year-old son. She met a husband with his wife and daughter, who could not find any affordable housing, although he was working. Another family with three children had just experienced the loss of their father from a drug overdose. His wife had also suffered from drug addiction and had recently become clean. Another mother was in a similar situation as Claire. She had lost her Section 8 housing and couldn’t afford to live in her apartment with her teenage son. Claire said, “These were all working families. People make assumptions about the homeless, and these assumptions are wrong, especially here in Asbury.”

Claire was able to put aside some money during the Family Promise program, and when the program ended, she was able to get a motel room at $400 - $500 per week for a while. But this gave her no ability to get ahead. She maxed out all her credit cards doing this. She and her daughter were sustaining themselves on a week -to - week basis.

Then a friend of hers from Long Branch, who was going to be out of town, invited Claire to stay at her home while she was away for three months. This offer was a life preserver, which helped Claire change her trajectory. She was able to stabilize her finances to some extent and bring some normalcy back into their lives. Few people were ever aware of Claire's struggles at this time of her life. She continued to maintain a job and participate in community activities.

In subsequent months Claire went back to a motel for a while before getting herself and daughter back into an apartment. The lawsuit was dismissed. The whole experience surfacing out of nowhere was something Claire had little or no control over. And this is the story of the vast majority of the homeless. Something happens out of the blue, which turns their lives upside down.

Claire pointed out that it is easier to get assistance if you are not working because by working, you can often be a small amount over the cutoff for the available aid. The whole system is set up to keep you at the poverty level. We often assume the homeless are someone else and not that person sitting in front of you, or next to you at that table, or sitting next to you at the movies. But it could be someone bringing home $30,000 a year who can’t find a place to live and may end up living out of their car.

Claire became an advocate for the homeless and spoke truth to power, which did not make her popular in certain circles. She says nothing is just black and white. Most homeless people she met do not want their rent to be paid or to be subsidized. They simply want a job and an affordable place to live.

As told to Bill Stevens

Farewell Gathering

for Rev Gil

and his wife, Grace

A small gathering took place at Kim Marie during the luncheon hour to say farewell to Rev Gil and Grace a couple of days before their departure. Rev Gil spoke about the Grace Dungee Caldwell Scholarship Fund which was being established with the Center for Health and Hope. They initiated this scholarship fund for a young man who aspires to be a teacher in Kenya, Africa.

For more details about how you can join with us in celebrating Grace's 85th birthday and 45 years of teaching in public schools by donating to this worthwhile project, CLICK HERE AND CLICK HERE

Did You Know

... That Rev Gil will be the featured speaker at Second Baptist Church 125 Atkins Ave. in Asbury Park, NJ AT 10 AM on Sunday January 19, 2020 over the Martin Luther King Week-end. Sneak Preview CLICK HERE

... That i n Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Cooperate Asbury is hosting a talk and conversation about MLk's economic beliefs and participatory economics. Muata Greene and Derek Minno-Bloom from Cooperate Asbury will be the speakers and facilitators of this event. All are welcome to participate.

Where: Trinity Church

When. Janurary 27th at 6:30PM-8PM

... That there is a free screening of the powerful documentary movie, "PUSHOUT - The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools." It looks at the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black Girls. Sponsored by the Racial Justice Project - Trinity Episcopal Church-503 Asbury Ave-Asbury Park, NJ 6pm to 9 pm - Thursday - FEBRUARY 27, 2020 CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

All articles we print are the experiences and opinions of the authors. An editorial board reserves the right to make any changes they deem necessary to submitted articles that will keep The Asbury Voice from any liability. Authors will be informed of these changes to give them the opportunity to change or withdraw the writing.