Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 28, 1994 TAG: 9402010249
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JERRY E. ABRAMSON and JOHN I. GILDERBLOOM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Abandoning inner cities would be disastrous. Neglect of inner-city residents was a major factor in the burning, looting and killing in South-Central Los Angeles. Many American inner cities are already at a boiling point. Neglect and abandonment will only intensify the problem. People without a future, hope or a life become dangerous; citizens with jobs, housing and education realize a full life and the American dream.
Learning from the mistakes of the past, such cities as Baltimore, Minneapolis, Louisville, Atlanta, Indianapolis and San Francisco are designing programs that can revitalize inner-city neighborhoods. A common thread that links these bold and innovative programs is the creation of local partnerships that unite business, community and government to create jobs, housing and educational opportunities.
When Louisville organized a partnership to help revitalize one of the nation's most impoverished neighborhoods, many observers thought it was an impossible job. In Louisville's Russell neighborhood, 79 percent of the 10,000 residents had incomes below the poverty level in 1990. The vast majority of the families (90 percent) were female-headed. Yearly household income averaged $4,800. Half the residents were on some form of public assistance. Unemployment hovered around 65 percent.
Despair, anger and contempt were omnipresent. Prostitution, crime and drugs were widespread problems. These conditions contributed to abandonment and neglect of housing.
Given these problems, most commentators thought it would be all but impossible to build even one house or create one job. Today, Russell is on the verge of a miracle. The neighborhood is undergoing a dramatic rebirth. Jobs and housing opportunities are being created. The crime rate has been cut almost in half.
Developers and nonprofit organizations have been given the necessary encouragement to build in the Russell neighborhood. Some 350 affordable housing units either will be built or rehabilitated in the area. These activities will create 400 jobs, bringing an estimated $18 million in new investment to Russell. Commercial businesses have announced plans to expand or relocate into Russell. Residents are taking advantage of educational and leadership opportunities. Roughly one out of every 10 residents will be assisted by this partnership.
How could this happen when so many other efforts seem to be failing? The Russell partnership is a unique team effort that involves government, business, community organizations and higher education institutions working together. This partnership uses teams that address human, economic and physical development through case management, job training, education, homeownership, community leadership and community design services. The federal government has helped by providing funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Education and by matching local support.
City government has provided millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements, favorable loans to encourage development and community policing. The business community has stepped forward by providing low-interest housing loans, and established developers have agreed to build attractive single-family cottage-style houses meant for moderate-income families. Community groups have provided services that include leadership, outreach, organizing and consensus building.
The Russell revitalization effort is unique so far, but it is quickly gaining national attention as a model for revitalizing our country's inner cities.
On Martin Luther King's birthday, President Clinton unveiled his empowerment program encouraging cities to compete for inner-city revitalization funds. The key principles of the president's empowerment program mirror those of the Russell partnership. In a time of ``doom and gloom,'' we need models that are proven. The Russell partnership and others like it can provide them.
\ Jerry E. Abramson is mayor of Louisville and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. John I. Gilderbloom is director of the Housing and Neighborhood Development Strategies program at the University of Louisville.
The Washington Post
by CNB