THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9409280465
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
The City Council will create a task force on the future of Norfolk's public housing, a move that follows two weeks of City Hall wrangling about the neighborhoods.
``There's a growing concern that we need to do something different with public housing,'' Mayor Paul D. Fraim said Tuesday. ``Maybe if we get some of our leadership together, we can sit down and talk about it openly and see what we can do to improve it.''
While the specific mission of the task force is yet to be decided, City Councilman Herbert Collins said the panel generally ``will be commissioned to find out what's going on, what was done wrong, what was done right and how to improve it.''
City Hall's recent concern with public housing grew out of a Planning Commission suggestion that Norfolk upgrade three downtown neighborhoods to complement the multimillion-dollar revival of the central business district.
Collins, who has criticized public housing residents and operations in recent days, said he requested the task force in a private meeting with Fraim and City Manager James B. Oliver Jr. just before Tuesday's council meeting.
At the end of the council meeting, Collins announced the plan to form the task force.
He noted that Norfolk officials needed to be careful not to stereotype public housing residents and be compassionate in considering the future of public housing.
``People in public housing didn't create the problems wholly and solely,'' he said. ``But they need special attention.''
In an interview later, Collins was asked whether his concern about stereotyping public housing residents sprang from recent criticism that he had unfairly characterized the tenants.
``As you go along with this thing, you know you're treading on very thin ice . . . so you have to be very careful not to stereotype,'' Collins said. ``But you have a massive problem that people seem to shun from.
``Of course I know some people are concerned about my comments, and I understand their concern. But it's the only way I know how to get some attention. And I think I've been successful in getting some attention. I think it's where I wanted to be at this point.''
Last week, Collins described public housing residents as a subculture of people who ``are the most underemployed, the most undereducated, the most underchurched . . . the most underdisciplined people in our society.''
On Monday, Charles Peek, outgoing president of the Norfolk Residents Organization, which represents public housing tenants, urged Collins to retract the statements.
Collins refused and, on Tuesday, again said he would not retreat from his previous statements.
``It's a very accurate assessment, an accurate portrayal. I'm not backing off on that,'' he said. ``But I hope something good comes out of it . . . I would like to look back four or five years from now and see the people in public housing say, `I'm better off.' ''
Collins also noted that he was not blaming public housing residents for their problems.
But he also said he did not think public housing was producing as many professionals, such as judges, lawyers, educators and doctors, as the neighborhoods once did.
``I don't know who is at fault, but I want to find out what's going on,'' Collins said.
The council will discuss creation of the task force at a special public meeting with the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority at 1 p.m. Oct. 11.
Fraim said ``tenant representation will be important'' on the panel. It also will include membership from the School Board, Planning Commission, housing authority and business community.
Peek, of the Norfolk Residents Organization, said he was pleased that tenants would be included on the task force. ``Residents need to have an active role in anything the city is thinking about,'' he said.
KEYWORDS: NORFOLK CITY COUNCIL by CNB