THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 19, 1994 TAG: 9410190462
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Suffolk took an innovative step in its battle against blight Tuesday as residents began filling out applications that could determine their neighborhoods' future.
The city has begun a housing revitalization program that will rank neighborhoods according to cohesion, their need for new housing and their socioeconomic standing. City officials will use these rankings to help determine where housing is most needed.
On Tuesday, applications were handed out to about 50 residents from across the city who attended the public meeting. Applications also are available from the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The due date is Dec. 1.
James Armstrong, executive director of the housing authority, was pummeled with questions from residents about what they could do to improve their neighborhoods.
``I'm hesitant tonight in telling how to solve problems,'' he said. ``I'm more interested in hearing solutions from you. I don't know your neighborhood. You know your neighborhood best.''
An Affordable Housing Task Force, made up of housing, banking, real estate and civic leaders, will be in charge of ranking the neighborhoods. The ranking should be completed by the beginning of next year.
Neighborhoods will be ranked according to:
The level of interest and participation shown by residents.
The neighborhood's physical characteristics and the nature and degree of housing needs.
The neighborhood's socioeconomic characteristics, such as average income, educational level and family composition.
The application asks residents to describe the three most important accomplishments of their neighborhood organization and the five most important needs of their neighborhood.
Some in the audience were skeptical, saying they were worried the effort would end up becoming territorial and political. Armstrong responded that the program will help people get straight answers from City Council about when a neighborhood will receive assistance.
King Bishop, 79, a civic stalwart and longtime president of the Saratoga-Philadelphia Civic League, said the new program sounds promising. But after years of waiting for improvements in Saratoga, he wasn't holding his breath.
``The things that need to be done now should have been done 40 years ago,'' he said. ``But I'm looking forward to more of an outreach into many of these long-standing communities.''
KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY
by CNB