THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410270487
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
It was supposed to be a conference about ways to provide more affordable housing to low- and moderate-income Virginians.
But the speeches that got the crowd buzzing Wednesday at the annual Governor's Conference on Housing focused on welfare dependency and the breakdown of moral values in the inner city.
The keynote speaker, Robert L. Woodson, president of the National Center For Neighborhood Enterprise, nodded vigorously as Richmond Mayor Leonidas Young described ``the enemy'' facing black residents of depressed inner cities.
``The enemy we face today is more evil, more deadly, more merciless than slavery, fascism or even institutional racism,'' Young told the 800 conference participants. It is, he said, the ``general decline of the standard of conduct, education, morality and the work ethic.''
Another culprit, Young said, is the welfare system. ``People are trapped in a system that reduces them to the lowest common denominator,'' he said.
Young said citizens must ``be willing to accept the responsibility of our own thing and stop blaming society, and end our reliance on government and the slavery of welfare and governmental control.''
Young, whose city leads the state in murders, called for an end to inner city violence and drug trafficking.
``We must get people to understand there is more honor in shining shoes for a dollar and a half than standing on a corner making $500 selling drugs,'' he said.
Woodson, also a critic of welfare, advocated better services to help people make the transition to independence.
He also urged Americans not to become mired in the ``bi-polar debate'' between conservatives and liberals, and Republicans and Democrats. ``There's an old African proverb, `When bull elephants fight, the grass always loses,' '' he said.
Woodson urged leaders to look to the grass roots for creative solutions and study low-income people who have succeeded. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
LOCAL HONORS
Two inner-city efforts in Hampton Roads won awards at the 7th
annual Governor's Conference on Housing on Wednesday:
Andrea Clark, president of the Diggs Town Tenant Management
Corp., was honored for her ``true commitment'' and her ``spirit of
entrepreneurship, self-reliance and empowerment.'' Clark, who has
been the president of the tenant organization since 1989, also was
cited as a ``role model statewide.''
The Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority was honored
for two efforts:
A family self-sufficiency program that is helping 27 public
housing families become homeowners through supportive services such
as job-training, education, counseling and day care.
PRIDE Inc., a janitorial company formed by five residents of the
Swanson Homes public housing neighborhood.
by CNB