THE HOUSING TREE

“If you don’t use it – You lose it!” There are dangerous implications and consequences when the different objectives and end results between urban development and urban restoration are confused. DEVELOPERS are like termites eating away at the wooden foundations of community (you) to make room for something new (them). RESTORATION ADVOCATES are like exterminators or surgeons trying to cut out the cancer to save or restore the rest of the body. There is also a need to understand what’s meant by CIVIL AND CIVIC duties and responsibilities. Government is in the process of downsizing much of its responsibilities, obligations, expenses off through the process of privatization where “FOR PROFIT” is the goal:  Health Care, Law Enforcement, Prison system, and “watch out” even your friendly neighborhood post man/woman is under attack and on their way out. Remember that next time you turn to UPS and Amazon – Use it or lose it! Playing into urban development, public officials have been passing off abandoned/foreclosing property (potential public property) through periodic auctions rigged to out-price the common person/s in need. Furthermore, good public housing complexes are being turned into condos and co-ops. WOW! Buy your apartment (and still pay rent as a maintenance fee) or keep absent profiteering slumlords charging big rent with little maintenance oversight yet compensated with tax funded public voucher compensation. Then again, you can always double up families into single dwellings, find yourself a shelter, or prepare for a life of homelessness. All the while there are vacant lots and buildings waiting to be developed for profit or restored / renovated to offset the affordable housing crisis.

Ask yourselves “Why can’t groups of homeless people willing to work for their housing take a seemingly abandoned piece of property and “Build a Home for themselves?” If income is a requirement “Why can’t the unemployed volunteer work to help bail out present shortcomings in city programs needing able bodies? There were/still are programs to do just that; homesteading and squatter rights, back to work for your benefits programs and repair and deduct laws to handle slumlords.

Can it be done? It was done  during 70’s & 80’s. LOOK IT UP AND GET INSPIRED! YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Start holding meetings in local churches to research, document, organize, and petition plans for willing homeless and struggling residents to manifest their destiny.

After all, didn’t Jesus say things like preach “The Kingdom of God is upon you and heal the sick (feed, cloth, shelter my people) NOW!” Yes, it’s a process, there are criteria’s to be met – SO GET EDUCATED and LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME “THAT AIN’T A GAME!” IT’S TIME TO SHAKE THE TREE to determine what good and bad apples fall out because the outcome is either your blessing or curse – USE IT OR LOOSE IT!

Continue to read all my columns, by visiting: https://2bspoken.blogspot.com/