City: What housing shortfall?

Members of the Concerned Citizens Coalition tried last week to address concerns about the city’s stock of affordable and low-income housing.

The group brought concerns that the redevelopment is shrinking the city’s supply of affordable housing to a meeting with city officials.

The coalition made an offer to work together to address the issue with city officials.

“We want to be able to say, ‘Where can we help you and where can we provide assistance?” said coalition member Avery Grant. “We want to work together.”

But the group’s concerns were sidetracked by the officials, who came to the meeting prepared with stats — facts and figures — and cited them to put down the housing advocates’ concerns.

Mayor Adam Schneider’s response to Grant’s request to form a commission was dismissive — he would think about it.

Then he and other officials proceeded to do what this administration does best — they took a defensive posture and put down the questions, particularly those that in any way relate to the stalled beachfront redevelopment.

It’s great that the city has close to 2,000 affordable housing units and plans for more. But the concerns are legitimate, and the coalition represents a constituency that deserves to be heard.

Clearly, the problem isn’t only a perceived shortfall in this type of housing.

What the meeting highlighted was the real problem — the Schneider administration’s lack of transparency and unwillingness to deal fairly with citizens who have justifiable concerns on issues like affordable housing or eminent domain or the fact that, in a city that reimagines itself as a series of high-end enclaves, violence fed by hopelessness and real need can still exist.