TEAM Inc., the Valley’s nonprofit human services agency, hosted a virtual housing forum March 30 via Zoom, which was then posted on YouTube. The forum is posted at the top of this story.
The forum drew more than 70 people, and included often heartbreaking input from tenants living in public housing.
This is the second housing forum TEAM has hosted. The last one took place in person back in January 2020 just prior to the pandemic, and was attended by more than 300 people. TEAM Inc. President/CEO David Morgan said it’s critical to continue the dialogue to ensure people living in TEAM’s 10-member town region have housing that is safe and comfortable in which to raise their families.
“Housing has an impact on every aspect of one’s livelihood and well-being,” Morgan said. “It’s also about educational outcomes and economic opportunities. It’s important that residents and neighbors living the experience have a seat at the table when writing the next chapter. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s the beginning of something we can truly create together.”
Benjamin Fink, a consultant working with TEAM, said the only way to make change happen with regard to creating more housing opportunities, ensuring landlords are doing their jobs, and educating tenants about their rights, is to have large group discussions that bring everyone to the table.
“We’ll have a chance to create change from the ground up with residents in the driver’s seat,” Fink said.
A screen shot from the forum.
The forum featured stories from residents who’ve faced discrimination, either due to their race or because they’re on Section 8, a federally subsidized voucher program to help people pay rent.
Shenelle, a single mom with two kids who lives and works in Derby, has faced struggles with housing.
“When I was looking for a house, and because I’m on Section 8, I was automatically discriminated against,” she said. “People think that I don’t work or that I’m dirty. All I want is a safe and reliable environment for my children to grow up in. It’s not fair when you’re automatically put into a category when you’re on Section 8. Section 8 should not define who I am. I hope we can make a change in the community.”
Ansonia Housing Authority Chairman Joe Pinto, long before he served on both Derby’s and Ansonia’s housing authorities, believed housing programs, like Section 8, “could be detrimental” to the community, but since realized how beneficial those programs are to people in need.
“These folks are striving to find better places to raise their children and give them the opportunities they might not have had,” Pinto said. “The narrative around these programs needs to change. We need to educate the public on the benefits of public housing.”
Andrea said when she was looking to rent, she faced discrimination for being Hispanic. She also said she was asked for several months’ security rent upfront by several landlords, and was confused because she didn’t know her rights as a tenant.
“We need programs to educate first-time tenants on their rights especially if their landlords aren’t doing their jobs,” she said.
Leonard Duffus, director of Valley Save Our Youth, learned about a woman who called her landlord about a problem in her apartment, but didn’t get a response for two months.
“It’s the stigma of Section 8, and these people getting no respect,” Duffus said. “We’re hearing from people who don’t have a fridge or an oven. There are policy and basic human issues that have to be addressed.”
Some tenants said problems are worse now due to COVID-19 because inspectors or landlords won’t even come into their units.
Local attorney Dominick Thomas said the Valley has a housing shortage for those in need of affordable options, and zoning regulations need to change to accommodate that.
Fink said the housing conversation will continue with follow-up meetings, educational workshops, story circles at churches and community groups and local training to create policy changes, break stigmas and provide more housing opportunities.
For more information visit TEAM Inc.
Donate.ValleyIndy.org during The Great Give May 4 and May 5.
