Envision Lehigh Valley has a difficult job, they must spend $3.4 million* of our tax dollars within 3 years, but they're up to the task. An article in today's Morning Call references their fair housing study. Were certain groups discriminated against in the mortgage market? Considering the historically high percentage of non-performing loans and foreclosures, evidence would suggest that anybody qualified for anything. Were certain groups steered to or from certain neighborhoods? I don't know, but what I do know is that when urban school districts are facing substantial teacher layoffs because of lack of funds, and we are wasting money on surveys and study committees, that is real discrimination.*The Morning Call article refers to $4.3 million, but rest assure that those bureaucrats will use our money well, regardless of the correct amount.
Agree 100%. These studies are just money wasters and end up "proving" a view held by the people doing the poll.
ReplyDeleteOK we have thousands of mortgages in distress or foreclosure. All income levels got in a buying frenzi during the 2000-2007 period. Now that the ponzi game is over, some people are claming discrimination.
Affordable housing is a tough nut. Does it mean finding and helping people who can really afford the mortgage or does it mean subsidizing housing costs for people who shouldn't have a mortgage.
Steering buyers to homes they can afford might be called discrimination or it might be responsible real estate work.
It's so subjective and the study will undoubtably come to the preconceived opinions of housing activists.
my problem is with the entire Envision concept and grant, not just the fair housing segment. to be harsh, the grant is just funding useless jobs, with more or less useless organizations, in these trying times.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure we all know what the "study" results will be. We're going to be finding out, again, that poor people (particularly poor people of color) aren't treated fairly.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the whole reason why Allentown has SO MANY poor people now is because we are awash in affordable housing. I guess it all depends on your definition of affordable, but it doesn't take a study to demonstrate why folks move here from Jersey and NY. We're CHEAP here. But I'm sure the good folks at Envision will want a way to make it cheaper. Which will lead to ASD having even more kids on their hands that won't get the education they deserve.
Allentown is the perfect case study on why cities need JOBS, not politicians, to pull them along a path towards prosperity.
Thousands of regular folks envisioned private water and sewer, and a hockey arena.
ReplyDeleteNow we have them. Bingo!
Worked like a charm.
Thank you Envision.
ReplyDeleteMike,
I invite all of your readers to go to their website and see for yourself the incredible largess of our federal government for entities that are by all measures Left wing advocacy groups.
Scott Armstrong
http://www.envisionlehighvalley.com/envision-lehigh-valley
Surprise surprise the poll that took six months (1100 surveys about six a day)and spent a fortune learned some things I could have given them for free.
ReplyDeleteWe all want low cost subsidized housing, more affordable grocery stores, a clean environment and cheap good service transportation.
Through in a cure for cancer just to make it contain something new.