Sunday, March 12, 2017

1 of 2: Nick Vaughn eloquently demonstrates that Jeff Gahan's Great Public Housing Putsch of 2017 does nothing to address poverty -- the real problem.


In a letter to Clark County Now, and in contrast to the newspaper's vacuous editorial board, occasional NAC columnist Nick Vaughn compellingly counters the Jeff Gahan "demolition now, think later" plan for public housing in New Albany with an organized proposal to begin attacking the causes of poverty in this community.

Allow me to add yet again: As with Trump's tweet-driven antics taking our eyes off the Congressional ball, don't focus on Gahan tear-downs off Bono Road.

Rather, keep an eye on the public housing properties adjacent to Silver Street Park (Vance Court) and the Loop Island Wetlands (Riverside Terrace). Once cleared, these parcels will be up for grabs as "luxury" developments ... and you know that nothing lifts Def Papa's spirits quite like the "right" kind of voters.

Raise up people, not tumble housing

The New Albany Housing Authority Board has a big decision to make at their upcoming meeting on Monday, March 13. The proposed plan spearheaded by Mayor Gahan would effectively demolish nearly half of the affordable housing units in New Albany in the hopes that low-income housing becomes less centralized. I am against this proposal and I am writing in the hopes that not only the Housing Authority and city officials see this, but also to help my fellow New Albanians become more aware of the growing crisis in our city called poverty.

I think most people will agree that the centralization of low-income housing has negative effects on those living in those units for a few different reasons. The biggest reason is that around the nation, pockets of poverty and low-income housing is placed right in the middle of food deserts (places where there are not many options to buy food. Most options are fast food). I acknowledge this flaw and I support the idea of ending the centralization of poverty; however, the plan put forth forces low-income individuals with little hope and fewer options to up and leave their homes with effectively no place to go ...

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