1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Danny and Samantha. I welcome to stuff. 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: I never told your production of I Heart Radio. So 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: today we are excited for this episode. My good friend 4 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Melody has been working with a local anti displacement organization 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: that advocates for access to low income housing, and I 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: was so excited to have her on to talk about 7 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: the continued issues in displacement and how it affects women. 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: Um and of course because of what's happening with COVID 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: nineteen pandemic and the quarantine, there's a lot of conversation 10 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: about housing rights, rental rights and all of that. And 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: it's just really important that not only do we acknowledge 12 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: what's happening today, but what's been happening and what continues 13 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: to happen and how we should advocate for it. But 14 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: I digress, because before we start in sminty fashion, we 15 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: want to lay out some definition, statistics and overall issues. 16 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: There are basics for this topic. So definitions to know. Yes, 17 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: starting with gentrification, which a lot of you probably know, 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: but we thought just have a good standard definition in here, 19 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 1: as defined by Mariam Webster, the process of repairing and 20 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: rebuilding homes and businesses in a deteriorating area, such as 21 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,199 Speaker 1: an urban neighborhood, accompanied by an influx of middle class 22 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: or affluent people that often results in the displacement of earlier, 23 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: usually poor residents. Right. And so when we talk about 24 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: it with a socio economic stance, we do often see 25 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: that being a very racial conversation because a majority of 26 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: the time, the more affluent and especially in the past, 27 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: the more affluent community would be a white community that 28 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: was pushing out typically people of color, and specifically in 29 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: the urban areas, black people. So making sure we acknowledge 30 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: that and not dance around the issue. Um and we 31 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: often see the overall effects of gentrification due to what 32 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: is known as the rent gap and the increase of 33 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: rent or property values. Rent gap is defined as the 34 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: disparity between the current rental income of a property and 35 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: the potential achievable rental income, which typically is the reason 36 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: for displacement of many of the long term residents, who 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: are often placed in the low middle income working class. 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: And before we get more specific as the effects of 39 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: housing displacement on women, we wanted to discuss some of 40 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: the historical context. Right. So, displacement has always been an 41 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: issue for the US we can go all the way 42 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: back to the historical accounts of the government removal or 43 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: a more glossed over term of quote unquote relocation of 44 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: Native Americans in eighteen thirty by President Andrew Jackson, and 45 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: then again we see it with the DAWs Act in 46 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: eighteen eight seven. And by the way, one survey dated 47 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: in twenty thirteen twenty fifteen, Native Americans and Native Alaskan 48 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: communities were still experiencing higher rates of housing problems than 49 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: the rest of the U s population. And though it 50 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: seems the US may have made some progress in not 51 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: so openly enacting such horrid policies such as the DAWs Act, 52 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: there are still public policies that have been proposed or 53 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: enacted with the misleading idea of quote creating new public spaces, 54 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: combating urban blight, or bolstering economic development. But when we 55 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: look at who is affected and most negatively impacted, without 56 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: a doubt, it is the black community. For example, Central 57 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: Park was developed by displacing the black community who was 58 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: living there at the time. Also another term to know 59 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: is red lighting, which is the systematic denial of various 60 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: services by federal government agencies, local government as well as 61 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: the private sector to residents of specific most notably black 62 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: neighborhoods or communities, either directly or through the selective raising 63 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: of prices, which has been in practice historically to continue 64 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: to oppress minority communities, specifically, again impacting the black community, 65 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: this quote often bar any neighborhood with more than five 66 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: percent of black people or people of color from receiving 67 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: subsidies from home ownership and wealth building. It not only 68 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: affected the begging an insurance process, but also affected access 69 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: to healthcare and supermarkets, which is something to note today. 70 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: Right and over on the other podcast I host UM, 71 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: we actually did an episode a while back with that. 72 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: We interviewed a food lawyer and we talked about things 73 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 1: like um food, deserts and redlining and how big of 74 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: a problem that is. So if you want to learn 75 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: more about that, our Interviewee Pepper was awesome. You can 76 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: go check that out. Do it. Yes, So, now we 77 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: did want to talk about the feminization of poverty. This 78 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: refers to the fact that women represent a disproportionate share 79 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: of the world's poor. As writer chairs Charles Well writes further, 80 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: the feminization of poverty is not only a consequence of 81 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: lack of income, but it's also the result of the 82 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: deprivation of opportunities and gender biases president in both society 83 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: and government. For women of color, the loss of opportunities 84 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: are also a result of institutional level racism and discriminatory practices. 85 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: It is these biases that have helped to create the 86 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: gender wage gap and all of the socio economic consequences 87 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: of inequality. Right, So, when we write down the many 88 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: intersectional issues that can cause housing displacement and disruption, there's 89 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: no denying the overall battles that continue for women to 90 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: gain equal footing and issues like this and why it's 91 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: important that we not only acknowledge their disparities but also 92 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: advocate to fight against them. Let's go ahead and get 93 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: into the interview about the issues in some ways we 94 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: can advocate today. I'm so excited because we get to 95 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: have my friend Melody Bray. I have known her. Oh 96 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: my gosh, how long have I known you? Um? Not 97 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: long enough, not long enough, But it's been a long been. 98 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say about like fifteen sixteen years. That's probably accurate. Yeah, 99 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: you're one of the first When we were young and 100 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 1: naive and felt like the world is our oyster. I 101 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: don't think I haven't felt that way, to be honest. 102 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: It was like, yeah, I'm gonna die. Um. So, yes, 103 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: my friend Melody Bray has joined us for an amazing conversation. 104 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: I'm really excited because I think it's something I've been 105 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: thinking on for a while. And we're talking about how 106 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: housing displacement and issues within gentrification and what that looks like, 107 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 1: especially when we look talking about women and those who 108 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: identify as female and those intersectionally who are people of 109 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: color and are There's so many things that we can 110 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: talk about, whether it's the redlining, whether it's the old 111 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: school policies that displace Native Americans and Native Alaskans, and 112 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: why that is so important, why that has long lasting 113 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: factors of today and our society today. But yes, Melody, 114 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us about Thank you 115 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: for studios. You've got a home studios now just like us, 116 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: fancy like yours looks more fancy than mine, which is 117 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: in the dining room. You actually have a like a 118 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: study it looks like or well, yes, this in the 119 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: west Wind of my residents supporting the West Wing. I 120 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: can actually watching a lot of west Wick lately, so 121 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: it's just off the top of them. And I want 122 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: some inspiration in our politics. So that's what I'm got 123 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: to right now. That's that's the inspiration. I like it. UM. 124 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: But yes, you are a part of an organization called 125 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: City Roos a t L. And can you kind of 126 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: explain to our listeners what this is. Yeah, absolutely so. 127 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: I'm one of the code campaign managers for City Roots 128 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: at l UM and we are a grassroots advocacy group 129 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: that's based here in Atlanta. UM and we're specifically focused 130 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: on dealing with low income housing issues UH and anti 131 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: displacement work for folks in our city, particular to Atlanta. 132 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: You know, you have this place that is the birthplace 133 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: of the civil rights movement and has this history of 134 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: seeking to be more inclusive, seeking to be a place 135 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: of equality. UM. And in our thoughts is that housing 136 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: access is just an extension of the civil rights movement. UM. 137 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: It's about an equality issue. It's it's about just leveling 138 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: the playing field and kind of the way that housing 139 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: a set up in America. UM. So our goal is 140 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: just to activate, to motivate, to educate the citizens of 141 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: Atlanta to bring this to the forefront of the priority 142 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: list for our leaders UM and the decision makers, developers, UM, 143 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,239 Speaker 1: those people who are stakeholders and are able to actually 144 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: affect change in the city. And we're pivoting a little 145 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: bit right now. And in the time of Corona, you know, 146 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: your grassroots groups are normally the door knockers, you know, 147 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: the people who are marching, the people who are showing 148 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: up at city council meetings and all of those kind 149 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: of in person, face to face touch points. UM. So 150 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: we're in the midst of pivoting and looking at what 151 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: that looks like in the post Corona world. But we 152 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: think that grassroots advocacy is going to live on whether 153 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: Corona is here or not. So we're innovating on that end, 154 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: right wish you're going to have we're talking today, it's 155 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: what February twenty eight. Tomorrow you're having a panel on 156 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: online panel which I'm excited about. I want to see 157 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: what that's about. Yeah, she did not worry, but no, 158 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: that's great. That's such a good example about time. Everything 159 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: so worse April, everything is so worse. You're having a 160 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: panel tomorrow, and I'm excited that. Yes, yeah, we're having 161 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: a panel tomorrow. We've got a couple of city council members. 162 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,559 Speaker 1: We have a magistrate judge in in Fulton County, which 163 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: is our largest county here in Georgia, UM, who handles 164 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: evictions and all that type of type of work and filings. 165 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:44,479 Speaker 1: We've got some education scholars here at our local universities 166 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: who are going to be speaking to the issues and developers. UM, 167 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: just kind of attacking it at all sides and wanting 168 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,839 Speaker 1: to just foster a conversation. You know, solutions only come 169 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: from people talking to one another and listening, which is awesome. UM. 170 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: How did City Rose a t began? Um? You know, 171 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: it's about as organic as it gets. I was approached 172 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: by a gentleman named Justin Gibbey who has been involved 173 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: in local Atlanta politics for a number of years, and 174 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: he is focused on another project of his right now. 175 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: But he really cared about the issue of affordable housing 176 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 1: and low income housing and just didn't have the bandwidth. UM. 177 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:31,559 Speaker 1: So he brought together various folks myself, I'm another guy 178 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: named Mike Davis, who I'm a residential realator. Mike is 179 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: in the commercial real estate space. Mike brought on another 180 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: guy named Cameron who has connection to the King Center 181 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: and works there, UM and is able to kind of 182 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: bring that perspective of civil rights and that legacy to 183 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: the table. And then we've got a bunch of folks 184 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: who are living in areas that are experiencing neighborhood change 185 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: and just care about the issue. Other people who are 186 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: in communications and want to lend a kind of skill set. Um, 187 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: super organic. Super To me, I'd just say, like providential, um, 188 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 1: because it's it's a gift of each of us being 189 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: able to lend our resources in this way um. And 190 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: none of us were really friends beforehand, but through the 191 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: process we're becoming friends now. UM, and it's it's been 192 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: really great to say, that's awesome. And yeah, I was 193 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: gonna ask, what has been your role? Why is it 194 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: important to you? So for me? So my past life, 195 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: I was an attorney. Um, I practiced for ten years. 196 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: I've been in Atlanta for fifteen years. And when I 197 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: moved here was right after I graduated college. I was 198 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: working at a coffee shop making minimum wage plus tips, 199 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: and looking back on what my city looked like in 200 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: two thousand four versus what it looks like now, it 201 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: is it's just not the same city and the idea 202 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: that someone like me who not in a way of 203 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: tooting my own horn. But I do think that me 204 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: being in this city makes Atlanta a little better, a 205 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: little richer. I bring just your practical skill sets to it. 206 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: But then also, you know, I'm a black female who 207 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: has a higher degree, who wants to reach out to 208 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: neighbors and so in here. And the idea that if 209 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: I had moved to Atlanta in instead of two thousand four, 210 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: I probably wouldn't have stayed. I wouldn't be able to 211 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: afford to stay on the salary of a barista pulling 212 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: in tips without a roommate, because I didn't know anybody here. Um. 213 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: So when I transitioned from being an attorney to being 214 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: in real estate, I kind of had to contend with 215 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: the idea that I am part of a in industry 216 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 1: that profits off of neighborhood change. You know, the higher 217 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: the house price, the higher my pay up. It doesn't 218 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: mean I can't be a realist agent, but it does 219 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: mean that I need to be thoughtful about how I 220 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: can give back, um and how I transact business. And 221 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 1: so it started to make me pay attention a little 222 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: more right, pay attention to what's going on around me 223 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: UM and then seek out other organizations that are doing 224 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: good work, and there's one in our city named Grove 225 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: Park renewal Um. A guy named Justin Bleaker heads that up, 226 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: and just in conversations with him, being able to learn 227 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: more about low incomp housing and about the practical things 228 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: of what people who are in that situation are dealing 229 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: with and going through really kind of pushed me towards 230 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: wanting to spend more time trying to work in that space. 231 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: So for City Roots itself, as a campaign manager, I'm 232 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 1: kind of on the high level kind of stuff vision casting, 233 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 1: um strategy, figuring out what we need to do, and 234 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: then of course anyone who's in a position of leadership 235 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: news that you also have to do the nety gritty 236 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: stuff like stuff envelopes and whatever, what I take out 237 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: the trash, you know what I mean? So from top 238 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: to bottom, like whatever we need to do to to 239 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: get things done is what I'm gonna do, right, Yeah, 240 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: And I did look at your site and they hasn't 241 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: really really insightful stats posted it on your site, which 242 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: we're talking about um low income in the City of Atlanta. 243 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: And again this is all defined by Atlanta. And we're 244 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: talking about Atlanta because it is a big hub of gentrification, 245 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: of big source spot honestly in our city and our communities. 246 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: And one of the examples when I was researching about 247 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: displacement and housing um talking about redlining, talking about why 248 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: gentrification became a thing, they gave the example of Manhattan 249 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: in which the Central Park happened and displaced so many people. 250 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: But then they also made an example of our park, 251 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: Centennial Olympic Park, which caused the big hub and a 252 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: big displacement of community that had been settled and happy. 253 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: But because we got a bid from the Olympics, they 254 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: move to make whatever could make be a profit. And 255 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: I know it's like the source bot and the conversation 256 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: that still needs to be had, it's still not being 257 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: addressed today. Yeah. Absolutely, when you when you first said 258 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: mentioned a park, I immediately went to the thought. Here 259 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, we have a west side reservoir park that's 260 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: coming online over on the west side of town. UM 261 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: and it is in any sort of right up that's 262 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: normally compared to Central Park in New York. UM, it's 263 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: going to be twice the size of Piedmont Park, which 264 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: is also our largest park currently in the city. Uh. 265 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: And there's a lot of development and infrastructure that's going 266 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: on around that, but it's also placed in a historically 267 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: black area of town. UM that if you went to 268 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: it ten years ago, it's quote unquote considered undesirable. UM. 269 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: It's you know, a food desert. The transportation is not 270 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: connected to that area. UM, there are no amenities, no 271 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: fun things to go to. And now that the park 272 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: is coming, all of a sudden, those things are coming, 273 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: which means that housing prices are increasing exponentially at a 274 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 1: rate that is just not tracking with wages. So, for instance, 275 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: here in Atlanta, UM wages have increased about forty eight 276 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: percent over the past twenty years, whereas housing rental prices 277 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: have increased by about sevent in that same period of time. 278 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: It's just not keeping track. And that's a very Atlanta 279 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: specific number. But the Boston's, the New York's, the San Francisco's, 280 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: the Denver's that are all dealing with at various stages 281 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: of the same issue, are also dealing with the fact 282 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: that wages and housing prices they're not parallel. They're definitely 283 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: one is tracking a lot faster than the other. Right Yeah, 284 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: one of the numbers which it quit me because when 285 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: I started working, I've made about twenty nine thousand a 286 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: year and was talking about how low income in the 287 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: city of Atlanta again we're talking near us residentially for 288 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: US is defined by household that makes at or below 289 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: of their median income, which is twenty eight thousand for 290 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: an individual for family of four, and I cannot imagine 291 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: what forty thousand would look like for a family of four. 292 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:15,159 Speaker 1: Like that just makes me have palpitations. To get the 293 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: painting mode. As a single person, when I was making 294 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: twenty nine, I had to have a roommate, I had 295 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: to have, like eventually have two to three jobs to 296 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: make sure that I could do this. And then seeing 297 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: that wow best practices as well. Um, federal government defines 298 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: what's called it being house burdened as someone who has 299 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: to spend more than thirty percent of their income on 300 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 1: housing utilities. And so you're making thirty thousand and you're 301 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: only supposed to be spending thirty percent of that on 302 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: housing utilities. That's just not sustainable. In most major metro cities, 303 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 1: there's got to be either assistance direct assistance to folks 304 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: to supplement that or there has to be an increase 305 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 1: in houseing um in a suppression of housing prices. Right, So, 306 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: why do you think it's important for cities like Atlanta 307 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: to be aware and advocate for housing rights? Obviously we're 308 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: talking about the issues, but why do you think it's 309 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: important that we continue to talk about this issue and 310 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: be louder about it. And as for you who kind 311 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: of makes a profit, as you said, why is it 312 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: important that we talk about it? And how do you 313 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:24,880 Speaker 1: advocate beyond just let's talk about it, right right? Well, 314 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 1: I think first and foremost beyond we can talk you know, 315 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: policy and the quality of life and cities and all 316 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: those types of things, But to me, it's more so 317 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,719 Speaker 1: the fundamental issue of people. Humans should be given an 318 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 1: opportunity to have safe and stable housing. If you go, 319 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: I mean in your psychology one oh one class and 320 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: talk about Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the ability to 321 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,159 Speaker 1: be able to function in any way that's going to 322 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: really contribute to the world around you. You have to 323 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: have your base needs met. You need food, you need shelter, 324 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,360 Speaker 1: um and they should be safe, safe shelter and so 325 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: just as a baseline, if we want to sit around 326 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: and talk about the fact that we're good people. You know, 327 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: if we want to sit around and talk about the 328 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 1: fact that we care about, UM, someone other than ourselves 329 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: than housing has to enter into that conversation because it's 330 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: a base need of those around us. I think on 331 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: a larger scope, UM, and particularly you know, in the 332 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: context of this podcast and UM women's issues, you know, 333 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: there are there are a lot of things as it 334 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: relates specifically to women in housing that if you want 335 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: to show some care to women, you have to address 336 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: housing as well. UM. One of the things that, in 337 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: my opinion, doesn't get a ton of press is the 338 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: connection between domestic violence issues and housing and access to housing. 339 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,479 Speaker 1: You know, a woman who is in a situation that 340 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: she needs to get out of that is going to 341 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: consider the his ability of being able to leave, and 342 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,360 Speaker 1: if she doesn't have access to affordable housing to leave 343 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:09,120 Speaker 1: that place, maybe she won't leave. What does that mean 344 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: for her? What does that mean for her kids? I 345 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: think it's something like sixty of families that are unhoused 346 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: or single mothers, and about half of those are black 347 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: and brown women. And so for me, if I'm going 348 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 1: to say I care about women, I'm going to say 349 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 1: about I care about black women, care about Brown women, 350 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: that I also have to care about their access to housing, 351 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: their ability to leave situations that they need to be 352 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 1: able to get out of. UM. So it just touches 353 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: so many different areas. It's not just about housing. It's 354 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: about UM education, it's about the wealth gap. UM, it's 355 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:51,120 Speaker 1: about generational wealth UM and being able to to build 356 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: families that are sustainable and growing in return. You know, 357 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: housing is the baseline, and that's just it has kind 358 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: of holes that goes everywhere. Right, Like that comes to 359 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: the next question. I mean you kind of already answered 360 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: as were you know, as we do look at the 361 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: differences of gender concerning issues like housing and displacement, what 362 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: do you see impacting women the most in this housing 363 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: issues and gentrification issue? Yeah? Um, well, one for sure, 364 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: domestic violence issues. Making sure that housing is affordable because 365 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: when you leave, we know how that economically impacts women. 366 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: Sometimes you're leaving a job because you need to flee, 367 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: you need to hide, and you can't go to the 368 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: same places that you would go before. Um. You had 369 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: previously a two income household, now you have a one 370 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: income household. UM, so you can't afford as much. You 371 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: don't have another person to chippen on childcare, and so 372 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 1: you might have an increased cost there, all of these 373 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: things playing to what I can afford and whether it's 374 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: it's okay for me to leave um as as a biggie. 375 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,920 Speaker 1: I think a second one as well is that wealth 376 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: gap um which you know, the the idea that, whether 377 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:02,959 Speaker 1: we like it or not, in the United States, what 378 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: we've done is we've set up a system where one 379 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: of the main ways that the average person builds wealth 380 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,959 Speaker 1: is their home. Just regular old Joe Schmill builds builds 381 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: wealth through their home. And if you look at just 382 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: median wealth and wealth defined as everything you have plus 383 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: every money, all the cash you saved, minus any sort 384 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: of debts. Right, so you look at media and wealth. 385 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: For a white male, median wealth is about twenty nine dollars. 386 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:41,120 Speaker 1: For a black woman, it's two hundred dollars. Like it's 387 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: it's there's it's it's nowhere near. Latin X women even 388 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 1: worse than a hundred dollars um and white women are 389 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: around fifteen five thousand, five hundred. So there's even a 390 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: gap for white women as well. And in my opinion, 391 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: I'm and I'll say this, I did not go to 392 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: school for this. This is me like just being in 393 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: it and reading about it and kind of consuming this 394 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: information to inform how we run our organization. Because of 395 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:13,160 Speaker 1: the way that we've set things up as a society 396 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: that the house is the way that you build wealth, 397 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: that gap is not going to decrease in a significant 398 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: way until we increase access to housing. Two women overall, 399 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: and in particular, just looking at those number black and 400 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: Latin X women who verses twenty nine thousand, I mean, 401 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: that's that's something that It's not just about a job difference. 402 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: It's not just about getting less on the dollar. There's 403 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: something else going on there. Um. So a lack of 404 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 1: wealth accumulation would be would be a huge, huge one. 405 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 1: In the last one, I would say, it's just public 406 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: housing overall. Um, the perception of public housing. Uh, you know, 407 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: we can get into that at some point in time, 408 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: but about sevent of public housing recipients are female, female 409 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: at households um. And so as we decide we want 410 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 1: to focus on capital market solutions, like we we want 411 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: to remove any sort of governmental assistance. We want to 412 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: just incentivize developers to provide more housing units online. One 413 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: of the issues with that is that if you're going 414 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: to keep reducing the amount of public housing options, that 415 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: automatically affects women because the majority of the people who 416 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,879 Speaker 1: are in public housing a head of household or women. 417 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,639 Speaker 1: And then the second is vouchers, which you don't have 418 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: to live in a government unit. You can use a 419 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: vaucher in a private unit, but about eighty five percent 420 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: of voucher recipients or females. So if you're going to 421 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: reduce in a sort of federal or state assistance for housing, 422 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: that means you're cutting off money to women, right, which 423 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:11,199 Speaker 1: sounds like kind of how we've been talking in the 424 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: past about the e r A and the Equal Rights 425 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: them and why things like that are so important because 426 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: you don't see the overall effects where it can trickle 427 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: down to things that you don't even know existed. We 428 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,360 Speaker 1: talked about that with the the Violence Against Women's Act 429 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: as well, how that was kind of just kind of 430 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: dismissing some of the language was changed, and just that 431 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: was significant enough to push back on women who are 432 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: being financially abused as well and manipulated as well, and 433 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 1: why they can't get out of those situations again, which 434 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: is another trickle effect. But that's that's an amazing content 435 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: to think about when you think of government assistance of 436 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: who is the impacting and how, And it's not just 437 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: usual quote unquote, which is bad enough, but housing, which 438 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: is a stability which, by the way, rex the economy, 439 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: rex the state economy, especially when you think about when 440 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: it comes to child care, when it comes to child abuse, 441 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: child neglect, child emotional abuse, all of those things are 442 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 1: a part of that as well, and also the tying 443 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: into education because you know that children who are going 444 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 1: to succeed in school need to have stable households um 445 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:18,439 Speaker 1: in order to be able to succeed there. So it 446 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:23,400 Speaker 1: really does just uh, it serves as one of the 447 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 1: base foundational factors for so many other things that when 448 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:30,399 Speaker 1: people talk about different policies that they want to see, 449 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:34,360 Speaker 1: there be change in housing touches those things, and there's 450 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: a lot of people who are doing really great research 451 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: in those areas too kind of inform how we should 452 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: be moving forward on a lot of these fronts. Right, 453 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: we have some more of our interview with Melody, but 454 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: first we have a quick break for a word from 455 00:26:48,080 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: our sponsor, and we're back, Thank you sponsored. Let's get 456 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: back into it with the already two common issues that 457 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: we've talked about, which include the domestic bolence, overall unemployment, UM, 458 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 1: issues with gender wage gap, which is a whole other conversation. 459 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: What do you see are the biggest concerns and issues 460 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: with things like this pandemic that we're experiencing and overall 461 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:29,600 Speaker 1: this large skill crisis. Yeah, so Corona is really wreaking 462 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: havoc on black and brown communities. You know, obviously the 463 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 1: physical aspect of it and how it's disproportionately affecting those groups. 464 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 1: But in addition, you're just talking about they're we're talking 465 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,479 Speaker 1: about groups that don't have safety nets here. UM. You know, 466 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 1: they don't have a pile of savings to be able 467 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: to access when there's any sort of interruption in their income. 468 00:27:55,240 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: That's that's massive. UM. Also food access, you know, the 469 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: ability to use some of that savings and be able 470 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: to go get food. It's obvious that that's happening. I've 471 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,640 Speaker 1: had to I work with another group in town that 472 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: does food stability and we have expanded, I believe at 473 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: this point where you've expanded in our services because people 474 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: can't afford um, can't afford it. But the major thing, 475 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: you know, I don't want to be a Debbie downer. Um. 476 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: But that's not the worst part, right, Um, it's evictions. 477 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: You know, here in Atlanta and there's been a number 478 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: of other places as well that have put in a 479 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: moratory amount evictions. But in reality, folks are still either 480 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: one the tenant in the unit isn't aware that they 481 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: cannot be evicted during this time. UM. So without lack 482 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 1: of education, they can be taken advantage of by landlord 483 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: that says, if you don't pay up, you got to 484 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: be out tomorrow. And that's even outside of Corona that 485 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: was the case. There are you know, tenant rights that 486 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 1: they're not aware of, and then also just access to 487 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: a defense, um, not knowing where to turn when you 488 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: get the letter on your door that says, because you 489 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: didn't pay rent this month, you know you've got seven 490 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: days to get out or whatever the time period is. 491 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: So for my my friends who work in the eviction space, 492 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: they have noticed a substantial uptick in the filing for evictions. 493 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 1: And you know, there's some level of cynicism in my mind, 494 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: but this is a really great opportunity for some landlords 495 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: to clean house um for folks that they have been 496 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: wanting to get rid of for a while and haven't 497 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:50,960 Speaker 1: really been able to work the system to be able 498 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,239 Speaker 1: to get them out um. And now we've got an 499 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: opportunity where you know, you missed that one. You've been 500 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: there for twelve years, you missed that one, that one 501 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: rent chap because your place is not open. You're an 502 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: hourly worker, and you don't have access to um any 503 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: sort of income, and so you gotta go right And 504 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: then when you start looking at especially right now, because 505 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: again we are in the state of Georgia and our 506 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: businesses have quote unquote soft open um, whether or not 507 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: you like it, and we see a lot of people 508 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: the big conversation of the fact that opening up means 509 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: that this crisis state of an unemployment receiving unemployment assistance 510 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: may actually be pushed off and said, oh, well, you 511 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: have the opportunity work if you refuse to do so 512 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: because you feel like your risk you're at risk, or 513 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: because you have children at home that can't go anywhere, 514 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,959 Speaker 1: you're fired, you don't get unemployment all those things. I 515 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 1: just hated that, Okay, when I said you're fired. I 516 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: sounded like Trump and I did not like that. That 517 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: made me feel dirty. Oh my god. Okay, okay, anyway, 518 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: you know, letting people go and saying sorry, you missed 519 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: the day you get you have the opportunity to work 520 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: for that seven fifty. Now you can't. Oh sorry, too bad, 521 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: which causes again that triple effective. I can't afford things. 522 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 1: I have children. Where do I go. There's a disease 523 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 1: that's just outright decimating people as specific populations, as in 524 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 1: fact specific communities, and it just is an overall tragic moment. 525 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: And then you see again the evictions. You would think 526 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: that there would be some people. Now, don't get me wrong, 527 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: I understand there's not been any assistance for people who 528 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: are renting or renters rather owners of properties. There's no assistance, 529 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: there's no help. So this is kind of like that backlash. 530 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: Even though everything's on pause, it doesn't mean it's not accumulating. 531 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: They may not have interests, but doesn't mean you don't 532 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: owe three months of rent within the first month of 533 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: us coming back whenever that may be. So when you 534 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 1: start looking at a single parent trying to all these 535 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 1: ends mean and their daycare was school for that time 536 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: in being and or their daycare was their parents who 537 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 1: are elderly and may have uh compromising immune systems, and 538 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: you can't have your children there because you don't want 539 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: to risk their lives. All Right, this is such a 540 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: harsh reality understanding this big picture and the loss of 541 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 1: self essentially safe and even that what you had mentioned 542 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: about having elderly in the home. You know, folks at 543 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: lower income brackets and more likely to have multiple generations 544 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 1: in the same house. Right. Um, So when you talk 545 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: about like we've had we've lived in this house for 546 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: fifty years. Grandma's here, you know, her kids, her daughter's there, 547 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,719 Speaker 1: her daughter's kids are there, and daughter has to go 548 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: to work. Now, Um, she might have that built in 549 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: childcare because grandmama is there to be able to take 550 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 1: care of the kids. But she goes out into a 551 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: space and is exposed to who knows what. He comes 552 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: back into that space to now hang back out with 553 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 1: grandma in her home. Um. You know, it's we we 554 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: don't know how it's going to play out. Um, but 555 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: we can certainly work through those scenarios in our mind 556 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: of of what could go wrong in these situations. Right, 557 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: And as I said, I'm a Debbie Downer, So yes, 558 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: that's that's what goes through my mind. Well, with all 559 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: of that sadness and negativity, Um, what can we do 560 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: to help to advocate as well? Obviously I'm on the outskirts. No, 561 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: I don't know too much anymore. I've kind of stepped 562 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: out of social work and just watching this happen. What 563 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: can we do? Are their policies and things that we 564 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: need to pay attention to that may come into play 565 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: during this unpresident of time. Yeah, I would say the 566 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: first is just getting involved. Um, I know that. You know, 567 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: the presidential election is the sexy election. I mean as 568 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:58,959 Speaker 1: sexy as two old white dudes can be. Um. You know, 569 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: people pay attention to Pessentially, they pay attention to Senate 570 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: and a house, But who's actually affecting our day to 571 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,359 Speaker 1: day lives? Um? You know it's the equivalent of if 572 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: you worked for Coca Cola and you only cared about 573 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: the CEO, but you didn't pay attention to who your 574 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 1: bosses and your department or the lady who cuts checks 575 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: in the HR or who runs that department. Um, you 576 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:25,360 Speaker 1: know that's the equivalent of who is going to be mayor, 577 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 1: who's on your city council, who's on your school board. Um, 578 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: and that affects taxes for your properties. Um So paying 579 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: attention on the local level I think is number one. UM. 580 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: I'd also say starting to wrap our minds around and 581 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 1: becoming comfortable with the idea that if you want to, 582 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,360 Speaker 1: if you say you care about others and you care 583 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: about us as a collective, then that means we're all 584 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: going to have to give a little bit, and that 585 00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: might mean that your taxes go up. You know, there 586 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: there could be something on your on your next election 587 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: ticket next year that is going to affordable housing or 588 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:12,879 Speaker 1: to low income housing. To raise money for that, and 589 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: to be open to having to pay a little more 590 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,840 Speaker 1: out of pocket for all of us to be better, 591 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: to to have the tide lift all of our boats, 592 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: and to think about the idea that none of us like. 593 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: I'm a homeowner. Um, I'm a whole owner because people 594 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: before me sacrificed in order to place me in a 595 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: position to be able to afford to purchase a home. 596 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 1: I didn't do this on my own. Um So, moving 597 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,760 Speaker 1: away from the idea that it's this eat which you kill, 598 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: you get what you deserve type of mindset knowing that 599 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,439 Speaker 1: we all needed help, and some of us have helped. 600 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: That's built in to our structures or family systems, and 601 00:35:55,680 --> 00:36:00,440 Speaker 1: some people don't. And so when they don't, whether you 602 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: want to acknowledge that or not, it will affect you 603 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: at some point. So maybe if we help on the 604 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:11,400 Speaker 1: front end so that the effect is going to be positive. 605 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,839 Speaker 1: So what I'd say is get involved, pay attention, and 606 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: be willing to give a little. Secondly, I'd say just 607 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,240 Speaker 1: educate yourself on the issue as best you can. Um, 608 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: you know, I could guarantee that if you google like 609 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,400 Speaker 1: your city's name and low income housing or affordable housing, 610 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 1: there's gonna be a number of things that pop up. 611 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:37,920 Speaker 1: It is a particularly kind of in vogue issue right now. Um, 612 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:39,960 Speaker 1: there's a lot of people doing research, is a lot 613 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 1: of articles being promulgated on it. So when you get 614 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,320 Speaker 1: to that ballot box on that referendum or that issue, 615 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 1: you're coming with a bit of a thought process behind it, 616 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:53,280 Speaker 1: not just a thumbs up thumbs down from a gut reaction. 617 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,879 Speaker 1: And then lastly, which this is me coming particularly from 618 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,919 Speaker 1: a real estate perspective, you know, I hear a lot 619 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 1: of my clients kind of have um a guilt about 620 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: purchasing a home in a place that experiencing neighborhood change. 621 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: You know, they are, whether it's just graduating or just 622 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: got married. Like that's kind of my group of folks 623 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:18,840 Speaker 1: who I work with. You know that a lot of 624 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:23,800 Speaker 1: first time homebuyers, they're also being affected by high prices. 625 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 1: Of course they can afford more than someone who's in 626 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,439 Speaker 1: a low income bracket, but they're looking for a deal, 627 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:32,839 Speaker 1: and so they're going to these same areas that are 628 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 1: changing and wondering how do I, as a person UM 629 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: who has my own personal goals meet those goals without 630 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:47,960 Speaker 1: kind of just rolling over everyone else in the process, UM, 631 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: and so being thoughtful about how you interact with that process, 632 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:56,239 Speaker 1: ask questions. You know, if it's investor owned, who is 633 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:00,160 Speaker 1: this investor? You know, how much did they per just 634 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 1: the property for um, was the property tax delinquent for 635 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 1: three years beforehand? And then they bought it at a 636 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:12,560 Speaker 1: value that's only ten to fift of what it was, 637 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 1: what it what it should be purchased for. Maybe I 638 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:20,359 Speaker 1: choose another house UM to purchase, you know, just being 639 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: as thoughtful as you as you can and ask your 640 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,760 Speaker 1: real estate agent. You know, is there anything I should 641 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: do about this home? It doesn't seem fishy to you, um, 642 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,839 Speaker 1: those types of things. It doesn't mean you can't live 643 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:34,800 Speaker 1: your life. It doesn't mean that you can't have nice things. 644 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 1: You know, just being a little more thoughtful. And then 645 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 1: when you're in it, be a good neighbor. Get involved 646 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,040 Speaker 1: in that neighborhood. Meet the people outside of your doors. 647 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,279 Speaker 1: Don't cloister inside of your house waiting for the neighborhood 648 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:52,360 Speaker 1: to change around you. Get out and advocate for the 649 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,440 Speaker 1: neighborhood that you now live in, along with the folks 650 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:57,920 Speaker 1: that are already there and have been there for the 651 00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:01,799 Speaker 1: past fifty years. Advocate for them because whether I mean 652 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: this might be a controversial statement to say, but if 653 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:12,320 Speaker 1: a neighborhood is predominantly black and they are not getting 654 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:16,719 Speaker 1: the services that they need and nobody is listening to them, 655 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: and now the neighborhood is thirty white, it's gonna be 656 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: easier to get those services. Right if people who are 657 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,240 Speaker 1: moving into that neighborhood with a little more access to power, 658 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,719 Speaker 1: a little more access to wealth, you know, in a 659 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: different bracket. If they're complaining about something, they are able 660 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,399 Speaker 1: now to advocate in a way that those who were 661 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:42,520 Speaker 1: already in that neighborhood haven't been heard. And so be 662 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,240 Speaker 1: a good neighbor, you know, don't wait for the change. 663 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: Help the folks that are there right now to your 664 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: left and to your right, so ethically purchasing and being 665 00:39:54,880 --> 00:40:00,320 Speaker 1: compassionate neighbors neighbors. Yeah, I like that, I mean directically 666 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,560 Speaker 1: thought about it. Likely we do have some more of 667 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,759 Speaker 1: this interview for you listeners, but first we have one 668 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 1: more group break bard from our sponsors and we're back. 669 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:27,279 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor. Well, this has been so informative and um, 670 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,840 Speaker 1: we really appreciate you being on here. Is there anything 671 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:34,000 Speaker 1: else that we haven't asked about that you think is 672 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 1: really important that we do discuss? Mm hmm. I think 673 00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:42,359 Speaker 1: the one thing that I that I hope for in 674 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:45,600 Speaker 1: the low income housing space is a higher level of 675 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 1: collaboration between the players. I feel like each group is 676 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:55,920 Speaker 1: kind of working in their own silo. It's politicians and 677 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,040 Speaker 1: policymakers kind of you know, running around trying to do 678 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 1: policy over here, and then you've got academics just pushing 679 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:05,960 Speaker 1: out research over here. You've got developers who are not 680 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,279 Speaker 1: all developers are bad. There are those who actually want 681 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,719 Speaker 1: to develop in an ethical way, but they're kind of 682 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 1: just doing it on our own. Over there, there's nonprofits 683 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,680 Speaker 1: and charities and churches who also have a heart for 684 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:21,040 Speaker 1: it but don't even know where to start. You know, 685 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:25,360 Speaker 1: the opportunity to have all of those people come together 686 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 1: and not just push policies and initiatives, but actually start 687 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: putting projects together that put more units on the ground 688 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:43,120 Speaker 1: or provide more funding, just collaboration. You know, it's a 689 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:46,160 Speaker 1: huge broad problem. We're gonna have to come up with 690 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 1: a bold solution, and that solution is going to have 691 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 1: to be something that is more than just legislation and 692 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:56,920 Speaker 1: you know, we're going to have some more money. That's 693 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:01,880 Speaker 1: that's that's kind of boring baseline solutions. We need something 694 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,399 Speaker 1: bigger than that. I guess kind of going off of that, 695 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:09,279 Speaker 1: do you have anything in the future, either personally or 696 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:16,520 Speaker 1: forrtl UM that you're excited about or hopeful for. Yeah, 697 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:21,840 Speaker 1: I think Corona has really changed up the entire dynamic. 698 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:26,920 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously needing more money for practical you know, 699 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:32,759 Speaker 1: solution to increasing more units is on the list of desires, 700 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 1: but how this is all affecting every governmental entities coffers 701 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:42,680 Speaker 1: is you almost can't hold it against them when you 702 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:44,440 Speaker 1: come to them and say, hey, we want X some 703 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,719 Speaker 1: amount of dollars and they're like, yeah, me too. We 704 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: don't have it. You know, it's gone, it's gone, it's 705 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:54,320 Speaker 1: in in the it's gone into the universe. And so UM. 706 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:57,800 Speaker 1: One of the things I'm I'm kind of excited about 707 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:01,960 Speaker 1: is City Roots Atlanta is wanting to really push the 708 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 1: city to utilize their land, their existing land. And it's 709 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:12,239 Speaker 1: not just Atlanta. Every city owns land. And I'm an attorney, 710 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:17,120 Speaker 1: and so I could get real granular about like, you know, 711 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:20,120 Speaker 1: the state owns all land really and they're giving it 712 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,919 Speaker 1: to us out of the kind of of their hearts essentially. UM. 713 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:27,239 Speaker 1: And so the city has a ton of land. Some 714 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 1: of it is in quote unquote undesirable areas, but they 715 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:34,359 Speaker 1: still can get money for those for those parcels. There 716 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 1: are all there that are in highly desirable areas and perhaps, ah, 717 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:41,880 Speaker 1: you could get a ton of money for it, or 718 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,560 Speaker 1: you could put it toward a good use, and that 719 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:49,279 Speaker 1: good use being more units on the ground. You know, 720 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:52,319 Speaker 1: that's one of the things that we're pushing for. UM 721 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:56,440 Speaker 1: and that's one of the things that you know, it's 722 00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 1: not it's not something we came up with, but there 723 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:03,880 Speaker 1: is definitely an interest in how do we take something 724 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,120 Speaker 1: that we already have. It's not like you're having to 725 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 1: raise money to get this land. You know you already 726 00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:11,799 Speaker 1: have it. How do we use this in a way 727 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:14,520 Speaker 1: that's going to best benefit our city. In particularly at 728 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:18,240 Speaker 1: the top of the podcast, we talked about in Atlanta, 729 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:21,160 Speaker 1: that West Side Reservoir Park. There's a ton of land 730 00:44:21,239 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: in and around that park that the city owns, and 731 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:29,920 Speaker 1: so it would delight me if you could go to 732 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:33,480 Speaker 1: this flagship project that the city has that is a 733 00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,000 Speaker 1: draw for people around the region. And one of the 734 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:41,279 Speaker 1: things that are integral to the part of that flagship 735 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 1: is low income housing. And what that says to folks 736 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:52,120 Speaker 1: about how we as a city value everybody, not just 737 00:44:52,239 --> 00:44:55,319 Speaker 1: those who are the haves who have been able to 738 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 1: afford a beautiful house that overlooks the park, but we 739 00:44:59,239 --> 00:45:02,880 Speaker 1: as a city also value those who are vulnerable and 740 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,600 Speaker 1: want them to have a view of the park too, Right, 741 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:10,480 Speaker 1: And just a astis here the reservoir is the way 742 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:18,000 Speaker 1: they filmed both Walking Dead and these things. Just to 743 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:20,239 Speaker 1: put that in people's mind of like what we're talking about. 744 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 1: Actually the first season in Walking Dead where they were 745 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 1: out like camping around a huge body of water right there, 746 00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:34,960 Speaker 1: washing their laundry out there. Remember that scene our reservoir 747 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,960 Speaker 1: that was our park, right and then the Stranger Things 748 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:42,160 Speaker 1: where he jumps off, Yeah, and uh eleven rescues him. 749 00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:44,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, so this was actually a closed off part 750 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,399 Speaker 1: for a very very very long time and then there's 751 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: attention brought to it because of the filming industry filming there, 752 00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:53,560 Speaker 1: but yeah, just in case people needed a you know, 753 00:45:53,880 --> 00:46:00,279 Speaker 1: visual visual stuff. It is small thing, right which is 754 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:02,680 Speaker 1: now guarded and you can't go in. People used to 755 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:07,479 Speaker 1: be sneak in and now they will arrest you. Don't. 756 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: Don't sneak it. If you're an Atlanta, I don't do that. 757 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:15,000 Speaker 1: I love this. So with all of that melody, where 758 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:18,000 Speaker 1: can we find a City Roots a t L? What's 759 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:20,920 Speaker 1: the website? Do you have social media? As well as 760 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:23,080 Speaker 1: where can we find you about wanting to suck? You? 761 00:46:23,239 --> 00:46:28,359 Speaker 1: Can we? Yeah? So, um our website is city roots 762 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: atl dot com. Um, we've got some of our just 763 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:36,120 Speaker 1: general vision as well as U are some stats that 764 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:38,200 Speaker 1: are interesting on there. And then anything that we have 765 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:41,040 Speaker 1: coming up, we kind of update the website on that 766 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:43,800 Speaker 1: as well, and we're going to be rolling out pretty 767 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:47,799 Speaker 1: soon a series of webinars on a monthly basis on 768 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: more discrete topics in order to just kind of get 769 00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,040 Speaker 1: that education piece going so that people feel a little 770 00:46:54,080 --> 00:46:58,680 Speaker 1: more comfortable engaging in this space. UM. Tomorrow night, we've 771 00:46:58,719 --> 00:47:01,960 Speaker 1: got that webinar going that's more of a broad view 772 00:47:02,239 --> 00:47:05,239 Speaker 1: of housing UM and then wanting to kind of drill 773 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:07,359 Speaker 1: down a little bit more as we go from month 774 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:10,839 Speaker 1: to month. UM so city roots atl dot com and 775 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:13,520 Speaker 1: then you can find us on Instagram at city Roots 776 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,759 Speaker 1: at l um and same thing with Facebook UM City 777 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:20,400 Speaker 1: Roots Atl. That brings us to the end of her interview, 778 00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:24,440 Speaker 1: Melody was so amazing. I love her. She's one of 779 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:28,680 Speaker 1: the best. I've leaned on her a minia times because 780 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:30,480 Speaker 1: she as she thought she was. She's been in law 781 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,200 Speaker 1: for a while now, and she just has a really 782 00:47:33,239 --> 00:47:36,400 Speaker 1: good analyzation of what is happening, what is needed, and 783 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:39,120 Speaker 1: what's important, especially in our community. So I really appreciate 784 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:43,000 Speaker 1: what she does. So thank you, Melody. Yes, yes, UM, 785 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:45,040 Speaker 1: I definitely hope that one day I could meet her 786 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:48,440 Speaker 1: in person. Oh yeah, you guys are kind of cross paths. 787 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:50,160 Speaker 1: There's moments that she was supposed to be there and 788 00:47:50,239 --> 00:47:51,799 Speaker 1: you you didn't come. And there are moments you were 789 00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:53,359 Speaker 1: supposed to be there and you weren't able to come 790 00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:57,000 Speaker 1: and she was there. Yeah. Another thing about it. One day, 791 00:47:57,200 --> 00:48:02,799 Speaker 1: one day, um, And she definitely inspired me, um to 792 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:05,239 Speaker 1: get to know my community better and my neighbors better. 793 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:10,040 Speaker 1: So I really only know like the four houses that 794 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:11,920 Speaker 1: want to cross from me and the two next to me, 795 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:17,920 Speaker 1: and that's it. Sometimes it gets hard, especially um, when 796 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:21,719 Speaker 1: you're so insulated in your world. Yeah. Yeah, And I 797 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:24,240 Speaker 1: mostly just use next door to laugh at the odd 798 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:28,680 Speaker 1: request that pop up. There's some really good, interesting drama 799 00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:33,400 Speaker 1: happening on next door. Oh right now. Definitely, like always, 800 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:40,160 Speaker 1: but definitely right now. UM. So I would recommend that 801 00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:45,320 Speaker 1: all of our listeners maybe make that a goal as well, 802 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:49,080 Speaker 1: and check in on your neighbors if you can, because 803 00:48:49,080 --> 00:48:52,560 Speaker 1: we all need check in with our mental health right now, 804 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:55,840 Speaker 1: and just be aware of what's going on in your community. Um. 805 00:48:55,880 --> 00:48:59,720 Speaker 1: It's a great general piece of advice. Right In the meantime, 806 00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:02,120 Speaker 1: we'd love to hear from you listeners if you have 807 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:04,400 Speaker 1: any organizations you would like us to shout out that 808 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:08,400 Speaker 1: are working on these similar issues. You can email us 809 00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:11,600 Speaker 1: at Stuff Media, mom Stuff at iHeart media dot com. 810 00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:13,520 Speaker 1: You can find us on Instagram at Stuff I've Never 811 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:16,000 Speaker 1: Told You or on Twitter app Mom Stuff Podcast. Thanks 812 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:19,040 Speaker 1: as always to your super producer Andrew Howard, Thank you, 813 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:21,920 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening Stuff I'm Never Told You, 814 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:24,120 Speaker 1: the production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 815 00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:26,880 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio, check out the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 816 00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:28,520 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite show