1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, it's Bill Courtney with an army and normal folks. 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: And we continue now with part two of our conversation 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: with Jordan Sheeley, right after these brief messages from our 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: general sponsors. Okay, so that's twenty twelve. So what happens 5 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 1: once you start? Tell me what the last decades looked? 6 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: Just a lot of work. It's been a lot of work. No, 7 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 2: it's been it's been good. I've learned a lot. Our 8 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: community has grown a lot, and with our programs. We 9 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: started with home repair. That was the. 10 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: Basic started with home repair. Yeah, that was. 11 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 2: The basic need that people had. Over the years, we've grown, 12 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: you know. We started a tool library. We have orchards 13 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 2: and gardens. 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: Oh, don't just skip past that. This is what's cool. 15 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: A tool library. 16 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. So we were just finding that a lot of people, 17 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: once again know how to do the work that they 18 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: need done. We don't have a lot of money, but 19 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: we do have tools, you know, and we're not using 20 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 2: them one hundred percent of the time. So if you 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 2: can fix something on your house yourself and just borrow 22 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 2: our tools, then that's a win win for everyone, right, 23 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 2: because it's less work for us. 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love anything done. Cool library. Right, so it's 25 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: a free Dixie routes. 26 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, just come and borrow whatever you want. 27 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 1: Do they come and do they bring it back? Yeah? 28 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, we get everything back. 29 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 1: Some people would say, you'll never see that stuff again. 30 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, we haven't had anything anything stolen from us. 31 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: So that's unbelievable. All right. So what you say after 32 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: the tool library, we. 33 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 2: Have orchards and community gardens that was around it, act 34 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: on the property, on the property and in city parks. 35 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: So trying to find spaces, you know, beyond our house. 36 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: Part of our environment that affects us is the parks 37 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: around us and in the public spaces, and so wanting 38 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: to improve upon those spaces is we put a lot 39 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: of effort towards that, so creating community orchards, community gardens, 40 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: walking trails, you know, advocating for just general improvements around 41 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: our park systems. In our neighborhood, we have what's called 42 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: Kessler Park. It spans across three neighborhoods. It's whole a 43 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: giant park system. There's been through our surveys learning about 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: people don't always feel safe in those parks, or that 45 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 2: they don't have the infrastructure that they'd like for their 46 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 2: kids on playground and so forth. So a lot of 47 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 2: our work is advocating for that. We have goats on 48 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 2: Cliff Drive. 49 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: Ye goats. 50 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 2: Along this park system. 51 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: What are the people feel safe? 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 2: Well, they eat the honeysuckle that grows up and one 53 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 2: chokes out the native habitat the trees. But it also 54 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 2: blocks your line of view right and also encourages you know, 55 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: people were dumping this area. So by having goats, we 56 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 2: have more positive activity. We had the honeysuckles gone than. 57 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: Running around they are they have we. 58 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: Have we do have a fence, electric fence that keeps 59 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: them in and then we have a little trailer that 60 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 2: an art group put a big mural on and they 61 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: they just eat all day and people go visit them. 62 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: Who came up with that idea? 63 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 2: It all started with me and one of our community members, Mary. 64 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: I said to we were thinking about how we can 65 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 2: use some more volunteers, and I said, you know, if 66 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: we had a Catholic organization with goats, we'd probably get 67 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 2: every mtive student from the University of Notre Dame would 68 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: think that's be fun and want to come join us. 69 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: So that that was it started the joke and then 70 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: we started. Mary researched it and realized that it's actually 71 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 2: used worldwide as a way to manage land is utilizing goats. 72 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: So we use it as a community building activity. 73 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: You literally, how did the city decide okay for you 74 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: to put goats and their parks. 75 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: You know, I was when Mary started doing this research. 76 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: I really thought she was going to hit a dead 77 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: end because I didn't really want to do goats. I 78 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: was like, that sounds crazy, and I thought she's going 79 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 2: to hit a dead end with the city right away. 80 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 2: But no, the neighbors love the idea, The parks apartment 81 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: liked it. We went before the board, we put together 82 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: a contract, and now we have goats and there. 83 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: Are you guys doing goat yoga out there. 84 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 2: We're not doing goat yoga. 85 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: No, that's hilarious. Also started doing something else that I 86 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: found really interesting when you started, and I think you 87 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: will remember the initial one, but you started advocating for 88 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: neighbors who were getting sighted by the city. Yeah, that's 89 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: this is really interesting because my business isn't. A place 90 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: in Memphis called North Memphis reminds me a lot about 91 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: some of what you're talking about. It has parks, it's 92 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: not too far from some pretty affluent areas. But the 93 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: only thing that's different is it's largely African American. But 94 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: it's also this part of North Memphis has been there 95 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: since the late eighteen hundreds, and there are a lot 96 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 1: of second, third, and even four generation largely black homeowners there, 97 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: and so many of their homes, because they were built 98 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: sixty seventy eighty one hundred years ago, are in ill repair. 99 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: But these people own these homes, and they're paying their taxes, 100 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: and I would not imagine the mean income as much 101 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 1: greater than thirty thousand dollars, like what you're talking about. 102 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: And when a tree limb falls to their roof, or 103 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: they get a water by a busted waterline in the 104 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: winter and it starts rotting their floor out, they simply 105 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: can't fix it. And then when this happens over the 106 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: course of twenty years, the neighborhood starts to look blighted, 107 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: and the city comes in and starts writing tickets. And honestly, 108 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: I want the city to enforce code and make sure 109 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: our neighborhoods are taken care of and children can play 110 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: in because blight brings in crime and everything else. But 111 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: if the homeowner doesn't have the money. It's this systematic, 112 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: cyclical degradation of these types of communities, and I can 113 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: see over time how that just causes more and more problems. 114 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: So when I read what you're about to tell me, 115 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: I started thinking about I bet so many of the 116 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: people in North Memphis deal with this very thing. 117 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 2: One of our partners is the Don Bosco Center and 118 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: who we got our building from, and there Senior Center, 119 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 2: and they would always refer some of their guests to 120 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 2: us that had needs. And one day a lady called 121 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 2: me and she was in tears on the phone and says, 122 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: I just got a letter from the city and they 123 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 2: say I have to go to court, and if I 124 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 2: don't go to court, they're going to put a worn 125 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 2: out for my arrest. And I got a ticket because 126 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 2: I have a blue tarp on my roof and I 127 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 2: can't fix it. And they said I have thirty days 128 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: to fix my roof. 129 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: And I'm telling you, in North Memphis, she'd say, fifty 130 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: blue tarps on roofs. You see them all the time, 131 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: and South Memphis too. But I know what's talking about. 132 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: Because people can't afford to fix a laky roof and 133 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: it's expensive. 134 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: And I was like, what, Like, I've never heard of 135 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: this before. I was like, are you sure? Like I 136 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 2: was in disbelief when she was telling me this, and 137 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 2: she said, you know, I've never been to court my 138 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 2: whole life, and I feel like a criminal because I 139 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 2: can't take care of my roof. And to me, that 140 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 2: just broke my heart that that she was feeling this way. 141 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 2: And so I said, well, when's your court date. I'm 142 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: gonna go with you and and we'll take care of 143 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 2: your roof. You know, now that we know about this, well, 144 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 2: we'll take it about. It's like it's not going to 145 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,119 Speaker 2: be in thirty days because we don't have the funds 146 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 2: and and so forth, but we're gonna get your roof 147 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 2: taken care of and I'm gonna go to court with you. 148 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 2: So I went to court with her, and it's a 149 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: it's a housing court there, and I went up with her, 150 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 2: and the judges like who are you? And I explained 151 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: that at the time I did have my dreadlocks, I 152 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 2: was not dressed in a tie or anything. So yeah, 153 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 2: and he's like, who are you? And I was like, oh, well, 154 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 2: I'm your neighbor. And I'm with the nonprofit and we're 155 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 2: we're gonna help her out with her roof. But we 156 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 2: just wanted you know, it says she has thirty days 157 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: and we're not gonna be able to do it within 158 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 2: that time, but we're gonna take care of it. And 159 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 2: he said, okay. Well, he said, uh, come back, I 160 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: think it was like in two months and have the roof. 161 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 2: Have the roof done. So we did that, and but 162 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: I looked around that court. It's full of people. So 163 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 2: you know, I was with her, but there, you know, 164 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 2: it's the whole courtroom with people in her situation. And 165 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 2: so we got her roof fixed and we went back 166 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 2: to court. On her second date, I went with her 167 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 2: again and he released you know, the fines. Typically, even 168 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 2: if you do have it fixed by the time you 169 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 2: go to court, you still have one hundred and twenty 170 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 2: five dollars minimum fine for court fees. But he waved 171 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: it for her as a as an exception because she 172 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 2: was working with us. But I just opened my eyes 173 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 2: to what was happening. 174 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: Then. 175 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 2: Once we did that, the Don Bosco Center was like, oh, 176 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 2: we actually have a lot more seniors that are experiencing 177 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 2: the same thing, and So then once wor got out 178 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 2: that we were going to court with people and doing 179 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 2: things with code violations, we start getting more and more calls. 180 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 2: So we started realizing that this is actually a systematic 181 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 2: issue that's taking place, and we started organizing with the 182 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 2: residents to go to the city and say, hey, there 183 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 2: has to be a better way. Because yes, like you said, 184 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 2: you know, I don't know if Memphis deals with it 185 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 2: like we do in Kansas City, but there are a 186 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,959 Speaker 2: lot of investors from the coast that buy up large 187 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 2: amounts of property. 188 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: All over the city and they don't do more anything Memphis. 189 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: When I say inside the circle, there's three loops, there's 190 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: three interstate loops. Memphis is in the corner of the state, 191 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: right so it's not a circle all the way around. 192 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: It's kind of a start at the Arkansas line, loop 193 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: through Tennessee down the Mississippi line. There's three loops, three 194 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: big loops, interstate loops that connect everything. When people say 195 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: you live in the loop, that's inside the center loop 196 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: and that's kind of considered Memphis City. You're inside the 197 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: loop right now. Okay, there are more homes owned inside 198 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: the loop by outside investors than there are individual owners 199 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: in the city of Memphis, and that tells you everything 200 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: you need to do about what's happening to neighborhoods. 201 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 2: And we have the same situation in Kansas City. I 202 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 2: think I think most like three firms own more than 203 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 2: half of the rental units or three investment companies own, 204 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 2: you know, majority of the rental units in Kansasity. 205 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: And when we see rental units, don't think apartment buildings. 206 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: Houses that become rentals and then they don't get back 207 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: on the market because these corporate giants own them. We'll 208 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: be right back. 209 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 2: They'll rent them out with no repairs done for as 210 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: long as they can until they can't rent it out anymore, 211 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 2: and then it'll sit until they project that the neighborhood 212 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 2: is going to flip. Then they'll do a big rehab 213 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 2: and then they'll sell it a of the common huge. 214 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: Perses and they're making lots of money doing it. 215 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,839 Speaker 2: And get tactic centers because of the opportunities zone that 216 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 2: they're in. 217 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: And so so the point is, but anyways there, but 218 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: what I've learned is they are really happy with these 219 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: people losing their homes because that's how they get them correct. 220 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 2: And we also want the code enforcement to take place 221 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 2: on their blighted homes. But what we don't want is 222 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 2: for homeowners that are their seniors, low income families that 223 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 2: are struggling, that have this one incident or that you know, 224 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 2: you can't maintain your house, to get caught up in 225 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: a punitive system. And so we worked with this group 226 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 2: called the Center for Conflict Resolution in our early days, 227 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 2: and they set up what we call these neighborhood accountability boards. 228 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 2: So the thing about code enforcement in Kansas City is 229 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 2: it's ninety percent they'll say the city will say one 230 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 2: hundred percent skeptical, but they say one hundred percent complaint driven. 231 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 2: So they're not just cruising around looking for code violations. 232 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 2: They're getting calls to their three to one one system 233 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 2: about a house and then they send an inspector out 234 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 2: to investigate. So a lot of our work was one 235 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 2: educating residence kind of in this right and responsibilities principle 236 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 2: that hey, when you call three one one on your neighbor, 237 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 2: it's putting them through this whole system. Call us first, yes, 238 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: give us a call first. Maybe well first, maybe get 239 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 2: to know your neighbor and know what's going on, because 240 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 2: in some cases we discovered that, like one lady, her 241 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 2: husband had recently died, he always mowed the lawn and 242 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 2: so when her lawn has been mowed in six months, 243 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 2: she doesn't have a lawnmower. She doesn't like she's trying 244 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,199 Speaker 2: to figure that out, right, And so if the neighbor 245 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: knew her and knew the situation, what we ended up 246 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 2: in that situation was the neighbors like, hey, I got 247 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 2: my son, he can go Mullyrlan now too, right. And 248 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: that's what our neighborhod Accountability boards did is they we tried, 249 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 2: you can make anonymous, so we we would try to 250 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 2: identify who was making the complaint, get them in a 251 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 2: circle with the residents that was being complained about, and 252 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 2: other community organizations in a circle to talk and share 253 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 2: and get to know each other. And then we found 254 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 2: that there's a collaboration when that took place. We don't 255 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 2: do that anymore because what we were finding was that 256 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 2: even that was a slow, long process that people shouldn't 257 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 2: have to spend all that time. So now we have 258 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 2: a more direct route where we can be the first 259 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: line of defense for three one to one calls. They 260 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 2: get routed to Jerusalem Farm and we work directly with 261 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 2: the code inspectors. 262 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: You're telling me the code inspector that the city now 263 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: routes the phone calls from that area to you. 264 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 2: Yes, and we have the code inspectors also have contacts, 265 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 2: so we get the calls on the front end so 266 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 2: that we can divert people from those court cases. 267 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: For then the city agreed to that. 268 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know it. It didn't just happen overnight. But 269 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 2: I think it's a common sense thing, like I haven't. 270 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: When you we're talking about the government. 271 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, how they want that fine revenue? 272 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 2: I mean it's well, you know, I'm not sure that 273 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: I don't know about how much revenue that that brings in, 274 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 2: but they were They spend a lot too to send 275 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 2: those inspectors out, and they're building a lot of animosity 276 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 2: around the city, you know, because you're sending a message 277 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 2: to your residence that they're not wanted here, that they 278 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 2: need to move on. And I don't know, I don't 279 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 2: think that's what they want to send. 280 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: But that is unbelievably cool. So he started with twenty 281 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: five grand. What kind of budget you got now? Bro? 282 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 2: Oh, I think that's my that's my wife does that. 283 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: But I think we're close to two million now with 284 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 2: the budget, and a lot of that's because we're now building. 285 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 2: We just broke around in our first new build, so 286 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 2: we're now getting into developing affordable housing, which has increased 287 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 2: our budget. A lot is that the land Bank with 288 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 2: the land Trust on the land Trust. 289 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: Well, first of all, to get there, there's this interesting 290 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: thing that the average price of a home in Pendleton Heights, 291 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: which I assume is a northeast neighborhood. 292 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 2: That's the neighborhood we're located in. 293 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: Yep, all right, and twenty seventeen was forty thousand dollars. 294 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: Only five years later it's one hundred and forty one, right. 295 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 2: And now houses I think that's even old on our website. 296 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 2: But now houses in our neighborhood is selling for three 297 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 2: seventy five five hundred thousand. 298 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 1: Medium wage in twenty seventeen was twenty six grand, So 299 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: the medium wage is twenty six grand and twenty seventeen 300 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: the house is forty. Now the median wage has gone 301 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: up to a booming thirty four thousand, but a house 302 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: is one forty one. So looks to me like wages 303 00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: has gone up maybe thirty percent. While housing has more 304 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: than tripled. Yeah, doesn't match. 305 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:04,439 Speaker 2: That's one thing that people don't talk a lot about 306 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 2: in affordable housing, which we don't touch on this, but 307 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 2: you know, wages are we do have a problem with 308 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 2: stagnant wages in our country, and the cost of materials, 309 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 2: especially after COVID to fix a house have skyrocketed. And 310 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 2: if you're not cutting corners around the things we know 311 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 2: around health and energy efficiency and quality materials, you're not 312 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 2: cutting corners around your labor cost, then it is hard 313 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 2: to connect the dots, you know, of building a house 314 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 2: that someone can afford. 315 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: So the land trust thing, so go for it. 316 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 2: Land trust have been around for a long time, usually 317 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 2: in rural areas like in Vermont where we served in AmeriCorps. 318 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 2: You might use a trust to preserve farmland or to 319 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 2: preserve a natural space. You can put parameters on how 320 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 2: that land can be used. Well in urban settings you 321 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 2: can also do that to preserve the affordability of a house. 322 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 2: And so what we do is when we rehab a 323 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 2: house that we acquire, that's through In Missouri we have 324 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 2: the Abandoned Housing Act that we can utilize to get 325 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 2: an abandoned home through the court system. We could rehabit, 326 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,479 Speaker 2: or we could build new. When we sell the house, 327 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 2: we sell the house as an improvement on the land, 328 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 2: and the land stays within a land trust, and we 329 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 2: sell that house at least twenty percent below market rate, 330 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 2: and only qualified buyers below certain incomes can qualify to 331 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 2: buy it. And there's also a ground lease that governs 332 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 2: the resale, so they live in as long as they want. 333 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 2: They could pass it on to their errors, their children, grandchildren, 334 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 2: whatever it may be. But if anyone goes to sell 335 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 2: that house, there's a formula that governs its resell value 336 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 2: so that it can't be sold at market rate, which 337 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 2: is important in our neighborhood. And you hear this word gentrification, 338 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 2: which I try to avoid that word because I don't 339 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 2: like words that get overtaken. But in neighborhoods where you 340 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 2: are seeing rapid increase of market rate houses, the land 341 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 2: trust kind of slows that down and so you can 342 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 2: preserve mixed income living in neighborhoods well. 343 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: And here's the thing. I don't know what the tax 344 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 1: rate on property is in Kansas City, but just the 345 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 1: property taxes on a forty thousand dollars home going to 346 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: one hundred and forty one thousand. If your income goes 347 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: from twenty six to thousand to thirty four thousand, and 348 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: your house goes from an appraisal of forty to one 349 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 1: hundred and forty one, the property taxes alone on that 350 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: increase eat up most of the increase in income you have. 351 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:44,880 Speaker 1: So you're not living any better at all, and probably 352 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: a little tighter. So the land Trust, by keeping things 353 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: below market, helps slow that whole process. All right, So 354 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: you're building a house now. 355 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 2: Yep, Yeah, we have homes that were rehabbing. We have 356 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 2: like six homes right now that we're actively rehabbing. They're 357 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 2: all in distrust, we'll all be in the trust. One 358 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 2: we're getting ready to actually sell in about a month, 359 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,479 Speaker 2: and you're going to sell for this This one's going 360 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 2: to sell for around two hundred thousand dollars. 361 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: Tell me what that house is size wise, bedrooms. 362 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 2: It's three bedrooms, two baths. It's around fourteen hundred square foot. 363 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: That is amazing that it's cost that much. 364 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 2: And you're it'll ap pray it all prayed for around 365 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 2: three hundred thousand. 366 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: Dollars and you'll sell for two Yeah, So do you 367 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: make money on that. 368 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 2: We try to break even. That's our goal is to 369 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 2: break even. So it's just expensive. So this house that 370 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 2: we did, we had to rebuild the whole foundation because 371 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: the east side of the wall was collapsing with the house, 372 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 2: and so we rebuilt it up. 373 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: And the goal is to bring in low middle income. 374 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 2: Correct. 375 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 4: Yep, how much you're getting these houses far? You mentioned 376 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,479 Speaker 4: that Missouri acts were able to access them. 377 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, the Abandoned Housing Act is. I don't know if 378 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 2: Tennessee has this or not, but if a house is vacant, 379 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 2: is three years properly tax delinquent, and has code violations, 380 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 2: you can bring an Abandoned Housing Act case to it. 381 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 2: And what you do is you serve notices to any 382 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 2: you know, registered owner on a deed or anyone that 383 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 2: might have a stake in the house, and if they 384 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,920 Speaker 2: don't respond, typically these homes are going to be homes 385 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 2: that maybe there was no heir to it or but yeah, 386 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 2: you get it essentially for the legal feeders like two 387 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 2: thousand dollars. 388 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: Wow. 389 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 4: So that's kind of similar to what we talked about 390 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 4: ax Housing Bill and Milwaukee where they're getting them from 391 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 4: the city. 392 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 2: Similar. Yes, I actually listened to that ax Housing Show 393 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 2: and their programs are very similar in ours. 394 00:21:44,480 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: It's very cool. We'll be right back. In the last 395 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: five years, this is maybe from your website. I don't 396 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: know where Alex got this, but in the last five years, 397 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: you've hosted over one thousand volunteers. You've completed over three 398 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: hundred home repair projects, which is insane. That's one a week. No, 399 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: it's more than one a week. 400 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, we do like thirty to sixty year, depending on 401 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,919 Speaker 2: the size of the projects. 402 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: And contributed more than eight point five million dollars worth 403 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: of labor materials to your area. You've facilitated the renovation 404 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: and sale of three homes with five Warner Construction. You 405 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: broke around like we just talked about the first Newly 406 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: home and you're building eight more next year. From a 407 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: dude washing windows hanging out in West Virginia, what's next 408 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: for you and Jess? You know, I get the census 409 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: as a clear partnership. 410 00:22:55,560 --> 00:23:00,200 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I mean it's just our whole community of 411 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 2: this would even be possible with the collective community that 412 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 2: surrounded us, all the volunteers. We never set out to 413 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 2: do any of these things that you just mentioned here. 414 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 2: I would have never imagined that I would be learning 415 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 2: about how to develop new builds and. 416 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: Or how to negotiate with the city for goats and 417 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: code valations. 418 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 2: Right everything has beenuilt. 419 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: In code violations. 420 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 2: I've learned. I've learned to never say never, and so 421 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 2: I don't really know what's next. We have our principles 422 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 2: of Catholic social teaching that we shared about, and we 423 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 2: have our goal of dignified housing, building the beloved community 424 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 2: and sustainable living and making sure that people feel like 425 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 2: they belong, and so that just leads our way. I 426 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 2: guess on the work that we do. 427 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: At this point, everybody around's got to know who you 428 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: guys are, right. 429 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 2: Yes, I never say everyone, but yes, we're well known 430 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 2: around the city and especially in the northeast. 431 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: And probably well liked by all walks of people because 432 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 1: if you're from those affluent mansions, well, they got to 433 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: love you because you're helping keep the neighborhood up. If 434 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: you're part of the underserved, they got to love you 435 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: because you're helping with whatever. The city's got to love 436 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 1: you because they are not the villain and you're helping 437 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: them with blight and goats in the park. I mean, 438 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: my expectation would be that you're almost a hub, keeping 439 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,160 Speaker 1: a lot of different spokes kind of connected. 440 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate I appreciate you saying that. I don't 441 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 2: want to speak for how people perceive us, but I 442 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 2: do believe that if you focus on service, it's hard 443 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 2: to argue with that. And so that's one goal is 444 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 2: I just want people to be inspired. One of our 445 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 2: friends jack us this language the growth mindset to think 446 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:57,199 Speaker 2: that we can accomplish common goals when we collaborate and 447 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 2: work together and look to serve one another in the community. 448 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:07,400 Speaker 1: So okay, So really step by Stop America or taught 449 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,480 Speaker 1: you the basics. You really learned a little bit more 450 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: about what you were doing hanging out in the hollers 451 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: of West Virginia. Then you go to Kansas City and 452 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: you start drizzling farms doing this. I honestly don't understand 453 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: why this is not a replicatable model for every city 454 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 1: in the United States. 455 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 2: I think it could be. I think it could be. 456 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: Yep, is there any conversation around that. I mean, you 457 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: were brought there by somebody who knew where you were 458 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: in West Virginia, you know what I mean. I mean, 459 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 1: why couldn't this be done in Memphis and Birmingham and 460 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: Chicago and Detroit and Louisville and Little Rock and Saint Louis. 461 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 2: I think it could be, and I would be so. 462 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 2: I bet there are probably communities here in Memphis or 463 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 2: elsewhere that are similar in a lot of ways. You know, 464 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 2: I don't think every community, like even in between us 465 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 2: and Nazareth Farm and Bethlehem Farm, we all have the 466 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 2: same cornerstones, the same mission, but we're distinctly different because 467 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 2: of the people that are there and the neighbors are different. 468 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 2: And so yeah, I would I would say if cities, 469 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 2: if communities can support people that are coming together to 470 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 2: do service and to build their community, that's where we 471 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,120 Speaker 2: should be putting our resources is at the grassroots level, 472 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 2: where where people are doing the hard work, and a 473 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 2: lot of times it's you don't see those people. For 474 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 2: a long time, people didn't know who Drusalem Farm was. 475 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 2: It wasn't really until the code violation work that we 476 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 2: started doing more political organizing that we became more well known. 477 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 2: But for a long time we were just had our 478 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 2: heads down working in the community, and. 479 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: Your parents still worried or they're pretty good. 480 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 2: Now my my parents are are amazing, and yeah, I 481 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 2: think they're they're very proud of of that. 482 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:58,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, all right, Alex's question, A lot of this great 483 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 4: work is enabled because you guys don't receive a salary. 484 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 4: I don't think we've talked enough about your guys' simplicity 485 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:07,239 Speaker 4: in the way that you're living. And how do you 486 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 4: think about this in terms of how many more Americans 487 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 4: should be living this way? I mean, I don't think 488 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 4: everybody's called a great question. I don't think everybody's called 489 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 4: to live this way. And obviously, even just donation wise, 490 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 4: you've been the beneficiaries of people who've made you know, 491 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 4: great wealth, were able to support this work. 492 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,119 Speaker 1: But my bias is we need. 493 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 4: Many more Americans living in such a radical way and 494 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,359 Speaker 4: not in our materialist culture and going forward and building 495 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 4: up this great wealth. 496 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 3: But how do you think about that issue? 497 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 2: That's a tough one, you know. I it's a personal 498 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 2: choice for everyone, and it's something that I get asked 499 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 2: all the time. Just the other day, I was asked, well, 500 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 2: you are saving up a retirement, aren't aren't you? And 501 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 2: I I'm not a young chicken anymore, you know, So 502 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 2: when I started, you far. 503 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:50,880 Speaker 1: You went from. 504 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 2: All, right, I don't actually have those answers, and I 505 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 2: might be pretty ignorant into what my later years of 506 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 2: life might look like if I don't have the traditional 507 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 2: savings for retirement. I guess that's where I am leaning 508 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 2: into my faith and my prayer, and I mentioned Saint 509 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 2: Basil earlier about storing up wealth. My hope is that 510 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 2: I can spend my life working towards building the beloved 511 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 2: community that cares for its elders and for its seniors, 512 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 2: so that every individual doesn't need to live in their 513 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 2: silo where everyone has to have a million dollars in savings. 514 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 2: The reason we do that is because we don't have trust. 515 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 2: We don't have confidence that our society is going to 516 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 2: care for us when we're in need. If society is 517 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: not going to care for us, then I have to 518 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 2: care for myself, and then that just instigates all this 519 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 2: hoarding that takes place. So I hope that my life 520 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 2: and my wife and I have committed that we hope 521 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 2: we can be catalyst or beacon to say, hey, no, 522 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 2: let's spend our lives caring for our neighbors, for those 523 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 2: around us, building up systems of support and then to 524 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 2: have that hope that when we're in need, that we'll 525 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 2: be able to find it. I don't have a good 526 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 2: clear answer for you on that. 527 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: The commitment to what you're trying to do is pretty phenomenal. 528 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: So what's next? More houses, build more? 529 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 2: Our goal is to listen to our community. 530 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: That's interesting. So what's next is what your community says 531 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 1: they need? Right? 532 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 2: Yeah? So right now, our near term goals is to 533 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 2: build is housing because we know that that is a 534 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 2: need for people. But yeah, long term visioning, our goals 535 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 2: to listen to our community and to see what comes 536 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 2: up from that. 537 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: Jesse and it's Nathaniel, Jubilee and Moses. Did I say those? 538 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: All right? Yeah? All right? I hope Nathaniel, Jubilee, Moses, 539 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: and Jesse listen to the episode. Kids, be proud of 540 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: your dad and Jesse, you're pretty cool because it sounds 541 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: like you had a major hand in Jordan being where 542 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: he is today. 543 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 2: She should be here, she should be here. 544 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 3: She's the second director of the nonprofit. 545 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: I wish the first words out of my mouth works 546 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: Jesse with you. 547 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 2: She's got a better radio voice than me too. 548 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: So I'd love to have met Jesse sorry we didn't 549 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: meet you, Jordan. It has been a pleasure. If anybody 550 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 1: wants to find out about Jerusalem Farms, is there a 551 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: website or. 552 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 2: Is at Jerusalem Farm dot org. 553 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: Got it? And if somebody hears this and says, you know, 554 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: I'd like to take a group and volunteer there, and 555 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: I'd like to hear more about it, how they get 556 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: in touch with you on. 557 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 2: Our website or has information about retreats or volunteer at 558 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 2: Jerusalem Farm dot org. 559 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure that goes to you anyway. 560 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're looking for community members. We have summer internship program. 561 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 2: People could spend a summer with us. 562 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: I can't imagine a cooler thing for a group of 563 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 1: high school kids go do a week of work and 564 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: see it and feel it and learn. 565 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 2: Oh, it's amazing. All week that I have cell phones, 566 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 2: you know that alone is nice. They get to be 567 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 2: free from that and enjoy each other's company. And then 568 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 2: they're in new spaces, meeting new people. 569 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 3: Only two showers, yeah, with buckets of water. 570 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 2: We encourage we have them think about that, the different 571 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 2: facts that take place vegetarian during the week, and all 572 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 2: that is just to cultivate this collective mindset that you know, 573 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 2: when I use this water, we have depleting aquifers in 574 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 2: the Midwest and vegetarian what's a toll using less electricity? 575 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 2: You know, we lived in West Virginia and saw a 576 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 2: mountaintop removal, and so you know the clothes we wear, everything, 577 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 2: We're interconnected, and so we do these little practices to 578 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 2: remind people of our interconnectedness and mutual responsibility. 579 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: Jordan, thanks for taking the time to drive down and 580 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: see us. Thanks, I'll give you some cool places to 581 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 1: check out before you go back home. And great story. 582 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: Jordan Sheeley, co founder Jerusalem Farms with Jesse and his 583 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: family making a difference in Kansas City, Northeast. Thanks for 584 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: being here, Thank you, and thank you for joining us 585 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,479 Speaker 1: this week. If Jordan sheey has inspired you in general 586 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:13,719 Speaker 1: or better yet, to take action by reflecting on living 587 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: radically or helping those who are living radically, donating to 588 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: Jerusalem Form, or something else entirely, please let me know. 589 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: I really do want to hear about it. You can 590 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: write me anytime at Bill at normal folks dot us 591 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: and I will respond. If you enjoyed this episode, please 592 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: share with friends that on social subscribe to the podcast, 593 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 1: rate it and review it. Join the army at normal 594 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 1: folks dot us any and all of these things that 595 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: will help us grow an army of normal folks. I'm 596 00:32:47,920 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 1: Bill Courtney. Until next time, do what you can