The Key
But conversation is the key to bringing these types of projects to fruition, says the mayor. One of the biggest oppositions faced by affordable housing is a “not in my back yard” (NIMBY) attitude.
“NIMBYism is real,” says Sayles Belton. “There are a lot of people who are really afraid of low-income people. And their fears are not grounded in reality, but they’re based on the stereotypes of poor people that just keep getting played out. … We have to work hard to try to address it.”
The mayor believes it’s the role of governmental officials to address such fears and to help show people that they have nothing to fear. “One of the things that can really help people get through their fears is upfront conversation,” she says.
For example, Minneapolis demolished more than 700 public housing units in the Near North section of the city, that, according to the administration, fell into disrepair, but the city still needed to find affordable housing solutions for those displaced residents throughout the city.
In general, community concerns include fears about public housing and how the units could fall into disrepair, how they could undermine neighborhood property values, how the families might not supervise their children and other things based on stereotypes, she says.
So, the city made a commitment that the public housing authority would be a better partner than it was in the past and would ensure that the new housing was well managed and well maintained. “By us making a commitment to do our job better and to really respect and understand their concerns, I think we’ve gotten off to a better start,” says Mayor Sayles Belton. “So, I do think that you can get past the NIMBY attitude by taking the time to talk, and I would really encourage people to do that.”