If You Were Mayor awoke on Thursday morning to the crushing news that a lone gunman entered the historic ‘Mother’ Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and sat with the congregants for an hour of their Wednesday evening prayer service before he raised a gun and killed nine individuals, including the pastor. The evidence suggests beyond all doubt that the event was a hate crime, perpetrated by a young white man against a group of African American church members gathered in solace and peace. Through the diligence of local, state and federal law enforcement, the suspect was apprehended Thursday morning in North Carolina.
The resulting outpouring of love and support from the community of Charleston for the families and their church has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. During a Thursday morning press conference Mayor Joe Riley was visibly angered by the episode and expressed commitment to supporting the victims and their families, noting that the city had established a fund to receive donations and seeded it with $5,000. A tearful Governor Nikki Haley spoke of the “time to heal.” A prayer service honoring the victims was held at nearby Morris Brown AME Church. One speaker referred to how “colorful” the crowd was, and another indicated that we must now “put the devil out of business” and “seek the power in love.”
A strong sense of community is critical during any crisis, and this crime has underscored the need to cultivate and maintain those ties that bind us together. Substantial growth, divisive discourse on everything from education to justice, and under-resourced infrastructure undermine our ability to make the decisions necessary to create a strong sense of community and purpose within our region. The third annual Tri-County Housing Summit, hosted by the South Carolina Community Loan Fund (SCCLF), on Friday, June 12, gathered a wide spectrum of stakeholders to discuss efforts to address some of these concerns.
The gathering put some perspective on why the long-term economic viability of the region is tied to housing affordability. This is especially the case given the area’s dubious distinction recently as one of seven overvalued housing markets in the country according to the real estate analytics company CoreLogic, a real estate analytics company.
The audience was markedly diverse, and included leaders from the business community, housing industry, service providers, faith and community-based organizations, local elected and governmental officials, federal and state officials, and other interested, engaged individuals. Everyone came prepared to interact and focus their collective energy on how public policy strategies could be put in place to meet the region’s growing housing and economic development needs. As the event host, Michelle Mapp, Executive Director of the SCCLF, emphasized to start things off: The question was not IF we will grow, but HOW we will grow.
During the course of the day attendees learned that the region’s population is estimated to reach one million by 2027 and that means housing for an additional 302,561 primarily single-person households. Compounding this scenario is the inadequacy of the region’s existing transportation infrastructure to handle current needs and future growth. With this fate looming large, how can the discussion be framed so it will be possible to create more compact, walkable/bikable neighborhoods and communities, as well as to develop the support for a high-quality multi-modal transit system?
The kickoff panel made the case that proximity between affordable housing and employers is paramount. Moderated by Mary Graham of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, the panel included Steve Warner of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, realtor Lauren Newman, Business Advocacy Liaison for the Charleston Young Professionals Steering Committee, and Jon Yarian of the communications firm SeaChange. Each panelist referred to evidence that people currently cannot afford to live a reasonable distance from their workplace, therefore they are burdened by long commutes, traffic anxiety, and reduced productivity. Making matters worse, the cost of living in the area is relatively high and wages are below average compared to other metro areas in the Southeast. The call to action underscored what the Charleston region does have – the ingredients and the potential to become world-class if we can take our cues from larger, aspirational metro areas like Raleigh and Austin.
Later, a discussion between Tina Brown, Esq., of the South Carolina Fair Housing Center, and Geona Shaw Johnson of the City of Charleston Department of Housing and Community Development, highlighted some of the lesser-known and broader-based issues that relate to housing discrimination. While it was interesting to learn that the most discriminated class in housing is people with disabilities, it was the discussion of “exclusionary zoning” that captured the attention of the crowd. This development tool continues to be widely used and is a far more subtle strategy to discriminate against race, ethnicity, or even source of income, through such devices as the establishment of minimums for lot size or dwelling units.
The day’s highlight was the keynote address from Joseph Minicozzi, a principal of Urban3, LLC, a consulting company created by Asheville real estate developer Public Interest Projects. The audience was wowed by Mr. Minicozzi’s insights into the paradigm shift of thinking about development patterns. Not only did he make a case for public policies that create more dense patterns of development, he illustrated the dangers of sprawl in terms of stretching public resources to the breaking point.
Mr. Minicozzi is a compelling speaker and he has developed a sophisticated mapping toolkit that can legibly illustrate to officials and residents alike how we can better allocate our resources and generate sustainable revenue streams. In practice, compact development can provide for less stress on our roads and bridges and more affordable housing opportunities.
A diverse, vibrant community is full of opportunities and shared stories. In Charleston, we have been shaken by recent deaths within the African American community. It is vital for us to remember that we all share a history and legacy that can build a stronger, more livable community for all. We can build housing, jobs, and our future, if we draw upon the strength we have in working together. Our next generation of leaders must recognize this.
