November 22, 2004

• It's not all gone yet, maybe 1/2 or a 3rd remains. In late summer I was at the YMCA just a couple blocks north of where some of those building stood. On Friday night Ziggy Marley played. On Sunday it was the Violent Femmes. I'm left aesthetically queasy by the mongo generic suburban grocery complex that was put up, but generally I think the end of Cabrini is a good thing. When I lived in Bucktown and East Villiage I used to ride my bike down Division thru the middle on my way toward the lakefront. Every other time through there was a fire truck or some sort police action going on. No one ever messed directly with me on the busy street, but sometimes, I'd hear gunfire close by. I got stories about the inside of here and other projects from some probation officers I know. It seemed to me to be an especially unpleasent place to be. I for one won't miss anything about the way it was. I also don't feel terribly sorry for the people that were forced to move out either. As long as the state is paying your rent, you get to live where the state moves you. If you have a problem with that, you can pay your own rent an live wherever you can afford to like everybody else.
• I also don't feel terribly sorry for the people that were forced to move out either. As long as the state is paying your rent, you get to live where the state moves you. If you have a problem with that, you can pay your own rent and live wherever you can afford to like everybody else. Jesus, mmmuttly, I'm glad you're not my landlord. ("Cockroaches on the floor? You got a problem with that? Well, move out then, and live wherever you can afford to, like everybody else.") I don't know how far you have explored this website, but if you got as far as this page you will have seen that many of the people who were 'forced to move out' are now, apparently, homeless. I'm not trying to romanticise life in Cabrini. (Would I choose to live there? Of course not.) I just think that the people who lived there ought to be given the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty -- and clearly the state has a role to play in making that happen. To say, in effect, "if you're a pensioner of the state, you have to put up with whatever the state gives you" is not good enough. It is in everyone's interests to ensure that the state tackles poverty humanely and effectively, Here in Britain, it is now widely accepted that the problems of many inner-city estates came not from bad architecture, or bad town planning, but from a bad housing policy which dumped all the poorest, most vulnerable and most antisocial families together in the same place in order to keep them away from 'respectable' tenants.
• I think what the film was also trying to get at was how, despite the poverty and violence, this was also a community. People have grown up here, this is their place and they know no other, these are where they know their neighbours. I envy them that sense of neighbourhood, though nothing else - the subsidized housing (never free - you pay 1/3 your income) I have lived in was not that crime-filled, but also lacked a strong sense of community. Yes, SlightlyFoxed, most places in Canada are also now looking to mix subsidized housing in with non-subsidized. One of the reasons my building did not have as much violence as others in the city is that it was in a neighbourhood of nice houses and other, non-subsidized buildings. Even for housing in the private sector, it is much better city planning to try to mix up income levels in neighbourhoods - you have more investment in the neighbourhood, more social and cultural capitol to keep it nice. School systems do better as well - the challenges are spred throughout different schools, rather than concentrated in a few.
• it is now widely accepted that the problems of many inner-city estates came not from bad architecture, or bad town planning, but from a bad housing policy which dumped all the poorest, most vulnerable and most antisocial families together in the same place in order to keep them away from 'respectable' tenants Sounds to me like a good reason to relocate people whether they like the idea or not. I enjoyed living in Lakeview because it, like the Cabrini area is conveniently located, but the prices got too high so I had to move out. Who do I cry to about my lost sense of community? "Cockroaches on the floor? You got a problem with that? Well, move out then, and live wherever you can afford to, like everybody else.") I just think that the people who lived there ought to be given the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty This was waaay beyond cockroaches. The situation as it was wasn't helping anyone lift themselves out of anything. It was a rat's nest of bad policy made worse by the 'community' it housed. Frankly, I would love to see many of Cabrini's ex-resident's moved to small towns all around the state. The former Cabrini folk would benefit from the lower cost of living and the sea of red voters outside of Cook County could share the joy of seeing their neighborhoods enriched by people who are apparently so good at creating a sense of community that there was constantly something on fire or major police activity happening.
• But are they being offered housing elsewhere, or are they being left homeless? And if they are relocated, how do they get to their jobs? Some people in subsidized housing are not employed, but many, including many single mothers with children, are - they are paid too little to live in private housing, too little to even own a car to commute from somewhere cheaper. My mother was restricted on where she could live to somewhere within Metropolitan Toronto, because she could not get around without public transit. So even though it might have been cheaper for us to live elsewhere, it was a choice between Toronto, or unemployment. Not to mention that dislocating people makes it even harder for them to find out about jobs, since so many jobs come from social networks (a friend of mine is writing a thesis on this.)
• On the southside of Chicago is a flea market called Swap-o-rama. (Yes, it's as heinous as it sounds) One of the long time vendors there is an old friend of mine named Mr. Roosevelt. He's an older african american gentleman in his seventies. Mr. Roosevelt is one of the kindest people I've ever met in my life. He's really an amazing person. Every time he sees a friend, you can hear him calling out loudly "Mornin Sir!!" with his happy smile . He never misses a day at the flea market and he's never without a kind word. Mr. Roosevelt has some of the rattiest vehicles you can imagine. I've actually seen one of his trucks held together with a large piece of rope. Another time one of his trucks had to be pushed into the market so he could sell the old lumber he had inside. One day Mr. Roosevelt and I were sitting around talking. I asked him what the key was to happiness. he said "You just do whatever in life makes you happy. That's all." We talked for awhile about a few other things and somehow we got on the subject of money. I asked Mr. Roosevelt how I could get rich. He said "Aww that's easy, jest find yourself the cheapest property you can find and hold on to it fer as long as you can." Good advice, I said. We both leaned back in our chairs enjoying the warm sun. Mr. Roosevelt then said " I jest sold my property I had bought some years ago. It was right next to Cabrini Green." I asked him what he got for it. Mr. Roosevelt looked me in the eye and said "Oh we sold it for 990,000 dollars". If only for Mr. Roosevelt's sake, I'm glad Cabrini's going away (and yes, he still goes to the flea market to sell his used lumber.)