Neighborhood Issues

[jay]

Even Cardinal Mooney doesn't want to be in that neighborhood anymore.

[jay]

When I attended the meeting, I thought we were going to discuss code enforcement, the land bank, and community gardens.  It was a woman from the sixth ward who kept bringing up these rental property and felon issues because they were important to her in her sixth ward neighborhood.

May I suggest that Forum members start attending city-wide meetings for neighborhood groups to learn what other residents of the city have to deal with on a daily basis.

[AllanY2525]

A leader of a south side block watch said that renters do not usually participate in the block watch.
A west side block watch leader claimed that out of the dozens of people in her block watch only one was a renter.

So, you have two individuals out of the whole city here giving their empirical observations.  I wouldn't bet the farm
on this as being the norm for every block watch or neighborhood in the city.

My entire point is this:  Good people are good people and a**holes are a**holes - whether they rent or own
is basically IRRELEVANT.

In fact, it's actually EASIER to get rid of a RENTER who turns out to be an a**hole - you cannot "evict" someone
who OWNS the home they live in.  If the person is wreaking havoc on the neighborhood - renter *OR*  owner - there
are legal and civil remedies, depending on the seriousness of their actions.  If the problem individual(s) are THAT bad,
then perhaps the other people in the community can DOCUMENT the issue with hard facts, photos, whatever - then
have the GUTS to stand up and do something about it - via legal or civil means, with the help of the city, the county,
etc.

And AGAIN, Jay - I invite you to offer some of your own suggestions on how these "issues" can be addressed, while
at the same time respecting the basic rights of all those who live in these neighborhoods you are referring to. Renters
and owners alike.

The remark about "too many felons" in one neighborhood almost makes me laugh - exactly HOW MANY is "too many",
and versus how many NON felons in that same neighborhood?  Does anyone actually have any REAL numbers?  There
are a LOT of felons living in the city of Youngstown - on ALL sides of town, very likely.  WHAT particular neighborhood
they choose to live in could depend many things, but I would tend to think that COST OF HOUSING would be the
number one factor.  They likely live in the neighborhoods that they can AFFORD to live in.

...shaking my D**N head....

[Towntalk]

Since YOU are the one who keeps bring it up JAY, without coming right out and saying it in so many words ALL renters are worthless bad  citizens hell bent on bringing down a neighborhood. GROSS GENERALIZATION AS USUAL COMING FROM YOU!
NOT ALL RENTERS ARE BAD! GET IT? NOT ALL RENTERS ARE BAD!
I would rather live next to a good neighbor renter any day rather to a home owner who looks down his nose at me.
Do you know from FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE the circumstance of ALL RENTERS? Of course not, and neither do I, BUT I'm not going to simply except the word of one individual as evidence for a whole class of people.
I find it offensive that you would lump me into that class of people that you don't approve of just because I'm a renter,and in your mind, renters are the doom of neighborhoods.
You should have a renter like me who pays her rent not only on time but in cold hard cash ... who doesn't complain to the landlord ... and all the other things I 'I've already pointed out. Well my friend, I'm choosy who I rent from! And who I associate with! And believe me, I can be very judgemental about people when I want to.

[jay]

A leader of a south side block watch said that renters do not usually participate in the block watch.
A west side block watch leader claimed that out of the dozens of people in her block watch only one was a renter.

[Towntalk]

Well said my friend, but I'm afraid that it will fly over their heads like an eagle taking flight in the wake of a storm, and I doubt that they will let it sink in. All my life I've lived in rentals, and almost NEVER asked the landlord to so much as to lift a single finger. We treated the house like we owned it ... something needed fixed, we fixed it, mowed the lawn, shoveled the sidewalk in the winter, painted interior rooms as needed, and in one case installed a new kitchen at our expense, and put down new carpet in the dining room again at our expense, AND NEVER ASKED THE LANDLOARD A SINGLE DIME OFF OUR RENT FOR DOING SO. When we moved, the house was immaculately clean and ready for someone else to move in. Where I live now, when we moved in the rent was very low ... too low in fact, but the new landlord was a long time friend, and my mother was no longer able to maintain a large house, and the area we moved from was getting bad, so each year for three years, I raised what I was paying in rent myself till it became a reasonable amount
Now I know I am an exception to the rule, but I suspect that there are others who do many of the same things and are good renters.
By the way, I've lived at my present location for going on 30 years.

[AllanY2525]

The fact that there are rental properties in ANY neighborhood is not, in and of
itself,  a problem. It is the tenants themselves that are - or are not - a problem
for the neighborhood.

My neighborhood is loaded with rental properties - none of the tenants are
causing problems.  Landlords need to be responsible in whom they rent to
and willing to evict those who cannot or will not be good neighbors, take
care of the yard ( for single family homes tenant is responsible), etc.

The property itself is a structure sitting on a piece of land - it neither helps or
hurts the neighborhood by itself.

In order to have more owner/occupants in the neighborhood, you need to have
people who:

a) Can AFFORD to own and maintain a home.  For most, a home is the single
largest investment of their lifetime.  In order to afford home ownership, people
need a good job that pays a living wage.  The average median income in Youngstown
is about $25,000 a year - this is barely scraping by for most - especially if they have
children to support.  THE NUMBER ONE REASON people rent?  Because they cannot
afford to buy their own home.  No brainer here.

b) WANT to live in the neighborhood.  Everyone on this board is already aware of
the jobs situation, the problems with the school system, etc, etc, etc.  When the
city of Youngstown can solve these problems, then more people might become
owner occupants in the city - until then, most of the middle class will choose to
live elsewhere.

Jay - what are your suggestions to solve the "problem" of "too many rental properties"
in the neighborhood?  Force the owners to put them up for sale and have them
sit vacant because no one is buying? 

The North Side Citizen's Coalition (a few in particular) managed to find new
owners for almost 40 single family homes in the Wick Park neighborhood that
were long vacant and needed repairs.  They made an ACTIVE EFFORT to find new
owner/occupants for these homes, rather than just complaining about things
like "too many rental properties".

RE: Too many newly released felons in a particular neighborhood - does ANYONE
have a right to tell these ex cons - who have paid their debt to society - WHAT
neighborhood they SHOULD live in?  Perhaps reaching out to these people as a
community - and trying to help reintegrate them into society, will do more good
than complaining about them (?)

RE: "Trapped in their homes" - It is up to the police to keep the neighborhoods
safe, but they cannot be everywhere at once.  It takes active involvement by
the community and a willingness by that community to report crimes and
suspicious ativites TO the police.

Those who live in struggling neighborhoods should meet with citizens
groups in neighborhoods that are improving - and see what ideas and
strategies might work for their own neighborhood.

I'd love to hear some suggestions.....anyone?

[jay]

I attended a meeting tonight at which neighborhood issues were discussed.  Contrary to what we may think, an issue in one area of the city is not an issue in other areas.

Just a few issues
Re-entry - One neighborhood has an excessive amount of felons returning to society after being released from jail.

Trapped in one's home - After 5:00 p.m. the thugs wake up and take over the streets.

Lack of involvement -Too many rental properties.  Renters do not take ownership of their neighborhoods.