Displacement from Public Housing and Private Profits with Bridge Housing

At the Marin City Meeting on May 18, 2015 to discuss the future of the redevelopment  of the Marin City Priority Development Area, a resident is concerned with displacement and the gentrification of their community.  The elimination of public housing in lieu of Private-Public Housing and the gentrification of Marin City is EXACTLY what will be occurring as the response from the "facilitator" indicates.

She tells the resident that since HUD has declining budgets, public housing is trending towards "public-private partnership" schemes. Non profit developers like Bridge Housing sells tax credits to Wall Street Banks and the wealthy 1% and collects huge management fees from the management of the apartments.  I am told these fees often top 60% of rent for each unit for 55 years!    The Non Profit "public private" partnership is a lucrative money making deal for insiders.

It is clear from the residents is all they want is their apartments to be maintained and be left alone.  They do not want gentrification which will raise ALL the rents and push the poorest away from their homes.

While there are many fine people on both sides of the housing debate, we need to pay particular close attention to the COMMUNITY first.  How do we "improve" a community by displacing its residents?  What right does ANY government entity have in a free society to force redevelopment "for our own good"?  Isn't this government imperialism?

An Activist from San Francisco Mission District: