Rainier Valley tenants and allies are encouraged to attend this important meeting:
Community Renewal for Southeast Seattle?Thursday, October 19th, 2006 Interpreters, childcare and refreshments provided. |
Can a Community Renewal Agency achieve these laudable goals?
How could a new agency, housed in the City, with the power of eminent domain work to protect Rainier Valley tenants? The Tenants Union of Washington believes that a community renewal agency can achieve these goals if it is done right. The Tenants Union will be at this forum to share our views and we encourage renters and Tenants Union members to attend.
Washington law allows local governments to form Community Renewal Agencies that can take an active role in starting, organizing or assisting development projects in specific neighborhoods. The neighborhood must be considered blighted in order for an agency to be formed. The agency can have the power of eminent domain which means that it could transfer property out of a private owner’s hand to a new owner if doing so would benefit the community. Community Renewal Agencies with such power have been created in other cities and have been used to benefit low-income and moderate income renters, homeowners and business owners.
The Rainier Valley has an opportunity to create such an agency, and if it is done right, it could help the community meet the laudable goals of preserving diversity, preserving and creating affordable housing and reducing displacement of low-income renters and more.
To learn more about the Community Renewal Proposal or of the Tenants Union’s Justice for South Seattle Project, please call Michele at 206-722-6848, ext. 114