Some idiot has again defaced the sign advertising the Gottingen Terrace housing project on Gottingen Street, on the old Sobeys lot across from the library. In the spring, Mr. Idiot spray-painted “fuck gentrification” on the sign. Demonstrating how little money the people behind Gottingen Terrace have at their disposal, rather than replacing the sign, they simply painted over the offensive message, but Mr. Idiot didn’t get the message, so this past weekend spray-painted “don’t be pushed out” on the sign.
The messages demonstrate just how uninformed, stupid, douchbaggy and counter-productive Mr. Idiot is.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not against graffiti; it can be used in powerfully effective ways, but even simply as an expression of anger it serves a useful social purpose in giving voice to otherwise ignored opinions. And while it’s a complicated issue, gentrification is worthy of examination and debate from all perspectives, and, yes, that includes from the faceless anger of graffiti.
But here’s the deal, Mr. Idiot: Gottingen Terrace isn’t gentrification.
Rather, Gottingen Terrace is precisely designed to keep low-income people in the neighbourhood, by giving them an affordable avenue to home-ownership. It is a project of the Creighton/Gerrish Development Corporation, a non-profit started by Grant Wanzell, which also built the very-low income apartment complexes on Creighton and Buddy Day Streets.
Wanzell has structured the financing of Gottingen Terrace such that the 48 units, which range in price from $129,000 for a one-bedroom home to about $198,000 for a three-bedroom home, will be affordable to people with a family income as low as $33,000. Moreover, he is specifically targeting prospective buyers with ties to the neighbourhood—that is, people in Uniacke Square moving up to a starter home of their own, people who have left the neighbourhood for lack of housing options but who want to move back, people with historic ties to the black business community along Gottingen.
If it succeeds, it will be a hedge against a neighbourhood character that is threatened from being overwhelmed by upscale condos. In other words, Gottingen Terrace is the exact antithesis of “gentrification.”
Perhaps Mr. Idiot thinks he’s a brave warrior against the forces of gentrification, but if he’s a warrior, he’s a stupid one, shooting his allies in the back.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2010.
This kind of development in that area is really exciting, and you have to hope that the moronic graffiti doesn’t turn any prospective buyers off. The more development that happens on Gottingen, the better.
I’m not sure that Mr. Idiot would understand the word “antithesis” since he doesn’t understand the value that the project would bring to the neighbourhood… although he does understand gentrification so maybe I’m wrong. Either way, it’s a shame this project is repeatedly graffitied.
“Don’t be pushed out” has been painted there for months.
Well, I walk by that sign at least twice a day, and if it’s been there for months I’m either blind (very possible, actually) or it’s been somehow covered up. I really think I would’ve noticed it, thought. Almost certain of that.
I shouldn’t have said “months”. But I’ve walked by there on my way to work every day since the first of August (I live in a building a few streets up that is actually contributing to gentrification), when I remember noticing it. I’ve pointed out the irony to other passers-by more than once.
Regardless, when it appeared is neither here nor there and doesn’t affect your point. Your post is bang-on in every sense.
The friends of Megan Leslie defaced it – the HCAP crowd.
She should be vocal about the loonies at HCAP who appear to oppose any betterment of the area.
Personally I thing tenants in Uniacke Square should be allowed to buy their homes at a discount based on the number of years of residence, just like Thatcher did in Britain.
George Elliott Clarke agrees with the idea.
Tim, you should get these articles up on the homepage feed so people can read your work easier.
I never see them there any more.
“Affordable housing” starting at 130k for a one bedroom? Does anyone else find that a tad contradictory? $33,000 is a lot more than I make, and more than most residents of Uniacke make too I suspect. I don’t know anyone who would consider 30 grand a year “low-income”, except those who are completely out of touch with how little minimum wage is compared to a weeks worth of groceries. You can argue all you want about what is or isn’t gentrification, but I think most of us can agree that a $130,000 condo is not affordable housing for low-income families
foldyourpuncturedproof – 130k isn’t at all bad for an area directly abutting downtown Halifax. likewise, 198k is also reasonable… dont be such a pessimist. If someone making 33k a year can afford it, its obviously a step in the right direction.
Longwalker, I think you missed foldyourpuncturedproof’s point. The article claims that this building is being built to keep low income people in the neighbourhood, implying that those in the neighbourhood may make around 33k a year. I highly doubt those in that neighbourhood, for the most part, make that much. Minimum wage earners probably make about $17 grand a year before deductions,working 35 hours a week. I make 32 a year before deductions(21 after) and there’s no way I could afford $129,000 for a house or condo. I’m at the high end of low wage earners, but owning property is beyond my reach unless I were to forego a lot of other things in my life. The developers of this property are severely out of touch if they think that low income people can afford such a place. Or, they need to redefine what they think low income is.
foldyourpuncturedproof: 30 grand a year *is* low income. According to StatsCan (http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/famil108…) it’s roughly half the median total income of Nova Scotia census families. That someone making the latest minimum wage makes low twenties at best ($9.65/hour, and busting their ass every week for 48 hours a week, so no overtime) and is therefore even worse off doesn’t change the fact that $30K a year is low income.
TDF: As for affordability, I don’t expect that anyone believes that most families making $33K a year will be interested in the $200K units. However, given that they can clearly pay rent, simple arithmetic tells you that a number of them ought to be able to handle a 20-25 year mortgage on a $130-150K place. And sure, you do tend to forgo some other things when you purchase a condo or house.
But, when you’re paying rent, there’s not a whole lot of extras on top of your monthly rent. Sure, some places have heat/electricity extra, but most include those utilities, and even if they don’t, they’re not as high a cost as with your own property. With a house, you have to pay heat, water, electricy, property taxes, repairs. With condos, there’s condo fees and the cost of utilities. And for both, you’ll need to have a down payment socked away. Most low income renters can’t save that many thousands. No way is buying comparable to just renting. Paying $800 a month rent is not the same as paying $800 a month mortgage. Mortgages don’t cover the extra costs that renting does.
TDF: you’re obviously correct insofar as $800/mo rent isn’t the same as $800/mo mortgage. Still, I did say that “a number of” families making $33K/yr should be able to handle the finances on a $130-150K place…not that I expect all or even a majority to be able to do that. In fact I’d consider this financial scenario to be grey area: I can see a disciplined no-kids couple using public transit being able to do it without much heartache; I am not so sure about a couple with several children and a car.
You’re thinking the room for error is quite small here, and that a lot of the people doing this would be right on the edge. Well, guess what? A lot of people making more money – considerably more money – routinely put themselves into exactly the same situation by getting as much house as they can (can’t) afford, so it’s pretty much par for the course.
Okay, I see what you’re saying, now. I originally took your statement to mean that anyone who can rent, can afford to buy when the two are not comparable. You’re right, a lot of people who buy and are making more are still just on the edge of affordability within their means because they assume that they make more money so should have a more expensive place, when in reality, they should go down a notch in price to not be scraping by. Owning takes discipline and budgeting no matter how much you make.
But, to get back to the original story, I still think that the builders of this condo complex are being naive if they think most in that neighbourhood could afford this place. It would most likely bring in people from other areas who are making a little more money than this neighbourhood’s standard.