Bloomberg, September 22, 2020: A Virginia City’s Playbook for Urban Renewal: Move Out the Poor
Public housing used to provide economic mobility. Now, residents face relocation without assurance of where they can go.
… In January a progressive group called New Virginia Majority filed a lawsuit seeking to halt evictions from Tidewater Gardens, alleging the city had a “long and indisputable history of racial segregation in housing.” When the city halted evictions in May, New Virginia Majority’s lawyers worked with city officials to hammer out the terms: no move requirements for 180 days, extensions to use already issued vouchers, and acknowledgment that the city still needs to maintain the remaining homes. “This pandemic has amplified how particularly vulnerable this community of folks is,” says Lafeetah Byrum, a community organizer with New Virginia Majority.”
Residents are grateful for the pause, but Riddick argues that a true victory would be getting city officials to approve the construction of public housing elsewhere in the city before the demolition work begins. “We have enough land in Norfolk to house everyone in Norfolk right now,” he says. …
