Affordable Housing Makes A Difference

GOOD affordable housing makes a good difference to children, individuals, families, and communities.  However, BAD affordable housing makes a bad difference.  And nowadays, it appears as though bad affordable housing is on the rise.  Raising our children in affordable housing can probably best be compared to raising our children in a prison facility.
 What makes bad housing? One example is when Management is allowed to be in non-compliance of lease agreements, rules, and regulations, then supports and excuses those residents who do the same.
In too many instances, children in government-financed and privately-owned affordable housing witness drug deals and violence on a regular basis. This could lead to an increase in problematic behavior, development difficulties, dissociation, and post-traumatic stress disorders. How is this good for society?
The 'new and improved' Rockland Place playground has turned into an underage pub.  Drug deals continue to be witnessed in parking lots and hallways by visitors and residents on Hannah Way and Martha Drive in Rockland, Massachusetts.  Property managers pretend to be either oblivious or concerned.  Their safety concerns are shown only through typed text on distributed notices while they eagerly await another guaranteed rent increase approval by MassHousing or MHFA.

Despite repeated concerns for ongoing criminal activities and non-compliance on this tax-credited and subsidized property, owners have yet to install security cameras in each of their parking lots and along their single entrance near John Dunn Drive.   Management continues to rent to ex-cons and to households in violation of occupancy agreements, rules, and regulations. Management may as well say,  Oh, but of course you can keep your subsidized apartment when you've been arrested for attempting to break-in to another unit with knives! .... So what if you walk around the property with a gun or a bag of cocaine. .... And, when you slash someone with a sword, we'll just call you Mr. Slice and Dice!

So, most definitely, affordable housing makes a huge difference in a child's life. Children in affordable housing can hear and watch from bedroom windows, their fine upstanding role models stagger, fight, and deal drugs in courtyards, and maybe even see that it's okay to get arrested once in awhile. Children in affordable housing can, and have, awakened to the blood-curdling shrieks of bloodied and battered neighbors assaulting or assaulted with boulders, beer bottles, and baseball bats. Children who survive bad affordable housing can learn to feel hopeless and helpless, to shut up and shut down, to fall victim or to victimize.  They can learn that crime pays and money matters most, because human beings certainly don't.
    Affordable housing equals more tax credits and money for corporate affiliates to overprice unimportant renovations of new vinyl siding and dishwashers. It's a pay raise for wardens whose spoken words of concern contradict the typed text in notices:  There are worse places to live. .... It's better than being homeless. .... Move if you don't like it! .... Just cuz I caused another fire, you didn't have to call the fire dept.! ..... We're working on it. .....  We can do whatever we want. ..... Oh, and, .... As long as I don't see it. http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.943349/k.E82F/Domestic_Grantmaking__Affordable_Housing__Grantmaking_Guidelines.htm

Boston College, Lynch School of Education - MacArthur Foundation

http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.4278471/k.515A/Affordable_Housing_News__Info_Search/apps/s/search.asp