The contrast between the haves and have-nots might be especially stark at that New York building, but millions of families across the country are finding themselves on the wrong side of the poor door. Housing is the single largest expense for most families and for far too many is growing increasingly out of reach. The number of families with worst-case housing needs increased from 6 million in 2007 to 8.5 million in 2011, including 3.2 million families with children, and the number of homeless public school students was 85 percent higher in 2012-2013 than before the recession.
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| Watch Ayriq's Story |
The Children’s Defense Fund honored Ayriq with a scholarship for overcoming tremendous odds. Homelessness and housing instability can have serious, negative consequences on children’s emotional, cognitive, and physical development, academic achievement, and success as adults. Federal rental assistance, including public housing and vouchers for private rentals, helps about 5 million of the neediest low-income households afford a place to live. But because of funding limitations only about 1 in 4 needy families with children receives assistance. To add insult to injury, the Republican House and Senate budgets are proposing severe cuts to already inadequate and desperately needed housing subsidies. The White House estimates that compared to the President’s budget proposal, the Republican House budget would cut housing vouchers for 133,000 families and housing assistance for 20,000 rural families. This is on top of the 2013 sequestration cuts that led to 100,000 fewer families receiving assistance by June 2014.
In our Children’s Defense Fund report Ending Child Poverty Now we asked the nonprofit Urban Institute to study the impact of expanding the housing voucher program to better meet the huge need among poor and near-poor families with children who would have to pay more than half of their income to afford a fair market rent apartment. The Urban Institute found that providing enough subsidies to serve eligible families would reduce child poverty by 20.8 percent and lift 2.3 million children out of poverty — the largest impact among the nine policy improvements we proposed in our report. More than 2.5 million more households would receive a subsidy, worth an average of $9,435. We could easily pay for this housing subsidy expansion by making fairer and common sense reforms to close corporate accounting tax loopholes, saving $58 billion a year. Or if we had more responsible and more just members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, instead of repealing the estate tax which amounts to a $27 billion a year giveaway to the 5,400 ultra-wealthy estates worth over $5.4 million — in the top two-tenths of 1 percent — as the Senate and House both voted to do, we could invest the $24 billion a year needed to ensure poor and near-poor children a chance to grow up in a stable place to call home.
Instead of making extraordinary students like Ayriq struggle to beat the odds every day we should be taking common sense and essential steps like this to change the odds. The stories about the tens of thousands of people seeking entry in New York’s “poor door” are an urgent reminder of the need for more affordable housing across our country. Cutting back on already inadequate help to those most in need to give more tax welfare subsidies to those least in need is not the answer and is profoundly unjust. Families should not have to win a lottery to live in segregation just to get a roof over their heads.
Reading this post reminds me of a comment one my Social Studies students made. He said "Ms. Evans, it seems like every time we learn about the next part of history, there's always someone who somebody is trying to keep down." I found that insightful of him, especially as he began to list all the groups of people who have been politically and socially suppressed throughout history.
ReplyDeleteI tell them that even today, it still happens, and this article of the "poor door" highlights that. There is a need for housing, but instead of providing that for families in a dignified manner, housing is provided with blatant segregation and a Jim Crow mentality.
Stuck Outside The Poor Door
DeleteIt is obviously not a deficit in human resources, capital, technological advancement, space etc. it is truly a deficit in human will to see and treat others as themselves. While those in power fail to do so, there must be a means of generating revenue where we can successfully support ourselves, thrive and flourish long enough to ensure we have a chair when the music stops. In this ongoing game of musical chairs each participant is looking out solely for himself or herself. We are a community-oriented people, we are a collective people, we always have been and that is what made us successful: collective works and responsibility!
Lindsay, I completely agree with your statement about the human will. Once someone sees and treats another person as equal to them there is no longer a reason for any of the "-isms" in our society to exist. Also, there would be no reason to have a phrase such as the "poor door." Whether rich or poor, a human being is just that. Ayriq's story is truly a testament to the power of perseverance. By him saying "I don't want to be homeless again. I don't want that to be who I am," he reclaimed his humanity and saw himself as greater than his previous situation. That was so inspirational.
DeleteAs you stated Tristan, it is so ridiculous how people who are less fortunate are treated. They are looked upon as being lazy, irresponsible, less intelligent, or looking for a handout when they honestly just need a break. I really wish it was possible for people who think like this to spend a day in these people's shoes. You would wonder how they have the strength to struggle everyday like they do. The fact that they even had to enter a lottery to be considered for affordable housing is appalling. This whole article just saddens me.
ReplyDeleteThe irony of the theme of this whole article blows me away. The final sentence states that "Families should not have to win a lottery to live in segregation just to get a roof over their heads". Winning a lottery to enter the "Poor Door"? How ironic is this? What is this progressive "Jim Crow mentality", as Tristan stated above, of separate but equal yet not equal at all? What a degrading feeling to basically be told "You don't need much. So here's a new clean roof over your head. You should be happy I'm so benevolent". All the while, watching other tenants of the same complex who bleed, get sick, and have all of the exact same bodily functions as you be valued simply because someone else is paying them a higher wage. Most of us are 1-3 paychecks away from being less fortunate anyway. So I am personally offended at the lack of human value that we have for one another. In general not believing all deserve to experience a judge free and high quality of life.
ReplyDeleteJessikha makes an excellent point about the complete disrespect our nation has for basic human rights. It is sickening to hear detailed stories of how the "fortunate" treat the "less fortunate". It is the same story all over the country much like the topic of police state violence and other forms of discrimination. While I firmly believe these problems are racially coded, more of it is about money. My second graders proposed the other day that police be trained by young people on appropriate police conduct. In the same vein, entrepreneurs should have to consult the community before bringing in "mixed income housing" and the like. The lack of relationships is killing our communities and turning them into spaces of transaction only. As an organizer it is my sincere worry that folks will rise up violently and more en mass as these issues continue to compound.
ReplyDeleteI am disgusted that entering the “poor door” at the new condominium tower will prevent those who are in the low-income apartments from using the amenities “reserved “ for the wealthy owners. This is truly crossing the line; however, because the need of housing is so severe, the issue is getting ignored and society is feeling compelled. I feel as though the less fortunate members of society are being put into situations where they do not any options and are being controlled due to their circumstances. In my opinion, the owner of the tower built a condominium to provide housing but also to control how the residents live and what they will have access to.
ReplyDeleteIn the state of Georgia, there are many areas where public assistance programs have frozen housing voucher support due to the overwhelmingly number of applicants and the unfortunate circumstance of not having enough of resources to accommodate everyone. I am happy that as an organization, we are looking into this area of trouble. Everyone deserves a place of stability and we definitely owe our children a place to call home to ensure a positive mental state.
It is absolutely unacceptable and we cannot allow this to continue. Many more people are homeless today because of the market crash in 2008 which was caused by greedy business men treating the stock market and financial systems as a big game of monopoly. But they did not have to feel the pain and the real consequences of their actions.
ReplyDeleteThere is a company named Blackstone that is taking full advantage of this. They have bought 40,000 in a 2 year time span and 1,000 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, they are the biggest landlord in the Twin Cities. They have done the same thing in India as well, which shows you this is global. They have bought houses that were foreclosed on at very low prices and will now charge large amounts. We can not have monopolies on markets and we cannot have greedy people owning these homes while we have so many homeless people.
"A separate entrance for the people living in the low-income apartments continues with segregated living inside. Low income tenants won't be able be allowed to use the pool, gym, private theatre, or any of the other amenities reserved for the wealthy owners"
ReplyDeleteWe are still facing the same battles our brothers and sisters before us fought. It's ridiculous that is has come to the point that humans beings have to enter a lottery for housing. Treating our low-income families like they are not even a whole person is wrong. There needs to be affordable housing places where tenants are able to use all amenities, no matter what your pay grade is. There are families who are homeless, but they are being overlooked. In the end, our children and their families are left surviving.
Zaire, I was unaware that housing was a major in issue surrounding your community, or the nation in general. That further proves that reading is fundamental. Last month, I recall reading an article detailing the manifestation of oppression in local and federal tax laws. It appears that this article details how oppression is also present in housing standards nationwide. Initiatives such as that of “The Poor Door” create the false impression that material possessions affect the measure of a man. Sadly, this perspective is detrimental not only to the physical safety of millions of Americans but also, to the progress of society.
ReplyDeleteI read this article back to back with “Thank God for PB&J day” and I cannot help but notice a general trend summed up in this quote: “cutting back on already inadequate help to those most in need to give more tax welfare subsidies to those least in need is not the answer and is profoundly unjust.”
ReplyDeleteI agree with Leslie’s comment that there is a negative and inaccurate perception that people who need government assistance are lazy and irresponsible, when many people are working full time and still cannot make ends meet. This mentality was disgustingly brought to my attention on facebook last week when I saw this meme on my friends wall,
"Government assistance, you may think it comes from rich people, but it comes from people who work 70 hours a week and still cant afford to buy what you can. You're welcome."
Clearly we have a lot of people who don’t understand what government assistance looks like and where it comes from. We have a lot of work to do, but changing mentalities is a great place to start.
As soon as I started reading this column, I immediately connected it to the long-lasting issue of institutionalized racism and white supremacy inherent in America. I can highlight the problem, but when it comes to defining the solution, the lines become more blurry. This is because all of the oppression that people of color, students and children of color are constantly facing boils down to our nation's greed and capitalist nature. I was relaxing in Central Park with my friend the other day, and I was getting a little chilly. I told him jokingly, "I wish there was a way to simply ask the Universe for a blanket, and I could use the blanket until I was ready to go home, and then the Universe would put it back into its store until the next person asks for one". As idealistic as that may sound, in America we have enough food, shelter and resources for every single citizen to be cared for and to live sanely. But it's greed and the desire to always be more powerful than others which has made homelessness a rampant reality. The idealist in me believes that a movement centered on love, like Freedom Schools, will eventually eradicate the power-hungry society we live in. But the realist in me doesn't want to just hope and have faith that enlightenment and global awakening will take place. I feel like revolting when I read these articles, but I know revolution takes much forethought. I am an advocate for raising the minimum wage for people who are doing the most labor in our country. It sickens me that people assume that those who work in food, retail, or sanitary positions do not deserve to live above the poverty threshold. These are the people who do the work that most people take for granted, and yet they are rendered invisible. We should become advocates for their human rights, because they are directly affecting our scholars. As for the detrimental effects of living in poverty, I cannot even begin to imagine how a young child can be expected to focus on school when their basic needs aren't being met. It's honorable that Ayriq was able to push past his obstacles and make it to college on a scholarship, but that shouldn't be the narrative that's constantly scripted. It's as if those in power want you to look at him with pity, "look how he succeeded despite his unfortunate circumstances"... He shouldn't have been in those circumstances in the first place. That's the real issue here, and I'm hoping that with continued reflection, activism and positive intent, we will bring that issue to light and dismantle the oppressive system which has perpetuated it since the founding of this country.
ReplyDeleteI cannot even begin to imagine what the everyday interactions at this New York City apartment buildings are like. It really seems to be the stuff of fiction, yet it currently exists. Yet another example of the complete demonization of the poor, which seems to have no end in site. I was very inspired by the story of Ayriq Sims, and yet I also know that many could twist his story to justify their views of the impoverished. One of the things I have the most difficulty hearing is the idea that the poor can just choose not to be poor. As inspiring as Ayriq's story is, I know that many will point to it as evidence for their misguided beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI really am just beyond speechless when it comes to Congress. What a completely inept and immoral organization that nowadays doesn't even make the token effort to disguise their blatant catering to those who fill their pockets (or campaign donations, as the kids call it these days). I am continually sickened by their marginalization of those with less, while it is proven time and time again that so called "trickle down" economics is a farce. To basically give away $27 billion to the owners of 5,400 estates is appalling. Using this number and the average housing subsidy Mrs. Edelman provided, this 27 billion could prove 2,861,685 families with the $9,345 in housing subsidies explained in the article. I like to think I'm decent at mathematics, and last time I checked, 2,861,685 > 5,400. When will this absurdity change?
“I don’t want to be homeless again. I don’t want that to be who I am.” I love how Ayriq made this statement. In the arena of social work, we are taught to see individuals for who they are and not what they are experiencing. Just because he is experiencing homelessness, that does not define his personality, intelligence, competence or as an individual. However, as mentioned in the article, it brings about negative consequences that directly affects the person.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I agree with all the comments made above. It is unfortunate that individuals, groups, families, and communities have to be treated unfairly to have their basic needs met. It is an embarrassment that we force people to go without when we have so much money. I understand that there is a budget, allocations, and policies, but what about our children who need their basic needs met in order to thrive? Do we just say screw them because they are not able to provide for themselves? Do we give them the bare minimum and expect them to make it work? It saddens me that people laugh in the face of those stuck outside the poor door. Laugh at those who barely made it inside the door.
Where do we go from here with the laughs and the cold shoulders that are provided to our families on a daily basis?
I agree Victoria it is unfair to treat people harshly because they are less fortunate. According to Matthew 5:45, “That ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendth rain on the just and on the unjust”. In relation to the text, this scripture means that as children of God we need to act like his children realizing that we will all have rainy days. We have to support one another and speak up when things are not right. Although the “wealthy” in the text were living a happy life, they too will have a day with rain. It is not our job to rejoice on these times, but we should pray for those who do us wrong.
DeleteWhen I began reading this column, I felt like crying at how bad America is becoming. Its sad how we treat people just because they don't have as much money or stocks and bonds as we do. At the end of the day, they are human just like we are.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the builder or the Contractor would even agree to label the entrance as "Poor Door" is just unacceptable. For we as a people to say that we have come so far, we still have a long way to go. This only reminds us that segregation is not just gender, but also you SES. I never would have thought that we would be in a day and time where we could only enter a door based upon the amount of money we make. And let alone, we have to apply for it.
But the foolishness doesn't stop there. if I am a tenant in this building, why am I not allowed to use all of the resources that come with it? The fact that these persons living there cant use the pool, the gym, or private theater is not fair. I'm sure the items were built inside of the apartment to be used by all, so why are we putting a hold on who can or cannot use them.
I’m on the fence about this article. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of a “poor door” at luxury condos is a blatant act of segregation and just demeaning. I have seen very nice affordable subdivisions in my community that were created with the sole purpose of providing healthy, livable conditions for families with low incomes. The issue comes when families entered these homes and don’t take care of them. They create a mass amount of property damage and already don’t have the funds to afford the housing in the first place. These areas were created with good intentions, but the families are destroying them. I have also witnessed situations where families move from on low income rental to another, from year to year. That causes instability for the children that reside in these homes. I also understand that homelessness is a horrible problem in our country and that innocent children are born into these conditions unwillingly. I just feel that there has to be a much better answer to helping these children and their families. Perhaps create a program that teaches families how to care and keep a home in good living conditions in order to receive the housing assistance. This could help prevent unnecessary property damage and even help renters manage finances to obtain homes of their own. These families shouldn’t remain on assistance. If they receive real help then they can get their own and show their children the possibilities and positives associated with homeownership.
ReplyDeleteI read this and thought "Just like people are saying that 'Thug is now the acceptable way of saying the N-word.' 'Poor door' is going to be an accepted way of saying 'coloreds only.'" This is not to assume that only people of color will live in one of those places, but it is to say that i recognize that the biggest percentage of poor people in America are people of color. What's the most troubling is that people are applying to go through that door.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite unfortunate to think about quality housing being treated as a lottery. The thought of people who do not understand struggle providing a system in which they dangle and tease less fortunate people with housing is quite sickening. It is terrible how people are treated who are less fortunate and the stigma that comes from being less fortunate. How do we overcome these greedy mentality in our country? I find myself constantly discouraged when I read things like this because it just seems so hopeless when we have systems in place such as lotteries for housing or any type of living necessity!
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