Affordable housing: Yes, in my back yard
Lorraine Coccaro
You may have heard of NIMBY which refers to the howl that some residents voice about affordable housing: Not In My Back Yard.
Go to the University Club Apartments on Lockwood Ridge Road just south of Desoto and you may very well say YIMBY: Yes In My Back Yard.
I don't know what I expected when I went there for the ribbon cutting ceremony that opened this affordable housing project but I was pleasantly surprised. It certainly wasn't "the projects" in the old sense of the word.
Picture a 14 acre gated community landscaped for privacy from the street and the neighbors. Encircling the lake at the center of the complex are 8 architecturally interesting buildings each 3 stories high which contain a total of 191 apartments.
A stand of large pine trees, a string of mature oaks and a 100 year old oak are part of the well landscaped site. Around the lake there are picnic areas with tables, benches, barbecues and children's play areas. A swimming pool and sun deck are at one end of the lake by the clubhouse.
The clubhouse has a big screen TV, a refreshment center, a 24 hour fitness center and a business center outfitted with computers, printers and a fax machine.
There is a car wash area, professionally organized resident activities, and 24 hour closed circuit TV surveillance for residents' security. This managed community has a maintenance person on site 24 hours a day.No absentee landlord here.
The 1 to 4 bedroom apartments have ceramic tile entrances. stain resistant berber style carpeting, big walk in closets, and big windows. The kitchen has it all: refrigerator with ice maker, dishwasher, and garbage disposal. The gas range and oven are not only easier to cook with but also more energy efficient.
Then there's Monster Club. I can't think of a better name for the free, after school, group activity program serving 5 to 12 year old residents. Activities, run by a professional. include time and assistance for homework, computer skill development, sports and fitness, arts and crafts, snacks and entertainment.
One of the program's most popular and successful elements is community involvement where children learn the value and importance of volunteering and helping others. If this isn't a good neighbor, I don't know what is.
This development may be a more dense use of the land but density in itself is not a dirty word. University Club Apartments is a diverse racial and ethnic community where people want to live and a community that neighbors can easily welcome.
And all this is affordable at $550 a month for a one bedroom apartment up to $840 for a four bedroom apartment. To qualify for the lowest rent, for example, a family of four's household income cannot exceed $32,040.
About two weeks after this eye opener, I went to the "Affordable Housing Founders Group" meeting sponsored by SCOPE, Venice Foundation, Home Builders Association, The Housing Forum and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The speaker was Vi Alexander Lyles, assistant city manager of Charlotte N.C., who detailed her experience with affordable housing.
What struck me was the characteristics of affordable housing that Lyles listed which turned a NIMBY into a YIMBY: good architectural design, financially viable development, mixed income, good 24 hour management, and access to supportive services.
It was everything I had seen at University Club.
Venice City Council members Rick Tacy and David Farley, and County Commissioners Nora Patterson, Paul Mercier and David Mills attended this talk. They were listening because Sarasota County has 30,000 people burdened by the high cost of housing.
This demand can be met by a variety of projects such as University Club Apartments, housing over stores and at commercial sites such as strip malls that are defunct, low cost homes, and rehabilitated older housing. All these take government co-operation and money.
In Charlotte such efforts have proved to be economically worthwhile. Not only has the quality of life been improved but, as Lyles stressed, the economic bottom line for the community has been improved.
You will be hearing more from the Affordable Housing Founders Group. They will be working toward a variety of solutions. Meanwhile take a trip up to University Club and see for yourself. It's a lift to see such a big step in the right direction.