Housing, homelessness, food security, welcome?

(This is the sixth week of questions to the town board candidates about local issues.)

** What are your views on affordable housing and subsidized housing? In affordable housing, owners or tenants pay, usually, up to 30 percent of their monthly income on housing costs. In subsidized housing, tenants pay on a sliding scale according to their ability to pay. Should the town be involved in helping to provide affordable or subsidized housing? The town already has subsidized housing owned by the Wake County Housing Authority and two complexes that are privately owned with federal housing subsidies.

** What are your views on the homeless people in town? If you do not believe there are homeless people, talk to a police officer. Do you think the town should be involved in helping to alleviate homelessness here?

** What are your views on the town’s support of the Northern Community Food Security Team and its ongoing efforts to end food insecurity?

** Do you think the town is doing enough to make this community where people of all colors, backgrounds and faith feel safe and welcome? Do you have any ideas about what more could be done?

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The Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a candidates’ meet and greet Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Renaissance Centre. All seven candidates will be at the event during which they will have three to five minutes for a position statement followed by a moderated question and answer period. Afterward there will be an informal meet and greet session with the town residents who attend.

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Election Day for the November Wake Forest municipal elections is Nov. 5 with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. There is no early voting for Wake Forest elections, and you do not have to show an ID to vote in this election.

If you are not registered to vote, you cannot vote in this election because the registration deadline was last Friday, Oct. 11. You can still register to vote in upcoming elections by going to www.wakegov.com, choosing Board of Elections on the first page and Register to Vote on the second. While there you can learn all the other locations in Wake County where you can register.

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Sean Sullivan

This week’s questions regard affordable housing, homelessness, the town’s support of the North Community Food Security Team, and if the town does enough to make residents feel comfortable living here regardless of race, ethnicity, and faith.

Subsidized housing works well when a property owner works with the federal government.  A town’s involvement should be limited to making sure the property, like any other residential housing, has sufficient road access, parking, fire and police coverage, and green space.  Bus routes that pass the housing are of great importance.

There are several government programs provided on the federal and state level so towns should not have to be involved in subsidizing housing.

But I do believe the town can help in one way. The two current complexes located in Wake Forest are old. The town should work with the landowner and Wake County Housing Authority to tear down the homes and redesign the whole “campus.” Done correctly and a little at a time, the current residents would not be displaced for very long.  Something more modern would make the “campus” more efficient, allow more families to live there, and the appearance could “match” the apartments and townhomes that surround the location.

I do believe our town is an ‘open’ community that residents can feel safe and welcome. The town does a great job offering programs around different ethnic cultures and celebrations, and promoting these events through different types of marketing. Our local churches and community organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club, do their best to make everyone feel welcome.

Homelessness is an issue that can be a challenge. There are programs offered though government programs and non-profit organizations. A town’s responsibility can be to work with non-profits, churches, and relatives of the homeless to provide information about opportunities so that homeless people know what is available to them. There are so many reasons people are homeless so it is a case-by-case issue. If someone is homeless and not breaking the law, then we have to respect that person’s space.

I am a big fan of outreach programs like the Northern Community Food Security Team.  The town is working with churches, farmers, and volunteer groups to provide a wonderful service that helps residents.

I would love to see more outreach programs like this where the town can get residents together via marketing and communication that would not be a financial burden on the town. An example would be to help local teachers with supplies for their classrooms. As a candidate, I was invited to the North Carolina Association of Educators to listen to the concerns of schoolteachers. I spoke with one first-grade teacher told me how she sometimes uses her own money to purchase books to replace the books that are in such bad shape, they have duct tape for the binders. Wake Forest as a town could create outreach programs with local educators, the Parent Teachers Association, churches, etc. to find a way to get residents to make donations. Used books are something we all have, and thrift stores are a great place to get rid of them, but we could give them directly to a school that would appreciate them.

Adam Wright

Having housing be affordable for all those who live in our community should be a priority. I know there is a developer working to build some houses that fit this need already. We should work with them on finding great areas for opportunities such as this. Part of having such a “hot” real estate market is that supply drops and demand increases. That will make it so only the most fortunate are able to afford houses. So, what can the board do? We need to be smart about our growth and allow the more dense building to happen near the area closest to where our new transportation plan has bus routes. We should also encourage more mixed-use building in our downtown area.

Part of the issue is that while we do have an affordable housing problem, our lack of infrastructure and school space makes them higher on my radar. The more we try to solve affordable housing, the worse we make our traffic and schools. So, we have a very delicate line to walk and very little margin for error. Currently, our growth and school issues are problems. The more rezoning we do as a town in the name of affordable housing could make them predicaments. Problems have solutions and predicaments have outcomes. Let’s fix our infrastructure and schools and then work on affordable housing as opportunities present themselves.

The town should work on reducing our homeless population. Doing so reduces crime. We should focus on getting the homeless the help they need to be productive members of our town. We need to find local businesses that are willing to provide chances for the homeless to find work and non-profits to help with any substance abuse and housing issues they may have. This will allow them to have the best chance to be a net-positive for our community.

I am all in for supporting the Northern Community Food Security Team. Ensuring that there are those in our community that are not going without eating is a valuable investment.

I do think that we can always try to do more for our less fortunate. We need to make sure their infrastructure is being maintained. The board, mayor, and town manager should hold regular walking audits in all of our communities. Being visible in all of our communities will allow the community to know we have their needs on our minds. It also provides us and them an opportunity to hear about issues that have a simple fix that we may have never heard about had we not made ourselves available.

Greg Bartholomew

This week’s questions are kind of foreign to me.  I am fortunate to have never been homeless or hungry.  I’ve not felt that pain which is so common today.  According to HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report as of 2017, there were 554,000 homeless people in the U.S. on any given night, or 0.17 percent of the population.  A big number and a small percentage, unless it is you.

My personal opinion is that the town of Wake Forest should not provide assistance for any form of affordable or subsidized housing.  That type of public assistance is best left up to county, state, and federal authorities.

I have not seen any “homeless” people in Wake Forest; and I’m not sure how I would know they were without a home anyway.  At the local National Night Out event last week, I asked about 15 police officers if there is, or has been, a homeless problem in Wake Forest.  All responded that our town does not have a homeless population.  Perhaps on any given night, there could be drifters passing through or someone sleeping in their car.  But, they move on to other places. Our police department tries to help individuals they encounter with information on where to get help: such as, Wake Network of Care.org, etc. Again, in my opinion, it is not the town’s responsibility to house or feed residents.  There are hundreds of public assistance organizations that make it their mission to feed the hungry.  Recent commercials on television tout that 40 percent of food in America is wasted.  Saving half this number could help solve the hunger problem.

While I don’t think the town should provide free assistance, I am open to a way to provide jobs.  As I have stated previously, the town could construct a large building on the Dubois property or similar land.  This facility could be used for food distribution, self-help job training classes, a local grocery, and a police sub-station.  In addition, several hydroponic growth greenhouses and exterior gardens could produce healthy food for our citizens, or to resale.  A “hand-up and not a hand-out” comes to mind.

Finally, I would like to suggest a possible solution to the homelessness issue.  Each night in our area, hundreds of churches and school rooms sit vacant.  Why not put those resources to use?  If there is a will, there is a way.  At least try a prototype program to see if it is feasible.

Thank you again for your time and your vote on November 5^th.

Jim Dyer

What are my views on affordable housing, subsidized housing, homeless people and food insecurity in our community? What role if any should our local government play? Do I think our town is doing enough to make all citizens feel welcome and safe regardless of faith, ethnic background, and their economic conditions?

As a child, I grew up living in government housing. It was not the safest neighborhood in town. I remember clearly opening the ice box (before refrigeration) and seeing nothing to eat. Unfortunately, our affluent society is often unaware of the poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness of those living in the woods or on our streets. Sometimes it’s visible, but often can be hidden away from our daily view.

Public housing authorities, food banks, churches, rescue missions, community service organizations, veterans support groups, mental health organizations, job training programs and so many other organizations and individuals have been on the front lines combating these conditions for decades.

Why do these conditions still exist? All of the before mentioned groups are making a difference!  We have legislation at the federal, state and local levels that have also made a significant impact. The problems still persist! What more should we expect of our local government?

Sometimes we forget that “we are the government” when we vote and we pay our taxes. As citizens we elect our leaders with the understanding they will make decisions on budgeting that will benefit everyone. Citizens are notorious for complaining about our high taxes and government spending. Government subsidized housing and affordable housing is one, and sometimes the only way, some of our citizens will have a roof over their heads and a safe place to sleep.

Our government certainly has a role to play in fighting poverty and homelessness. We as local citizens can play a significant role by supporting and partnering with the numerous local community service organizations. Groups like the Koinonia Foundation, Tri-Area Ministry, Hope House, the Crop Walk, veterans organizations, etc. are making a difference and working tirelessly to help the hungry and homeless. There is a fund raiser or food drive going on in our community most all of the time. If more of our “everyday citizen” was involved in just one of the many community service organizations, we could resolve many of our challenges. Sitting on the sidelines and expecting the local and state governments to fix everything with a limited budget is unrealistic.

It will take an involved caring community working together to improve the plight of our hungry and homeless. I have more questions than answers for our readers today.  If you are not currently a member of one of our great community service organizations, would you consider checking them out? What more can your group do? How much time can you give to our community as a volunteer? Can you serve on a community advisory committee? What ideas would you like to contribute to a solution? We are responsible for our neighbors . . . let’s all work together!

Heather Holding

Affordable and subsidized housing is important in a town in which the house prices typically average $350,000. However I don’t think that the Town of Wake Forest needs to be involved in the actual management of affordable housing. We should continue to partner with Wake County Housing Authority to potentially find other areas that are available to be affordable/subsidized housing.

The term affordable housing has also been used lately to describe lower priced housing than what is mostly available in the town. Housing sales inventory below $250,000 is minimal and usually quickly sold. I believe that the town officials should also be aware of allowing smaller, lower priced houses to be built. Finding employees for small businesses is difficult because employees must travel from a distance to be able to comfortably live on the wages small businesses can provide.

While the majority of the citizens of Wake Forest are lucky to have resources to afford housing, there are many people who struggle on a daily basis to feed themselves and their families. I have worked for many years with various charitable organizations who provide services to these underprivileged families. I chaired The Koinonia Foundation for about five years, a charitable organization that provides help to families in times of crisis, such as loss of a job or in time of illness. They also raise and donate funds to other organizations that provide for “basic human needs” such as Tri-Area Ministry, Hope House, and Safe Space. I chaired the Kerr YMCA annual fundraising campaign which provides healthy food and activities for underprivileged children during the summer at their fully-subsidized camp on Southeastern Seminary’s campus.

Food insecurity affects so many aspects of a person’s life. Children can’t focus at school. Adults can’t work effectively. I believe that ending food deserts should be a major initiative for the town. The Northern Community Food Security Team is worthy of support by the Town.  They are working to raise the quality of life for some of the town’s most troubled citizens.

In an effort to address some of these issues, I would like to re-ignite the Community Council, a group of charitable organizations which meets monthly to share their missions and events. This community is amazingly full of 501c3 organizations who sometimes trip over themselves working towards similar goals. In recent years, the Council has struggled to be as relevant as they once were. I think by raising awareness of the Council’s existence and encouraging groups to join, we can more effectively bring the community together to support all its citizens.

Anne Reeve

Sometimes the term “affordable housing” leads to misinformation. In our area “affordable” is $225K-$325K. To a lot of people these prices are not affordable.

The Town has recently partnered with Habitat for Humanity by deeding them land the Town owned so they can build six homes. At the same time we partnered with a private developer to build four more homes in the same area. We have been extremely grateful for Habitat for all the work they have done in the last few years in the East End Area. Not only have they built houses, they have also offered rehab for existing homes.

Subsidized housing is not provided by the Town; that is a function of the Housing Authority.

Homelessness is a very difficult area of concern. We often forget that there are some people who chose that lifestyle; while others who have fallen on hard times (loss of job/career/financial/family) and some because of drug/alcohol abuse. As a community, not just the town government, we should be involved in trying to provide these people some basic services. However, resources are not always easy to find. We have an awesome food pantry (Tri-Area Ministries) that does provide food free of charge. I know for the last few summers, area churches have provided meals to children in the East End Area. Also, Hope House is providing evening meals six days a week. With winter soon to arrive, the cold will be an issue for some folks, and I’m not sure how to resolve the problem. Especially with the homeless keeping to themselves and not wanting contact – or in some cases assistance is not wanted. Certainly a large problem that is gripping the entire country – with no real “end” in sight.

The Northern Community Food Security Team is doing an awesome job. The word “Team” is the key to the success of this program. The leaders and churches in this area have really done a wonderful job. Town Employee Andrew Brown is the leader and is very passionate about finding ways to minimize food insecurity in our Town.

I find the town/community to be accepting of all people – regardless of race, origin, religion. We are lucky to have the diversity of people in our area. It certainly gives us a broader view of the world. There are several events each year to recognize and celebrate the diversity of our population. If you have missed these events be sure to look for announcements about dates. Often, they take place at the Renaissance Centre, so easily found on their website. I think by continuing to have these events is an excellent way to learn about other cultures. Hopefully, more groups will step up and provide their ideas.

Chad Sary

According to realtor.com, the median home listing price in Wake Forest is over $350,000 and continues to grow. With 63 people moving to Wake County every day, housing costs will continue to rise. The Town should actively search for ways to diversify our housing stock with price ranges that can support our workforce.

North Carolina state law has limitations on certain housing and rental controls that prevent towns from creating mandatory inclusionary policies for housing. It does not prohibit towns from offering incentives for housing affordability or partnering with public and private entities to tackle this growing concern.

The Town is making strides in this area with recent agreements on a public-private partnership for workforce housing on Brewer Circle. The Town also has an agreement where lots were sold to a builder who agreed to construct workforce housing. This outside the box thinking, partnering with Wake County and other non-profit organizations such as Habit for Humanity, should continue.

Homelessness is a horrible reality of an urbanizing county and is something that, unfortunately, will continue to rise as our population grows. As a municipality we should actively seek ways to partner with state, county and non-profit organizations to help alleviate the homeless in Wake Forest.

A great example of this is the Northern Community Food Security Team. This group was formed as a result of the Board of Commissioners endorsing Wake County’s Comprehensive Food Security Plan. The plan provides strategies to address hunger issues now and in the future. The Northern Community Food Security Team was created to develop and launch a viable food security plan for northern Wake County that aligns with the Capital Area Food Network plan.

The Board of Commissioners charged this team with enlisting community members, food security organizations, resource experts, and other stakeholders to develop activities, policies, and partnerships that will move our area towards food security and a sustainable food future. The Town currently has a staff person dedicated to this initiative and has provided laptops and a surplus truck to support this program. Partnerships such as this are invaluable to our town and should continue.

I believe the Town makes a very conscious effort to create an environment where people feel welcome and safe. The Town’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department’s mission is “to enhance the lives of the citizens by promoting health and wellness through diverse, safe, accessible, and culturally enriching recreational opportunities.”

And not many communities have a Town sponsored Human Relations Council whose purpose is to “encourage understanding and good will between all Wake Forest citizens regardless of race, sex, religion, creed, nationality, or economic status, and thus promote the general welfare of the Town.” The Police Department participates in multiple community outreach programs such as Shop with a Cop, Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics and Annual Turkey Drive just to name a few.

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