Home-less but not “less-than”
I serve on my city’s Planning Board. I thought it would be a good way to help engage in community building (figuratively and literally) and avoid a lot of the grandstanding, partisan bickering present even at the municipal levels of public service. I was wrong.
In my first year on the Planning Board, we had one project brought before us that became so heated and controversial, that the developers made a FOIA request for all emails and text messages sent and received by any Planning Board members and Waterville City Councilors. Accusations of impropriety, bias, and misconduct were thrown around, feelings were seriously hurt, and my visions of Planning Board being like summer camp quickly vanished.
Things quieted down, and a few weeks ago a project was brought forth by the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter to convert a vacant building into apartments for seniors and homeless families. Some apartments would be permanent housing, others would be temporary, and some space would be used for offices. Katie Spencer White, Executive Director of the homeless shelter, and Brian Watson, chairman of the shelter’s building committee, presented the shelter’s proposal. They fielded questions from the board and a few residents, insisting they would screen residents, who would be required to meet high barriers to live in the apartments, as well as provide 24/7 surveillance of the facility. The proposal requested the property be rezoned and the Planning Board voted unanimously to approve it.
Last week, the Waterville City Council rejected the Planning Board’s recommendation. Some residents and councilors expressed sentiments that took me by surprise. I couldn’t shake Councilor Mike Morris’s comment, “I think that we have a responsibility to citizens and people that live in the community.” I was left with one question: Would this project have been rejected had it been just for apartments, or was it rejected because it was going to house people who were homeless? My gut didn’t like the answer.
The city council agreed to revisit the request and it met tonight. Many more people attended to share their opinions. I sensed that there were more in favor than there were against, but that is only based on those in attendance. (I shared my thoughts too, and am attaching them below.) The council voted to approve the proposal and it will take a second vote next week. It’s unclear yet how the council will vote — as two councilors indicated they tentatively plan to vote against it.
Before you read my comments, I want to add one more thought. I know Councilor Mike Morris. We’ve always been friendly through the years, and I don’t believe he intended his words to be hurtful, insensitive, or degrading. But they were. I hope he knows me well enough that I don’t wish to embarrass him, but rather remind him, as well as his fellow councilors, that community members are not limited to just those who are fortunate enough to have homes. Moreover, those who do have homes are not more deserving of attention than anyone else. Indeed, I think it’s incredibly fair to insist it’s not enough for public servants to say they want to do better, they must also be better. It’s up to them to decide if they can accept the challenge of fighting stereotypes, solving difficult problems, and serving all members of the community.
People who work in D.C. aren’t the only ones out of touch or don’t understand “real people with real problems.” At least based on what I’ve observed over the last few weeks, I’d say we have a lot of people who are out of touch merely because they have the privilege of having a place to call home. I deeply hope the discussion we had tonight helped to raise some awareness.
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Comments to Waterville City Council 05/10/2022
My name is Hilary Koch. I am a resident in Ward 4, and I am also a member of the Planning Board. However, I’m here tonight to speak as a private citizen.
I have a vague memory of hiding in our apartment when I was really little (maybe 3 years old) and my mother telling my sister and me to be really quiet — the landlord was knocking on our door, and we didn’t have the rent (rent for an apartment that didn’t have heat, my mother reminded me tonight). When I was in elementary school, I remember being on free and then reduced lunches for a while, and my mother using food stamps at the store. None of this embarrassed me because there were a lot of other families like mine.
Now that I am an adult, with a family of my own, I have the wisdom to look back and see the reality of the situation. My mother was divorced, without a college degree, who must have been exhausted, and scared, and probably hungry at times. She most definitely went without so her children never would. Yet despite knowing my mother struggled financially, I was fortunate to always have a place to call home. This is however not the case for thousands of people living in America.
In the last year, home prices across the United States have soared by over 20% and mortgage rates are at the highest they’ve been since 2009. You’ll have read headlines about homeownership being out of reach for millennials, but the reality is that homeownership is out of reach for most people. Essentials like food, utilities, and medical costs are so high, that it isn’t unusual to hear about people dying from hunger, lack of heat, or for those who know me well, people rationing medications.
So, when we talk about the housing crisis, you’d think renting would be the obvious and reasonable option. But the supply-demand for rental units is so lopsided that rentals are nearly impossible to come by and prices have skyrocketed. In fact, since 2019, Kennebec County has seen the second-highest increase in rental prices for the entire state of Maine. The result? A lot of people have found themselves without a place to live.
These people are without homes. They are “home-less” but they are not “less-than.” And they are a part of every community, our community. They are worthy of respect, dignity, help, and a roof over their head. They aren’t lazy or looking for a handout, they are looking for your help. Help, many of you promised when you were running to be elected. You talked about looking out for the “little guy,” wanting to make sure that as the revitalization process in Waterville continued, we didn’t forget the type of folk who helped make Waterville — Waterville. Now I’m sitting here in the comfort of my own home, wondering if that was all lip service — if when you said you’d help the “little guy,” what you really meant was you’d help people, so long as they didn’t lose their home after say, they had to choose between buying medication or paying rent. So maybe you just want to help the medium-sized guy? See the job of serving in elected office is to serve everyone, not just the people you deem worthy, and it certainly isn’t to degrade, demean, dehumanize, or perpetuate stereotypes.
Finally, I want to speak to these stereotypes. I acknowledge that stereotypes stem from some truth. Yes, there are homeless who have criminal records, who are sexual predators, who struggle with drugs. This is not true for all people who are homeless and not true for people who will be housed here. The homeless shelter has already addressed this, stating that there will be 24/7 surveillance with a strict screening process. If you’re lucky enough to have a roof over your head, I am wondering, though, who did the screening process for the neighbors you have right now?
My point is, that if we are fortunate to choose where we live, it is rare that we are ever able to choose our neighbors. The Highwood apartments will be housed with elderly and families with children who have been screened. People who are down and out, people worthy of the dignity and safety of shelter, and you have the opportunity to help make that happen. Please vote to help make it happen.
One final note: My mother? She benefitted so much from others helping her. She got her college degree, and she is now a homeowner, here in Waterville.
