I Am Rockford: Community Perception

“No one feels like, ‘I made it,’ when they show up to a public housing,” says Ron Clewer, “but they know it’s a step.”

It’s hard enough for some communities to accept public housing, yet even harder for a resident of that community to actually be in public housing. Why? Tenants of public housing know the public perception of their situation and, to make matters worse, uninformed opinions have perpetuated the idea of “freeloaders,” and other stereotypes.

“Freeloading” and other stereotypes like it are not true. In Rockford’s public housing, about 60% of residents are disabled, children make up 24% residency, leaving 16% residents to work and support their family; it is no free ride.

“We are siblings, brothers, sisters and cousins to each other; we cannot say ‘that problem belongs over there’,” says Matthew Johnson, “we have to see ourselves as bound together, and the only consequence is that we are responsible for one another.”’

RHA is working toward a future of successful families and successful outcomes. Most importantly, working to do the mission a housing authority is created for. Sometimes the work deals with people with disabilities, people who are experiencing job challenges, or recovery and  have nowhere else to go. In other cases dealing with seniors who will be spending their last years with RHA.

“Don’t let fear control your responses to things, be wiser than that,” Matthew Johnson says.

It’s only together that a community can achieve great things. It’s only together that we can change the perception of affordable housing in Rockford. So we ask you, what is your I Am Rockford? What is a community to you? Please share your thoughts with us by emailing info@rockfordha.org.

** Select photos in the video by Sunny Strader/Rockford Register Star and rrstar.com. Used with permission.