I AM a Good Neighbor

I AM a Good Neighbor

“Housing is one of the most complicated topics that you can fathom.” Brad Roos, former Executive Director of Zion Development, notes that discussion, where we live, can be a volatile topic. But Brad believes that it’s an important discussion for our community to be having, and a discussion where patterns from past history come into play, especially when it comes to how we view public housing from the past and dealing with poverty.

“If you need a turkey, then I can get you a turkey. And then tomorrow you need another turkey so I get you another one. But the problem is, there are not enough turkeys in the world. We can’t keep doing that. Charitable giving is not a sustainable plan.”

Brad notes the real issue at heart is not the economical approach of dealing with housing, but rather the social aspect of what forms a good neighborhood, and how we can’t look at where people live without considering the social-economic consequences. “When there is a crisis, we need to respond charitably. But when it’s a chronic issue, that’s where development is required.”

Brad hopes people will look at public and affordable housing with an eye on the residents first before economic decision-making. He also cautions that the community needs to begin working together more on a day to day level and investing themselves in their neighborhood so that the community can be richer for it. “It doesn’t matter where you live; you may or may not live in a good neighborhood. Housing does not make a ‘neighborhood’; social relationships are what make a good neighborhood.”

https://vimeo.com/210828348/f5a3a1d5c8]]>