Concerns about The Mayor’s 21st Century Challenge Part 2

by Amanda Teegarden and Kate Price Co-Founders, Oklahomans for School Accountability and Randy Harris, OFSA Legislative member at large

January 11, 2006

To: Councilor Bill Christiansen
Cc: Councilor Jack Henderson
Councilor Jim Mautino
Councilor Chris Medlock
Councilor Roscoe Turner

Subject: Concerns about The Mayor’s 21st Century Challenge to Eliminate Substandard Housing by 2025, Strategic Plan 2005, Prepared by the 21st Century Challenge Coalition Partners, City of Tulsa

Councillor Christiansen,

Per your request after Tuesday’s, January 10, 2006 8:00 am Public Works meeting, we are sending a list of concerns about the above-mentioned effort to eliminate substandard housing in Tulsa.

The following points coincide with the above mentioned 11-page plan available from Community Action Project’s website.

Key Concerns:

The 2000 census indicated there were 179,400 housing units in Tulsa. Assuming there are at least 5,000 more now, this gives us approx. 184,400 housing units in Tulsa. Of this number, approximately 6400 are deteriorated and 1600 are dilapidated, according to the reckoning of the 21st Century Challenge coalition.

If 184,400, then: Deteriorated = 3.5% of total housing units

Dilapidated = .9% of total housing units

These numbers indicate there is no crisis in ‘substandard housing’ in Tulsa.

Page 1

A. Contains the Mayor’s quote indicating this initiative has been in the works since 2003, yet few details were shared with the public until Thursday, 12/15/05 at a city council meeting. This follows a pattern of unveiling ‘already in progress’ projects on the citizens of Tulsa, leaving little or no time for citizen research and input.

B. “Engender a civic culture that no longer accepts persistent substandard housing” – engender means ‘to cause to exist or to develop your beliefs and behavior.’ Engendering beliefs and behavior is not the role of government.

C. “Create connected neighborhoods of choice” – what does this mean? “Influx of stable families” – stable means ‘not subject to insecurity or emotional illness’. Is the gov’t to define what a stable family is?

Page 2

A. Definition of substandard housing is that of Habitat for Humanity International.

B. This is Tulsa, Oklahoma – are we unable to determine our own definition of substandard housing? (Deteriorated/dilapidated).

C. Habitat for Humanity International joined forces with the United Nations Habitat II summit in Istanbul, in 1996. It is at that point they became involved in ‘global’ issues, with a ‘global agenda’. H4HI signed an agreement with the UN in 2004, again committing to a ‘global agenda’ regarding ‘human settlements’ and the goal of eliminating ‘slum’ dwellings from the ‘entire earth.’

D. “Guiding Principles” – who decided what these principles were to be? Also, these ‘principles’ indicate this initiative is not targeting ‘a house’, but rather targets entire neighborhoods.

Page 3

A. “City government commitment – “city of Tulsa must actively demonstrate its commitment” – who says we must?

B. “Resources” = tax $?

C. “Good design” – ‘requires quality design’– define quality.

D.“Green development” guidelines –using ‘green’ guidelines means homeowners will not be free to chose their own building materials, style of home, fixtures, or landscape material – all have to fit pre-determined environmental ‘green’ mandates, rather than homeowner’s wishes.

E.“Deficient property maintenance behavior” “Some lack an ethic to maintain properties” – Home maintenance is not an ‘ethics’ issue.

F. “Causes of Substandard Housing”- who determined this?

Page 4

A. “The Strategic Plan” – “…developing and targeting public and private investments to the neighborhood.” What is the source of the investments?

B. Figure 1 is a description of a ‘collective’, not a free market society.

C. "Coalition partners develop resources and targets investments…” Define resources, define investments. Provided by whom?

Page 5

A. “The Bedrock of the Strategic Plan is a strong public/private partnership between the City of Tulsa and the 21st Century Challenge Coalition partners.” This defines ‘fascism.’

B. “City of Tulsa’s Role” – “created a team of urban planners, policy and legal analysts, builder/developers, community developers, neighborhood leaders.” Why do they need policy and legal analysts and who are they? Who are the builders/developers? The community developers? Who are the neighborhood leaders?

C. “Recommend appropriate projects” – define appropriate

Page 6

A. Table I names coalition partners, with the millions of dollars already poured into this effort, including a 4-year plan involving 1487 homes or properties. Many are United Way partners.

B. Have the homeowners been notified that their homes are targeted?

C. Why is the Mental Health Association of Tulsa involved as a coalition partner?

D. “Providing transferable tax credits” – how will the lost tax revenue be recovered?

Page 7

A. Table II – under Strategies – this is the first mention of Urban Development Department, Tulsa Public Works Dept., and the City/County Health Dept.’s involvement.

B. A BIG CONCERN

1. The creation of the City of Tulsa Community Land Bank – how do they intend to acquire this land?

2. There is NO mention of title searches, offers of fair market value for property, nor acknowledgment that people have the right to their property without fear of government confiscation.

3. Does this create a commission that has the ability to condemn, and then confiscate, property for use by government and/or private enterprise?

4. Creation of a Housing Trust Fund – is this the creation of a government housing authority?

Page 8

A. Neighborhood leaders are to be chosen for those neighborhoods currently without a leader. Chosen by whom?

B. The commission may need to ‘challenge’ neighborhoods to allow “mixed-income housing” – how? Do it, or else…?

C. “Effectiveness is believed to require awareness among residents (no longer homeowners, but residents) of their maintenance responsibilities” – how does government plan to require awareness?

D. How would property maintenance be implemented if resident is unable/unwilling to perform??

Page 9

A. The term “excessive deterioration” – undefined.

B. “Rental property licensure” – requires a license to rent one’s own property – another infringement on free market, property owner rights.

C. “Point of sale/transfer home inspections” – homes required to be approved by the government before being sold. Buyers/transferees assume compliance liability. Who is the owner – you or the government? Does this mean a seller could not sell his property ‘as is’?

D. “Increase TDA Housing Assistance Programs” – this is a tax increase.

E. “CBDG and HOME allocation” – with what oversight?

F. “Quality windshield inspections” – conducted “through-out the city.” Define ‘quality’. This is an expansion of government, increasing city payroll.

Page 10

A. Tulsa Land Bank – “When guided by neighborhood development plans the land bank may assemble land for redevelopment.” As stated above, this is a land grab, or legalized theft, of private property for use by a government and/or private enterprise. This extends the ability to confiscate private property to an unelected body of individuals. Private property ownership is the cornerstone of a free society, and the destruction or elimination of that right and ability is the mark of a communist society.

B. City of Tulsa public/private housing development partnerships – again, the partnership of government with business creates a tyranny, preventing healthy competition among businesses. This tyranny stifles economic growth.

C. 3. Tulsa Trust Fund – This creates yet another unelected authority controlling what happens in this city.

These are some of our concerns regarding this initiative. We would appreciate your attention to this matter and ask that you resist this plan for the city of Tulsa.

Sources:

Strategic Plan to Eliminate Substandard Housing
21st Century Challenge