Notable News: Southlight project

MVP came across an article this week about an affordable housing project initiative in South Raleigh called Southlight. The proposal has seen almost a year's worth of delay on account of trepidation from residents of the Biltmore Hills Neighborhood Association. The article explained that safety was the primary concern for those already residing in the South Raleigh area, given that some of the future residents of the Southlight Community have criminal backgrounds.

Concern may also stem from the fact that Southlight's property is in a Priority IV area of Raleigh. This means that affordable housing wouldn't normally be allowed in such an area. However, Raleigh's Scatter Site Housing Policy- an initiative wherein supportive housing would be spread to areas of the city with a minority of low-income residents- guarantees that the continuation of the Southlight project.

On Tuesday of this week Southlight's funding request of $450,000 was approved by councilors in the committee of Economic and Budget Development. Next week the entire Council will vote for or against Southlight's request for funds.

This initiative is of interest to us at MVP because regardless of where you look, there has historically been a spatial mismatch between affordable housing for low-income individuals (in Southlight's case, residents would consist of those suffering from substance abuse and mental illness) and access to employment opportunities. Relocation efforts such as Southlight are often met with skepticism by local residents, so the potential problems raised by the Biltmore Hills Neighborhood Association isn't anything new.

It is important to realize the challenges associated with accessing the job market when one lives far from available jobs and has limited access to transportation. Sequestering transportation-disadvantaged individuals to low-income areas of the city will only exacerbate the issue of joblessness. However, when given the resources that we often take for granted such as reliable transportation, housing, and a safe neighborhood environment, low-income individuals have the means to regain control of their life.