Below is an individual reflection provided by Jim Ross, long standing Bethel member, on the recent events in Ferguson based upon his decades of work in St. Louis City to provide affordable housing to lower income families.
8-30-14: Today I finished my statement about “Ferguson”. I did thisfor my own recall and for members of my church, supporters of our ministry, elected officials and the press.
On Sat. 8-9 Michael Brown was killed by a police officer and after that there was violence and demonstrations for two weeks.
On Sat. 8-16 about 7 a.m. I drove to Ferguson to see and think about what had been happening for a week. I had a sandwich at McDonald’s, a block from the burned Quik Trip, listened to conversation of older black customers, saw many people, in the rain, picking up trash from the previous night, and read a flier, attributed to Revolutionary Communist Party, that had been left on a counter.
At 9:00 a.m. I met the new developer in Botanical Heights, formerly McRee Town, in St. Louis City and signed a contract to sell 4340 McRee for $130,000. The building is in good condition. The 4-rm units are used as one or two bedroom. The rents are $415 or $425. The new developer will force our tenants to move, upgrade a good building to be “like new” and receive tax credit for this change.
We had to sell this and other decent, lower rent, buildings because BMO-Harris Bank which bought Southwest Bank would not renew loans we paid faithfully for 6 years.
Ten years ago in McRee Town St. Louis City authorized a “developer” to brashly use eminent domain to take and demolish all buildings in six blocks including 60 of our good lower cost units. Today our government quietly allows banks to merge without appropriate social responsibility and allows tax credits to subsidize middle income development that displaces lower income people from decent housing.
What a poignant moment…..viewing “Ferguson” at 7:30 a.m. and at 9:00 signing a contract that will, like eminent domain 10 years ago, displace families to areas like Canfield Court in Ferguson!