Each day, I grow more concerned that many of our elected officials are under the thumb of big developers. When we look to them to advocate for the community’s needs, we see them siding with the big developers instead. At a time when developers have a stranglehold on our neighborhoods, we need leadership that is not afraid to stand up to them.
If you watch the news they’ll tell you that the stock market is up, unemployment is down and the economy is improving. But here in our communities we’ve seen the acceleration of families displaced from their homes and an increase in homelessness.
The Bedford Union Armory development is a call to arms for our community. We reject another developer give-away of public owned property. This land should be used to serve the community, not to enrich the bank account of yet another millionaire developer with nothing but empty promises. City-owned property should be developed with 100% affordable housing that is tied to the income levels of the people who live here now, not in the future.
This project has drawn the attention of activists who see it as a microcosm of what is happening around the city. They see it as a reflection of what they are fighting and they are tired of being served crumbs from the table. We deserve the whole meal!
The City gives developers big breaks and subsidies with land giveaways. Developers then turn around and pay construction workers non-union wages. Even the construction workers can’t afford to live in the very units that they are building.
We all know that this is wrong and these policies need to change. We need to make our communities and workers the priority.
I call on our elected council representatives to vote NO on this project. I call on them to place community first!
