Top-down
or Bottom-up Participation? Exploring the Nexus of Power, Culture
and Revitalization in a Public Housing Community |
| Since 1993, public housing authorities across the country have been involved in efforts to revitalize over 100,000 units of public housing through a competitive grants program called HOPE VI (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere). Administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the goal of the program is to disperse pockets of poverty by creating new, mixed-income communities. This requires the demolition of existing housing, a new master plan and the construction of a new housing development. These intentions result in a net loss of public housing units on site. The HUD required participation of current residents and the broader community in which the site is situated creates a tension between exclusion and inclusion. Residents are involuntarily displaced, yet their input is sought through the master planning and relocation process. This paper focuses on a HOPE VI site on the southwestern edge of Seattle in order to understand the dynamics of a community in transition. This 569-unit site, houses an extraordinarily diverse population. There are over 35 languages spoken by residents, although Cambodian, Vietnamese, Somali and Arabic predominate. The fact that the community is so ethnically diverse, with many residents among the poorest and most vulnerable of American households, only adds to the complexity of the dynamics within this community. Through observations of a series of public meetings and community design workshops, as well as interviews with residents, the early phase of the redevelopment process is examined to ascertain the extent and nature of participation, and to shed light on residents’ experiences and opinions of the process. This research will compare efforts to garner participation in the redevelopment process with people’s lived experiences. Implications for empowerment, cross-cultural communication and what constitutes positive community change will also be addressed. |