Finally, an editorial that does more than simply say, Oh, this will not do. I couldnt easily excerpt, so here it is in full: At the core of why Rochester remains one of the nation’s most racially segregated cities is housing. To make matters even worse, 47 percent of city residents are living in neighborhoods of extreme poverty. Yet there is too little discussion among leaders about these problems, which have been linked to poor schools, joblessness, high crime and other social maladies. The Monroe County Legislature, for instance, would rather talk about the invasion of Ukraine. But truth be told, this is a race-related issue that few public bodies dare broach. Consequently, the city is in its present predicament nearly 50 years after passage of federal Fair Housing laws meant to guarantee all citizens access to the American Dream. What’s needed are courageous leaders who are willing to tackle the elephant in the room. It’s a job for community-minded local elected and appointed leaders such as those who have been meeting since last June as a part of this page’s Unite Rochester campaign. They should get strong support from state leaders such as Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his acting Commissioner of Human Rights, Diane Helen Foster. Leaders should pick up where city, county and suburban towns left off in the 1990s when they devised new zoning strategies that generated more affordable housing until federal grant money dried up. Mayor Lovely Warren, who has quickly learned her way around the White House and Capitol Hill, should begin using her new contacts to help get the ball rolling. Now is an opportune time for collaboration as this community continues remaking itself. For example, just as the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority is reassessing amid plans for a new transit center and new routes to meet changing needs, it should be a part of discussions about promoting affordable housing scattered across Monroe. Public transportation can make all the difference for low- and moderate-income families needing to get to and from jobs. Meantime, state Sens. Ted O’Brien and Joe Robach, who must vote on confirming Foster’s appointment as Human Rights commissioner, should insist that she and other state leaders dealing with housing issues work closely with communities with high concentrations of poverty. Collaboration among federal, state and local leaders is the way to get Rochester off the top of most segregated and impoverished cities lists.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 03:23:57 +0000
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