Photos By "Kevin"Tonight at its Board of Directors meeting, HACC approved a motion of the Housing Committee, a "request for city action / support to resolve criminal activity at 614 22nd Ave. N. and 2207 6th St. N." According to...
...longtime residents in a position to know, 2207 6th St. N. has been a problem property for 3 years, but 614 22nd Ave. N. has been an issue for a decade. (This property was previously mentioned on this blog, and only my attempt to cover RNC 2008 delayed blogging more about the issues including, well, flying bullets)
Both properties are owner-occupied. Both are instances of "grandmothers" who have been left to raise "multiple generations" of troubled family members, plus deal with all the friends, associates and fellow gang members who hang around the properties dealing drugs out in the street and pretty much making life a living h*** for the few decent neighbors left amid the usual vacant, boarded up homes.
There was discussion by the Board of Directors about making sure the resolution was worded in such a way as to make it clear the city's efforts were strongly appreciated, and success was surely impossible without continued help by city officials, but the Hawthorne neighborhood was strongly seeking some kind of resolution to issues that have dragged on for lo, these many years.
Other Board Of Directors Action
John Hoff (that's me) and Jose Clavero were both appointed to the Housing Committee by a unanimous vote. The Board also approved a resolution in support of the demolition of 418 23rd Ave. N. but requested "keep the fence intact." The same resolution supported the proposed demolition of 420 24th Ave. N.
6 comments:
Without getting into specifics, I have concerns about the watered down version of the motion passed by the board. I can see where this might end up again - nowhere. After 10 years of this crap, we are pissed beyond belief at this point in time!
The truth be told, the City has done nothing about these properties. The police have done plenty, but I get the feeling they're just about at the end of their rope too. As I've said before, if either of these properties were next door to a City official, does anyone really think they would still be up and running? We have a Nuisance Law on the books. Let's use it folks.
Latest Update:
Last week one of the residents of 2207 came knocking on my door. She said they can see me through my windows and are wondering why I'm always watching them? Without blinking an eye, I turned the statement on her and angrily asked "Why the HELL are they looking through my windows?" Without getting much of a response I then quickly told her I walk by my windows all the time and sometimes stand by the window in my kitchen watching my TV. (This is true, but I also spend a lot of time watching them.) I'm not sure if that satisfied her, but she did leave.
The next morning I found a rock had been thrown through an upstairs window. I think this makes 8 or 10 windows broken so far. No one else on the block seems to be having any trouble with broken windows. Coincidence? I think not.
Tonight, another rock came through my dining room window. I ran outside and could see figures running towards 2207. Called the police (again) - they came, but as usual can't prove who did it. What's next? They burn down my house?
Yeah, and without getting into specifics...city officials are not under the impression they are doing too little, but rather they are under the impression they are WORKING THEIR BUTTS OFF to make the city better. So it's important to acknowledge their efforts and keep them our friends in such things as the collectively-agreed upon wording of a resolution. Trust me when I say...I share your frustration.
Keep the information coming.And I hope your windows are covered by insurance. Hey, send me a picture of the broken window?
Yet another update:
Another window taken out after I went to bed last night. Filed another police report.
I dare, I flippin' DARE some inspector to write me up for all the broken windows!!
Will send pics tomorrow.
Tell the person who has rocks thrown thru their windows to buy one of these:
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/secureview-outdoor-floodlight-spy-camera.html
I have two of them at my house and they have captured the identities of three vandals. Difficult to say "it's not me" when looking right into the camera.
I am new to the North Side and have had the fortune to live in a fairly quite block. We had one neighbor who displayed some of the same characteristics as these people but after numerous 911 calls for noise after 12:00pm and a letter to the city about the 3 strikes rule they vacated the residence.
Has the city ever thought of linking community behavior (police calls) with child welfare and the eligibility for entitlement programs.
I don't like the idea of my tax dollars going for subsidized rent, food, and utilities for these anti-social behaviors, but I abhor the idea that this behavior is being perpetuated to the children in these households.
A pretty vicious circle that must be stopped.
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