Austin’s proposed development codes and building the inclusive community
Austin’s proposed development codes and building the inclusive community
by John Henneberger – Texas Housers – May 7, 2016
I live today just outside Clarksville, where three decades ago low income African-American families, aided by a handful of supporters, waged a landmark struggle for affordability, a fight to manage gentrification and to achieve racial and economic integration while protecting a culturally rich, historic and valuable community. They lost. We lost Clarksville. That struggle should teach us an important lesson about today’s struggle over the fate of our city.
From the 1970s through the ’90s I worked with homeowners who founded the Clarksville, Guadalupe and Blackland community development corporations. I developed a passion for the struggle of people of color with low incomes to get and to hold onto decent homes and maintain quality neighborhoods. I came to appreciate Dr. King’s commitment to achieve stable residential racial and economic integration. I came to see that what is missing in Austin is what Dr. King termed this type of “Beloved Community.” ( …read article)