Second phase of Liberty Park (East Liberty) to start this spring (Pittsburgh: middle-class, best cities)

[h_curtis]

Originally Posted by squarian

The Highland ought to be a slam-dunk if the economy picks up - great location, at the intersection of several up-and-coming neighborhoods, good access to public transport (or what's left of it). The article mentions one-bedroom apartments, but I hope they'll include a few larger units.

People with any money and education won't live in the same building as section 8'ers. The only people that live along side of them are bicycle messengers and they usually don't. They are making a huge mistake in putting that kind of housing in an area with so much potential. The litter will still be all over the streets and graffiti everywhere. People don't want to live like that. No nice cafe's on that great street with huge sidewalks. I know I won't have interest in visiting if it is just a polished place with the same people living there. Talk about run down to nothing.

[h_curtis]

Originally Posted by caroline2

It will also disappoint the people who know that Section 8 just doesn't work.

No one has self pride if things are given to them or they are always getting help to survive. Pride is the only answer and it does surprise me that there is such things like section 8.

[SteelCityRising]

Like it or not, h_curtis, you can't just keep pushing around impoverished people, forcing them to become nomads against their will. The vast majority of lower-income people in Pittsburgh are law-abiding, peaceful, hard-working people who have just fallen on some hard times. I should know because I'm temporarily amongst their ranks.

I am a strong proponent of mixed-income projects leading to mixed-income neighborhoods. When you crowd many lower-income people together you create a dense concentration of misery that leads to a greater propensity for crime. For all the maligning I do of NoVA I'll give Reston, VA credit where credit is due because for a community with roughly 65,000 residents crime was nearly non-existent, even with a respectably-sized population of lower-income individuals. Why? When you group people from all walks of life together, you tend to create a better synergy of sorts. Reston had lower-income housing projects near to higher-end single-family home neighborhoods near to mid-range townhome communities. There was immense wealth to be had. There was immense poverty. By and large, though, everyone balanced each other out.

[squarian]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

People with any money and education won't live in the same building as section 8'ers. The only people that live along side of them are bicycle messengers and they usually don't. They are making a huge mistake in putting that kind of housing in an area with so much potential. The litter will still be all over the streets and graffiti everywhere. People don't want to live like that. No nice cafe's on that great street with huge sidewalks. I know I won't have interest in visiting if it is just a polished place with the same people living there. Talk about run down to nothing.

With respect, I don't think you know what you're talking about and I suspect you're grinding an axe.

[pit2atl]

People who pay more $$ for their property will take care of their property plain and simple, section 8 people don't care if their fence is falling over and window is broken because they don't pay full price for the home.. what needs to be done is over in east liberty and closer to bakery square by the old Nabisco factory they need to raise the prices of those homes not to expensive because RICH people still aren't loving in the cit but the middle class slap a 90K-110k price tag on those property with a tax credit guarantee you'll get some law abiding citizens over in that area. honestly they need to build some sort of apt buildings over by whole foods where that AAA building is located ill love to get a apt over there for like 750/month its honestly quite simple.

[Uptown kid]

Are they doing anything to the part from East Liberty Bullavard to Staton Avenue??? I know that's the current bad part... Or are we talking about the former projects turned townhouse/apartment area boardering Larimer???
The mixed income/section 8 plan doesn't sound too bad from a crime stand point. Sure there will be a new batch of thugs bringing more: dope, grafitti & robberies but it's mainly gonna effect the other dealers & users. Think if the new section 8 D-boys wanna set up shop look what other neiborghoods border them... Garfield & Larimer they'll be gone quick... So the other 85% of the section8 tenants (law abiding nice people) can chill in peace. The only potential problem would be the So Icey Boyz... I honestly don't frequent East Liberty to tell if there still around so I can't comment on that.

[h_curtis]

Interesting perspectives. I lived in a multicomplex in Miami with the occasional shootings. Lived on the border of Highland Park/East Liberty/Lincoln Larimer and am a cyclist. What experience do you people have that are saying I know nothing about any of this? I lived it for many years. No thanks. Maybe some people won't mind noisy, littering people that except drug activity and turn their heads if they see it, but not I. It only takes a few bad apples in a building to make it a miserable place to live. Good luck with what they are trying to do, but I am a realist that actually been in the front lines, not just watching news and making these comments. Good luck with it though.

[alleghenyangel]

Originally Posted by rashan5

what needs to be done is over in east liberty and closer to bakery square by the old Nabisco factory they need to raise the prices of those homes not to expensive because RICH people still aren't loving in the cit but the middle class slap a 90K-110k price tag on those property with a tax credit guarantee you'll get some law abiding citizens over in that area.

Slapping (comparatively) huge price tags on property in Larimer isn't going to make the area any more desirable to anyone.... It will just become an overpriced ghetto (think upper Manchester).

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by caroline2

It will also disappoint the people who know that Section 8 just doesn't work.

That article actually supports the view that dispersing poverty CAN work, but won't work if it all you do is recreate concentrated poverty somewhere else.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Then this won't be very good. You saw what happened to the buildings with those people in them before. Looked like a third world country at best and honestly there are probably much better third world countries. You shattered my view of the place. Section 8 kills a lot of places. It is killing Verona.

Again, moving around concentrated poverty doesn't work, but actually dispersing poverty can work.

Ironically, segregationists like you are sabotaging these efforts precisely because you are just trying to move around concentrated poverty. Or maybe it is not ironic, and is just your intended goal.