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Ok, I live in Jackson. Many of you will spout out what a run down, crime ridden hole this town is. For the most part, I don't *hate* our town, but there is one thing that continues to irritate the h&ll out of me. I KNOW we have a lot of people living below poverty level. I understand there aren't a ton of jobs around here for people (college educated, like me, or non-college educated alike).
My beef is with all the new apartments being built. LOW INCOME RESTRICTED apartments. Like the brand new, gorgeous, Mechanic Lofts. You can't live there unless you make less than $28k COMBINED with your spouse. And the new Armory Arts apartments. They, too, have income restrictions. Now, I am a homeowner so I have no reason to want/need an apartment but I have a friend who works hard and goes to school and can afford to pay a regular rent, but she is not allowed to have luxuries of these nice, new, gorgeous apartments. What, exactly, is the benefit for our town when a whole entire new complex is built and its only limited to being rented to people who are going to pay $200-$300/month for rent? Why not allow BOTH types of income in, and gee... like, MAKE A LITTLE REVENUE by making more per month on some rental units??
I just don't get it. I feel like by building all these great new apartments that have an income restriction that leaves little motivation for some people (like my sister... bleh!) to go out and make more money and improve their income status because they know they can live in a nice apartment for cheap as long as they don't make over X amount of dollars. Now, I know there are many many people out there that NEED that low income... that are TRYING to improve but the economy is holding them back. But I know far too many young twenty-somethings that take advantage of the system. GRR.
Soo... anyone want to enlighten me? How is our town being helped by raising new buildings with income limitations for rentals?
It sounds like those may be section 8 apartments. Developers build them because they can get rent guarantees and a ready flow of tenant referrals through the federal government. To get these guarantees, the housing must be limited to lower income (Section 8 qualified) tenants. I do not think that the City of Jackson has any say as to whether the apartments are Section 8 or regular apartments. However all cities are required to provide a certain amount of low income housing.
People in the middle are stuck. If you make too much to qualify for government assisted housing, but too little to qualify for a mortgage or to afford a fancy apartment, you are just out of luck. too bad for you. Our government seems to hate the middle and especially the upper middle class. They create the image that they only like the rich and the poor.
The complexes were probably built and subsidized using Michigan' Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which dictate how much of the complex can be "market rate" and how much can be "low income". The fear is that new projects, especially costly urban revitalization projects, would exclude low income residents. But there needs to be a good mix of rental ranges in an area for it to be sustainable. If everything being built is low income, that's not a good scenario.
Ok, I live in Jackson. Many of you will spout out what a run down, crime ridden hole this town is. For the most part, I don't *hate* our town, but there is one thing that continues to irritate the h&ll out of me. I KNOW we have a lot of people living below poverty level. I understand there aren't a ton of jobs around here for people (college educated, like me, or non-college educated alike).
My beef is with all the new apartments being built. LOW INCOME RESTRICTED apartments. Like the brand new, gorgeous, Mechanic Lofts. You can't live there unless you make less than $28k COMBINED with your spouse. And the new Armory Arts apartments. They, too, have income restrictions. Now, I am a homeowner so I have no reason to want/need an apartment but I have a friend who works hard and goes to school and can afford to pay a regular rent, but she is not allowed to have luxuries of these nice, new, gorgeous apartments. What, exactly, is the benefit for our town when a whole entire new complex is built and its only limited to being rented to people who are going to pay $200-$300/month for rent? Why not allow BOTH types of income in, and gee... like, MAKE A LITTLE REVENUE by making more per month on some rental units??
I just don't get it. I feel like by building all these great new apartments that have an income restriction that leaves little motivation for some people (like my sister... bleh!) to go out and make more money and improve their income status because they know they can live in a nice apartment for cheap as long as they don't make over X amount of dollars. Now, I know there are many many people out there that NEED that low income... that are TRYING to improve but the economy is holding them back. But I know far too many young twenty-somethings that take advantage of the system. GRR.
Soo... anyone want to enlighten me? How is our town being helped by raising new buildings with income limitations for rentals?
I am one of those people who is applying for the Jackson Armory Arts Village. The village was built using MSHDA funding and tax credits. Because federal and state funds were used to rejuvenate these buildings they have specific guidelines they have to follow as far as income. For those making less than $12.000.00 a year a one bedroom is $410.00 per month. Those who have more income pay considerably more, no one is paying a mere $200.00 for an apartment unless they already have a section 8 voucher. As far as the real-low income people very few if any have been allowed in. They have been turned away becuase they either couldn't prove that they could pay the rent or becuase they had a judgement against them from a previous landlord.
Some of the ways that this village will help is through the expenditures of the residents. For example, if I am approved---I will be doing all of my purchasing there as far as food, furniture, gasoline, appliances, etc. etc. The bigger draw is the hope that with this many artists in town, Jackson could become a place that other people would seek out to either visit and spend money, buy art goods at the galleries at the Village, and draw other people in to boost the economy. Additionally, the Armory Arts Village will be adding a section adjacent to the artist housing for the general public to live in.
When I took my tour of the village, a lady from Florida had just arrived to move in. She had sold her huge home in Miami to live at the Armory. After viewing her incredibly beautiful huge apartment I was taken to the one bedrooms slated for people in my income bracket and I can tell you that the disparity between the two was incredible. I am a single woman who is very well educated (masters degree) who just happens to be disabled.
I can also tell you that what they (the property management co.) have put me though has been horrible and probably not something you would want to go through. I was more than happy to sign over all of my income information, signing releases for every financial insititution I have ever done busines with, and allowing for detailed criminal checks etc. And I have been more than happy to supply thim with notarized copies of this and that numerous times. However, they have called everone that they could find and asked them these questions:
1. Does she clean her house.
2. Does she have unapproved guests at her house at night.
3. Are you sure you haven't ever had a court judgement against her.
4. Are you sure that she is living there by herself and no one else is living with her.
5. Does she have alot of people coming and going from her apartment at different hours.
-----and that's just a few of the questions----
I realize that they have to screen applicants thoroughly, I just wish they could have made it more humane. I am not a criminal, not a prostitute, don't do drugs, don't sell drugs, and yes I keep my home clean. I wish that I wasn't disabled, but I can't change that. I have been a homeowner and have raised a child AND I put myself through college and grad school.
I am beginning to wonder if they are trying to find a way of weeding out the haves from the have nots, and I am beginning to wonder if Jackson is a good place for me. IF I am approved the rent will take half of my income, no one is getting anything for free here.
Another way that Jackson will benefit from having a large group of artists living in town will be with the education that will be offered free to children/teens in the school district. One of the things the artists will be doing will be administering in-school demonstrations/education and hands on classes to introduce many different art forms to the students. Imagine having the opportunity to learn how to blow hot glass, make glass beads by melting the glass onto a mandrel, watercolor, do ceramics, learn to sing or play the drums, learn to draw etc. etc. From what I have gathered here on this forum, it sounds like the students in Jackson really need an exciting arts program to help them gain a sense of mastery, accomplishment, and to increase their self-esteem. It sounds like they need healthy avenues to express their feelings and to discover their creativity.
The arts have always been a major influence/strength in all cultures. "All mankind has the need for aesthetic expression".(Gaston, 1950) When arts are cut or absent from a community, the community will not be sustainable for very long.
I have over 15 years of experience as a piano and voice teacher. I would like to offer voice and piano lessons to those who can't afford them as well as to teach lampworking (making glass beads) and jewelry design. I think that this would be great for the kids.
too bad for you. Our government seems to hate the middle and especially the upper middle class. They create the image that they only like the rich and the poor.
That does seem to be the case. When the so-called poor live with much finer things than the working middle class -- something isn't right.
Ok, I live in Jackson. Many of you will spout out what a run down, crime ridden hole this town is. For the most part, I don't *hate* our town, but there is one thing that continues to irritate the h&ll out of me. I KNOW we have a lot of people living below poverty level. I understand there aren't a ton of jobs around here for people (college educated, like me, or non-college educated alike).
My beef is with all the new apartments being built. LOW INCOME RESTRICTED apartments. Like the brand new, gorgeous, Mechanic Lofts. You can't live there unless you make less than $28k COMBINED with your spouse. And the new Armory Arts apartments. They, too, have income restrictions. Now, I am a homeowner so I have no reason to want/need an apartment but I have a friend who works hard and goes to school and can afford to pay a regular rent, but she is not allowed to have luxuries of these nice, new, gorgeous apartments. What, exactly, is the benefit for our town when a whole entire new complex is built and its only limited to being rented to people who are going to pay $200-$300/month for rent? Why not allow BOTH types of income in, and gee... like, MAKE A LITTLE REVENUE by making more per month on some rental units??
I just don't get it. I feel like by building all these great new apartments that have an income restriction that leaves little motivation for some people (like my sister... bleh!) to go out and make more money and improve their income status because they know they can live in a nice apartment for cheap as long as they don't make over X amount of dollars. Now, I know there are many many people out there that NEED that low income... that are TRYING to improve but the economy is holding them back. But I know far too many young twenty-somethings that take advantage of the system. GRR.
Soo... anyone want to enlighten me? How is our town being helped by raising new buildings with income limitations for rentals?
Nic073....
a Few reasons include some of the very statements you made in your response. The fact that there ARE many low income families in Jackson represents a profit for the companies that are investing in low income housing...which is attractive to many young familes (remember Jackson has some of the highest teen pregnancy rates around) as well as the industry in the city, mainly being service oriented, marketers know what the people in the area can afford. Remember, getting a specific demographic in a area takes decades, it is sad that the last decade in Jackson has been composed of recession, and the city has done little to counteract that.
After reading some of the posts regarding the Jackson area I would like to say after having lived near the area myself for several years (no longer) some things become apparent after you leave. Cheap housing does some folks a favor, it provides affordable housing for the given market, it keeps foreclosure rates at bay, but it also has a long list of negatives. A great deal of the problem in Jackson has to do with schools, and the tax situation that has caused so many people to leave. Most tax millages are instantly shot down whether it be for schools, public trans or the like, people simply don't have the funds. The continuous expansion of cheap rentals will only attract more low income families, and then thus will attract more service industry companies. Eventually housing values will fall so far that most families that represent a different demographic (those who are interested in investing and property values) will leave. No doubt it is a huge black whole that keeps repeating itself, but the change must start at the top, and it certainly isn't the publics fault. Change takes lots of time, but as long as the city sees cheap housing and more customer service jobs as the answer, the town will always be seen in a negative light.
Ya, it will be thought of negatively. Really, what is to do there? If it needs an explanation, unlike someplace like Ann Arbor, then it really is grating to approach from an outsiders standpoint.
Whoopie, I'll go to Cascade manor and hang out at the birthplace of the republican party, whoopie! lol
yeah, when I lived in Jackson I had this problem. I was only able to live in Cascade Ridge, Gallary Place, and Victoria Pointe apartments, all of which cost over 600 for a 1 bedroom (not that they are available all that often).
There might be a few more options now, but it just sucks.
I'd check craigslist and try to find a noncompany owned apartment
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More art-based benefits for Jackson
