Featured Speakers: Briana Paxton and Emma Covello - click here view the slides from their presentation: Rotary Presentation.pdfBriana Paxton is a historic preservation professional, small-scale developer, and single-mom to a 5-year-old daughter. She resides in the Baldwin Park. One of her recent accomplishments was that she the redeveloped a historic commercial building on Waters Avenue into a space for three new businesses. Briana volunteers with the Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), and was named their 2022 Volunteer of the Year for her efforts to launch HSF's affordable housing initiatives. On the national scale, she brings the preservation voice to Congress as Chairwoman of Preservation Action, a grassroots lobby for preservation. In her free time, Briana enjoys playing ultimate frisbee at Forsyth Park.
Emma Covello is a dedicated affordable housing professional with over eight years of experience in the housing industry. Holding a Masters Degree in Design for Sustainability, she brings a holistic, systems-based approach to her problem solving abilities. A current employee of the Housing Authority of Savannah, Emma is well-versed in fair housing policies, HUD programs, and multi-family and tax credit properties. With a passion for promoting social equity, Emma is committed to developing sustainable solutions that serve all of Savannah's diverse communities.
Briana started the presentation with sharing an abbreviated timeline showing how housing discrimination has developed throughout history and the hierarchy that was established prior to the Civil War. Sherman negotiated land ownership and the Special Order 15 came out of that transaction. The Jim Crow Era (“separate but equal”) also led to residual impacts. In 1915, the first zoning commission was established in New York. Zoning changed to be based on public welfare (“use of property”), not based on race. One example is that industrial zoning adjacent to residential zoning is not ideal. This led to many other discriminatory practices. The New Deal Era didn’t help much. Briana shared example of redlining maps, which assessed residential security risks and determined where loans would be granted.
In Savannah, one tell-tale sign is the presence of sidewalks, which were built in favorable neighborhoods. Legal until 1968, owners could include a clause saying they would only sell to non-negro individuals. In 1945 a new Yamacraw Village was built. Unfortunately this was in the name of public interest, but in reality the government destroyed a small community and replaced it with slums.
Discrimination can be seen in all layers of communities: Supreme Court Rulings, Federal Policy, Local Zoning Ordinances, and the Private Sector.
Emma then came to the podium with a big question: What is Housing?
- An Asset
- An Investment
- A Necessity
- A Liability
- A Health Risk
- A Human Right
The Problem: Why we need more housing and who needs more affordable housing. $56,823 is the median income in Savannah. You can view the “Affordability Gap” analysis along with demographic break-downs in the slide link here.
Rentals are also a major issue. A cost-burdened home is a home where the household spends more than 30% of its income on housing costs, including rent, mortgage payments, and utilities. A large number of individuals are living spending 50% or more of their income. Other factors hurt the labor workforce, under-employed people, individuals living with disabilities, and seniors. An affordable rent for people making the median income is $1,270.00 or less monthly. There are many people who need housing to keep Savannah running. They offer income-based units and market-rate units: for example teachers, service industry, front-line workers, construction workers.
Call to Action:
- Share this knowledge with others, speak up at public hearings.
- Donate to Savannah Affordable Housing Trust Fund and sign up for the Housing Savannah newsletter HERE
- Become a landlord or developer
Notes from post-presentation questions:
*East Savannah United (Wheaton Street) is a large-scale non-profit housing/community development which is in the works.
*Unfair tax zoning for residential versus business.
*Housing Trust Fund is governed by the Housing Authority of Savannah. The board administers the funds.