Monday February 11, 2019

Joseph J. DeFelice, Regional Administrator

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Philadelphia Regional Office
100 Penn Square East 11 Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3380

RE: CNI Grant for Norfolk, Virginia

Dear Mr. DeFelice:

As impacted residents of the targeted St. Pauls Quadrant in Norfolk, VA, we join Councilman Paul R. Riddick’s
request that HUD either postpone granting the City of Norfolk’s (City) CNI grant application or reject the
application. We also ask that HUD representatives meet with the affected tenants in March during HUD’s site
visit related to the CNI grant application.

Our primary concern is that the CNI grant proposes the demolition of more than 1600 low income public
housing units without a plan to replace those units with brick and mortar (hard replacement units) on a
one-for-one basis within the City. The plan to issue the Housing Choice Voucher (section 8 vouchers) to the
tenants will drive hundreds of African American families out of Norfolk and hundreds more deeper into poverty
or homelessness, due to the shortage of rental units in Norfolk where vouchers can be used. Further, neither
the City nor the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) provided the affected tenants with a
fair process to insure their involvement in the development of the CNI application. All of these concerns
demonstrate that the CNI application raises multiple and very significant fair housing issues that HUD cannot
simply ignore.

We oppose the City’s CNI grant today because facts suggest far more residents will find hardship than
opportunity. The City plans to destroy 1674 units and 4,174 residents, conservatively, will be forced to find
new homes, childcare, schools, medical care, transportation, and jobs. In Tidewater Gardens, one of the three
developments proposed for demolition, more than a third of the population impacted by “relocation” are
particularly vulnerable: 927 are children and more than one-third are seniors and disabled. According to the
(NHRA’s or City’s) July 2017 Absorption Study, the rental housing vacancy rate within the City is less than 1%
with 507 rental units available. We know that only a small fraction of that number is eligible for rental to
persons with section 8 vouchers. Furthermore, NRHA’s public housing stock is at capacity and there are 1000
residents waiting on a list to be placed. With the help of the CNI grant, a maximum of 600 units will be set
aside for affordable units which will be disportionately 1 or 2 bedroom. That leaves over 1,000 families to find
housing elsewhere. To quote City Councilwoman Angela Graves, after being pressured about these
facts,“Everybody ain’t gonna be able to stay in Norfolk”.

While a 25 mile move may seem relatively close, there are other considerations such as public transit lines
that significantly shift in route frequency outside of the City. Additionally, viable, affordable housing options in
surrounding cities like Suffolk and Chesapeake are diminished as public housing communities are eliminated
through demolition or conversion, creating additional competition for scarce affordable rental units where
section 8 vouchers can be used. Perhaps the most understated concern is the issue of racial segregation and
bias of lenders and landlords throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s. This still has relevance today as private
owners are very closed minded about renting to low-income section 8 voucher holders here in the city (link
article). Norfolk wants to use $3 million of this grant to provide human services to make moving attractive to
residents. We feel that is another misstep in the process as that roughly equates to less than $1800.00 per
family, which wildly insignificant enough to affect the level of support services suggested by the City.

Ms. Baker, a resident that has lived in this community for 30 year shared, “like most of my neighbors, I am
concerned with where we will go once our homes are demolished.” Our communities have seen a lot of
changes happen all around us over the past 66 years, including the redevelopment of the affluent downtown
area which borders our communities. The one thing that has remained constant is the neglect to our homes
and Norfolk public housing communities. My community is made up of many hard working residents, who
have to work two jobs to make ends meet. Being “relocated” means we will lose one or both employments
due to lack of transportation. Consequently, we will lose income and financial stability in the midst of taking on
additional costs that will become our responsibility under the section 8 voucher such utilities.

We are a community of families. We are hardworking and we are disportionately African American. There are
pressing issues in our communities that need to be addressed such as flooding, mold, renovations, and
poverty; however, it is unclear why our families need to be “relocated” without the right to return to our homes
for those issues to be addressed. Furthermore, the City and NRHA are pandering to the communities yearning
for improvements here to suggest we stand a chance to return once it is beautiful and repaired. Preparing to
become the coastal community of the future, as Norfolk touts, should not force hundreds of African American
families out of the city in order to make room for others.​ ​We’d like to see redevelopment without
displacement, minimal disruption to the community, and a true option to stay in the City which would be
one-for-one hard replacement units. For all of these reasons we urge HUD to postpone approval or reject the
City’s CNI application.

We look forward to hearing back from you at your earliest convenience. You can get in touch with our
organizer at New Virginia Majority, Lafeetah Byrum at 757-745-9293.

Sincerely,
Residents of the St Paul’s Quadrant & New Virginia Majority