Donna Bailey has lived in Raleigh for over 25 years and has been a neighborhood advocate for much of that time. She served as President of the University Park Neighborhood Association and has also been Chair of the Hillsborough-Wade Citizens Advisory Council (CAC). Donna has been very active in educating the public on what is going on within the city and making sure that resident’s voices are heard. Donna is currently a member of the city’s Community Engagement Board.
Donna spoke to City Council on September 12, 2023:
I’m addressing my comments to the seven councilors:
Every day I see good, affordable, multi-unit housing being torn down and replaced with McMansions or “luxury” apartments. This is going on ALL OVER THE CITY and was put on steroids by the Missing Middle policy changes.
The PREVIOUS Baldwin council was incredibly damaging in destroying NOAH, but now YOU HAVE THE POWER to turn this around.
I also see the number of unhoused people increasing. This is a DIRECT result of allowing developers to build whatever THEY want and not what the city needs.
There is no ONE fix for the lack of affordable housing but it can be dealt with like a pie where every little piece matters. One piece is to HALT the fast pace of affordable housing LOSS. There needs to be much more affordable housing offered in new projects. Council can greatly influence that piece by demanding that new developments provide REAL affordability.
You can also put a limit on WHOLE HOUSE rentals like AirBnB’s. Homes that are purchased for strictly investment properties are taking these homes off the market for the people who actually LIVE here.
In addition, the New Bern Bus Rapid Transit project is RECORD setting and needs MUCH MORE SCRUTINY before moving forward.
The BRT is Raleigh’s BIGGEST EVER transit project at $97 million. It is also the LARGEST EVER city-initiated UPZONING of private land at over 700 acres.
But most importantly, the New Bern BRT is laid out in the corridor with the HIGHEST black population. This will DESTROY the black and low wealth communities that NEED this transit the most.
The City’s LACK of commitment to dismantle the past race-biased policies and systems will be put to the ultimate test.
When this plan was created, it minimized displacement concerns while validating the proposed mass upzoning and turning New Bern into the biggest economic development opportunity, at the EXPENSE of all those who will be displaced.
According to Smart Growth America, there are ways to ensure that transit does not cause displacement:
- FIRST implement the Comp Plan dislocation mitigations and set aside the inside-the-beltline upzoning.
- Invest without displacement. When the city INVESTED $30 million in Hillsborough Steet with NO UPZONING required, and attracted $500 million in private investments.
New Bern BRT has the POTENTIAL to provide restorative justice for the city’s low wealth communities. YOU HAVE THE POWER to make good on Raleigh’s pledge to dismantle the old city policies of racial inequities and oppression with equitable transit. Now we just need for you to show the leadership and take action to make this happen.
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