Appendix E-7: Community Speak Out Discussion Notes

Here is a summary of issues raised during the discussion at the recent Trinity Court & Pritchard Park Community Speak Out on March 20th. Thank you to all who attended and participated. Community members and service providers shared some valuable ideas. Please use these ideas and opinions to continue the dialogue between residents and service providers. This is a great beginning. Make Trinity Court & Pritchard Park what you would like it to be!

• Is wonderful for the children in the neighborhood
• Likes what it does for neighborhood and children.
• Programs for the children
• Need a core group of five kids, for services to come to the community and continue work.
• Q: How do residents know what's going on? A: Calendars from the FRC
• Inconsistent service for the kids (re: After School Program) because of the transition.
• "Let community members know what's going on"
• Involve the FRC staff, community member recruitment

• Since Clara's been gone, FRC seems closed…"A lot of things have changed"
• Phone rule of three minutes makes it difficult to conduct business.
• Food donations are gone
• "You don't feel like you're home anymore"
• "Need someone who's familiar with the community. Just because you're highly educated with a Ph.D. doesn't mean that you know what a community needs"
• Residents should run it since they already know the community…"Before, with the FRC open it was like the sun. Now it's like the clouds"
• "If a person is able to run the Center and live down there, that's enough. They don't need the MSW"
• Need someone who can put personal issues aside and handle business - like Clara.
• "Lisa handled business, but she wasn't personal"

• Trinity Court & Pritchard Park are made up of older and younger residents. One older resident made it clear that she has never felt disrespect from younger residents.
• Never feel threatened of harm - maybe the police or other people who aren't tenants are the ones who think this.
• A bunch of students coming into the community
• As a community, [residents] should watch out for each other
• What do residents do with jealousy?
• Need to organize community
• POSSIBLE SOLUTION: RESIDENT MEETINGS

• Housing considers Trinity Court & Pritchard Park to be separate, but the FRC was put there to serve both communities.
• Residents refer to Pritchard Park as 'up the hill' and Trinity Court as 'down the hill'
• "It's a long haul to come down to Trinity Court"
• "Don't feel as close" - This refers to separate buildings as well as the neighborhoods.

• Cannot restrict where certain people can go
• Residents need rights, 'say so'
• Residents should form a committee
• "It's not fair that people can be kicked out because of heresy"
• "It's already enough to be fenced in"
• Outsiders bring it [trouble] in
• Decision of who will be on list should be up to residents/community
• Outsiders have a 'say so' and aren't on the lease…"They shouldn't offer suggestions for a community that's not theirs"

• When a resident makes money, the rent goes up
• "Every time a raise, everything goes up"
• Other housing issues include: central air, carpet
• "It gets hot in those units, so people sit outside, then they get harassed"
• Service providers, especially Housing, need to hear the community directly, not from neighbors
• "Beautiful people live here"
• Housing needs to mingle with the community. They sit behind desks, they really need to mingle.

• Have to go "all the way up and around"
• Residents used to be able to cut through
• "It's already enough to be fenced in"

• Police are "a relief, a blessing, really need" according to one Trinity Court & Pritchard Park resident.
• "Don't need the police [here] all of the time. It brings hostility so then people do it [cause trouble] just because. It's not right just to come up on residents."
• "Officers judge the community by the paper or statistics"
• There is one particular officer who comes into the community that makes relations rough.
• "When [the police] bust up in people's houses, they've found nothing"
• "Give people a chance…We need respect"

• Can't judge a family because of the past
• There should be a set of standards for the service providers
• A POSSIBLE SOLUTION: RESIDENT PATROL
  • need to be among the people
  • see the needs
  • have services and keep the doors open
• Keep the FRC open
• General rights of residents should not be taken away (e.g. gun permits)
• Recent standoff was just bad publicity which is going to be used to judge preconceived notions

1. Let Housing know about their (lack of) input and relations in the community.
2. Get together on the Governing Board
   • Residents should be able to make decisions for the community, not just higher organizations
   • "Because [residents] are not standing, you are allowing other people to decide for you"
   • Residents should be able to request staff and police officers
   • Need a consultant (e.g. Clara) who knows both sides of the community
   • "Give your voice"
   • Write letters to service providers; let them know what residents want
   • "We're not the hood. We're not the projects. We are a decent community. They stereotype us and our children and that's not fair."
3. Address non-residents who badmouth the community
4. Call Karen Solomon, 509-9196
   • Arrange for the Center to be open for community meetings

Appendix E-1: Draft of Speak Out Agenda and Committee Members

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Appendix E-10: Community Member Solution Notes