Together West Michigan Demands Transparency & Higher Affordable Housing Contribution in $565M Development Deal
120+ TWM Members Overflow City Commission Meeting & Press Conference: Contribute More or "Show us the Math!"
Together West Michigan members packed the Grand Rapids City Commission Chamber yesterday, calling for equity and transparency in the proposed Three Towers project downtown. Citizens are being asked to forgo over $565 million in future tax revenue to subsidize developers — receiving just $8.5 million for affordable housing spread over 20 years in return.
“We don’t oppose private development,” said Rev. Lynette Sparks of Westminster Presbyterian Church. “What we DO oppose is this insultingly small contribution to affordable housing. Public dollars demand real public benefit.”
“We keep hearing this project isn't ‘viable’ with a greater contribution,” added Pastor Peter Tewinkle of Oakdale Park Church. “Then show us the math. If it’s true, put it on paper and make it public.”
Despite assurances from the City Clerk’s office, over 40 TWM members were forced to watch the meeting from the lobby on their phones due to lack of space.
The fight isn’t over—TWM will be back when the Commission meets again.
Read moreVIP Pushes the Envelope on Arizona School Finance
When four hundred Valley Interfaith Project
leaders crowded into Scottsdale United Methodist church Nov. 5 to discuss state school finance, four area legislators listened.
Valley Interfaith Saves $290K in Funding for VIDA Job Training
When Valley Interfaith leaders learned that the Edinburg Economic Development Corp. (EDC) was planning to slash funding for workforce development program VIDA, they immediately set up meetings with municipal elected officials to identify and ensure City funds to make up the gap. While they discovered that the Mayor and one councilmember was completely on board with the proposal, leaders soon learned that the other three commissioners (a new majority) were planning to slash funding.
One commissioner, despite professing to having his "heart touched by the testimony of the students" told leaders that he might consider an investment of $50K (as opposed to the $290K previously funded by the EDC). In response to Valley Interfaith's vocal rejection of his crumbs, he told leaders they were "going to have problems" if they did not change their attitude.
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