By Dawn Mason
Dear Mayor Durkan,
Am I correct in assuming the Tiny houses proposed to replace the razed apartment homes at Yesler Terrace are the same as Nickelsville at Othello?
If so, using the acceptable moniker tiny home is a deception. What is at Othello Village are much more likened to slave shacks than to what are the large sheds you refer to as tiny houses.
The architecturally designed tiny houses are not what is at Othello Village.
This idea of how to house the poorest and most unempowered is not unique, creative nor a modern idea. Slave shacks were adjacent to the homes of the mansion of the plantation owners. And mimics the thinking: they’re better than no house at all aren’t they? Despite the protest of homeless advocates, including myself, public housing property, Yesler Terrace was sold to Vulcan owned by one of the wealthiest people in the world. Prior to this, Hope IV housing initiative at Holly Park and Rainier Vista dispersed one population of poor families to make room for new arriving poor immigrant families when it was known housing in Seattle was becoming scarce and expensive. And this began what is the Seattle homeless problem you are proposing to fix. The population formerly housed in public housing apartments return to public funded housing no better than shacks provided slaves to protect them from the outdoor elements.
Now are we expected to applaud our officials for creating a village of painted sheds. There is no more land. Why did the City not purchase 23rd and Jackson and replace housing for the poorest rather to watch it sold to Vulcan?
The idea that poor families do better living scattered comes from the superiority thinking. For 30 years, Seattle allowed drugs and gangs to ravage poor but decent families with the most negative race induced idea Seattle has come up with yet — Weed and Seed. The fact that it was introduced by a Black Mayor marching to the demands of developers and directed by an African Police Lieutenant did not make it any less mean.
Consider, Seattle is the most Democratic liberal city in Washington maybe the nation. I served for four years with right-wing Gingrich Republicans. And their politics were no more or less economically appalling than what I have seen up close what has been the outcome for African Americans.
About 30 years ago, I refused to attend the reception and ribbon cutting for the then new Juvenile jail. Why not? What civilized adult celebrates jailing their children which is the result of a failed society. So now you build shelter for poor children and adults that is no better than shelter built for enslaved Black people. Likewise indicative of a failed society.
The photo on the right is of slave shacks of mid 19th century. The left are brightly painted sheds that can be purchased from Home Depot.
What is the difference that 150 years brings?
