This week we asked local residents their thoughts on the recent decision to rezone a large chunk of Jerome Avenue, a lofty plan that looks to bring 4000 units of affordable housing in the coming years.

Before you rezone the area, where are the parking spaces going to be? You have no parking, the garages are filled, the schools are overcrowded. Before you start rezoning you need to come up with a cohesive plan. This is just taking the people who have been here for 20 or 30 years and throwing us to the sidelines and making it whatever the public policy is. They haven’t thought about the people who have lived and worked here for a long time. For us it’s unfair. You can’t just bring in every new person in the world.
Victor DeRosa
Norwood

I’m for it, totally. We need to help the people. It’s a good thing because rents are so expensive. The cost of living is out of control. I don’t think it will really affect me, I don’t have a car. Overall, I think it’s a good thing.
Steve Bobker
Van Cortlandt Park South

 

Affordable housing isn’t really affordable. Parking is going to get much worse and there’s too many people here anyway. We’re overloaded with people. Where will they build it, on top of another building? That’s what I’m saying. And you have three kids and they give you two bedrooms and the bedrooms are two by four, so who could sleep. It’s not affordable, no it’s not.
Joan Carter
Bedford Park

I’m against that, why? Because it’s crowded as it is already and rezoning 4000 individuals to this area, God only knows what kind of individuals we’re talking about. Are we talking about affluent people or are we talking gentrification at its best and all of the prices on gas and food and small toiletries are going to shoot above? I don’t know how it’s going to turn out if you do this. It just doesn’t make sense. If they continue to build here, you can say goodbye to our parks.
Francisco Tirado
Norwood

What are they going to do with the residents already here, force them out? I mean I think it’s great that people get a chance to occupy space that’s not being used, if it’s affordable because the rents are outrageous. But then again, if it becomes overcrowded and some people who come with low incomes, some of them come out of jail and some come from shelters and at some point the crime rate may go up. They should spread out the 4000 units all over the city. They should absolutely spread it out and not concentrate on one isolated area.
Randy Jewels
Bedford Park

Editor’s Note: In the print version of this article the photos for Randy Jewels and Francisco Tirado were incorrectly placed. The Norwood News regrets the error.