Concern about the violence associated with the Parkview Apartments has focused on the residents, and under the breath mumblings that there is somehow, something wrong with the tenants themselves. We disagree.
The violence that emanates from the area is partly the result of the slumlord mentality of the company that owns the units and doesn’t solely rest on the shoulder of the tenants.
When Parkview Apartments were constructed in the early 1970s there was an immediate protest from the middle-class neighborhood of King Oaks that was close by. Led by the late Roy Neal Shelling, Sr., the King Oaks community protested in civic and government meetings.
They said the units would be poorly managed and would result in high crime to the area. They believed that 1000 or more tenants crammed on top of each other would be a management nightmare that would result in high crime and death. Time has proven them correct.
The problem at Parkview is not the character or poverty of the tenants, it’s the management of the facilities.
A comparison of the management of Monroe Public Housing and that of Parkview tells the story. Monroe’s Public Housing is populated exclusively by poor people of both races, there are hundreds of units all over the city, and are governed by the same HUD guidelines, but gun violence and murder is almost non-existent.
Most of the city’s gun-violence is associated with Parkview Apartments.
There have been nine murders so far this year. It is a drain on the city police and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Both are populated by poor people, what is the difference? One is run by the Turrentines, a millionaire family that makes huge profits from Parkview each month. The MHA is managed by the Monroe Housing Authority, a group that is razor-focused on quality units and a safe environment without a profit motive.
Just a small comparison makes the difference. In the MHA units, drug possession is not tolerated. If a tenant is connected with anyone who possesses or sells drugs, they are immediately evicted. In Parkview, that doesn’t happen.
In MHA units, parents are held responsible for the activities of their children and grandchildren. A grandchild who becomes delinquent and robs someone or gets involved in destructive behavior knows that his entire family will be evicted. It is not unusual for the MHA to evict little old ladies because their grandchildren, living with them, became delinquent. No such practice exists at Parkview.
In MHA units, there are unannounced apartment checks for drugs or weapons if the agency suspects any type of illegal activity. Permission is granted by the tenants as part of their lease. Illegal activity is not tolerated. That is not the case at Parkview.
In all but one MHA unit, a Monroe Police officer resides in the complex. The agency gives the officer free rent in return for his special attention to the area. Former Interim Chief of Police Reggie Brown lived in a MHA unit for years, so have others, with the full knowledge of tenants. No such practices exist at Parkview. There is no security presence at Parkview.
No persons are allowed to live in MHA units who are not on the lease. A tenant can have a friend to spend a night a two, but when they move in- the tenant is moved out. That is not the case at Parkview.
MHA units are kept immaculate, repairs are made quickly, buildings are frequently refurbished, and grounds are kept clean. Parkview is generally untidy, except for sporadic cleanups in response to media attention.
Standard Enterprises can learn a lot if it studies the MHA model, which also includes insuring that only about 15% of its residents depend totally on public assistance.
The biggest difference seems to be that the MHA is focused on housing the poor in a safe community as opposed to generating profit for its owners.
Monroe’s housing projects are unique in the USA, a Bonafide point of pride. However, Parkview which houses the same social demographic is just the opposite.
Left to poor management, even gated communities of the affluent will become trouble spots of deterioration and unsafe living.
We think the Turrentines can do better and hopefully, they will.
