GENTRIFICATION OF PORTLAND AND MUNJOY HILL....

For my interview I decided to talk with my in-laws. Two people who grew up in Portland, lived in many apartments in Portland and on Munjoy hill, which is now one of the most desirable places to live in Portland Maine.

When I asked "What’s one thing you’ve learned about - gentrification/homelessness/home/community/people - from your experience(s), my in laws shared stories of their struggles growing up in Portland, how they lived in the poor parts of Portland. They shred that they never really had to worry about their kids being out on the streets playing because everyone new one another and would call if the kids were seen misbehaving. They shared that they rented an apartment for next to nothing by standards back then, today they said you pay more for you oil than you do the rent back in the days. They commented that they never really saw homeless people on the streets, maybe a handful, but not nearly to the extent that you do now in Portland. They commented that when they were just married living in Portland that they once took in a friend who was facing homelessness, helped him until he could get back on his feet- "today you don't see much of the same generosity, its more about what can I get out of this, and how soon can you pay me back?"  

They shared that disgusted to see the changes that are taking place in Maine, and in Portland. "Every town is facing gentrification, its not just Portland or Munjoy hill, but here as well." When they lived on Munjoy hill it was not the desirable place to live, the working poor lived there and places were run down, needed fixing, but you could easily find an affordable apartment, today they are few and far between. 

 They shared that even small one bedrooms are over a thousand dollars these days in Portland, efficiency apartments as well, you don't have parking or any grass in your yard. 

We drove down their old road in Portland as we talked about the changes that were taking place. Their old apartment was still there, and didn't look much different than when they lived in it over 20 years ago, just some new paint. We looked the apartment up in Zillow... 

21 May St, Portland, ME 04102

6 beds 2 baths 2,447 sqft

Zestimate^®: $362,049

Rent Zestimate^®: $2,114/mo

Est. Refi Payment

$1,341/mo

This 2447 square foot single family home has 6 bedrooms and 2.0 bathrooms. It is located at 21 May St Portland, Maine. 2 unit home with lot size 3,620 sqft. Built in 1875. 2 stories, room count:10.

Their first thoughts were that they wondered what this would mean for all those who can not afford the housing rates. For them, they had to move out of Portland and since been forced further and further away making access to services and commute difficult. My father in law, a Vietnam War Veteran says that he remembers going down to the pier with my husband and fishing off the docks, remembers taking the kids sledding over by the hospital and many other fun adventures that you can no longer do because the land is now all private, or have since had a building put on it. 

As we drove through Portland they shared more and more stories about their past growing up in Portland and having children. My husband who was in the car with me shared his own stories and memories of growing up in Portland- things he did that we could/would never dream of letting our own children do. He recalls leaving the house at the break of dawn and not returning until lunch time, riding his bike all over town with his friends, he recalls being about 7 years old doing this. He commented that there is no way we could feel comfortable letting out children do that, in Portland or many other towns in Maine now, there's too many people who may harm them or take them- something my mother in law says she never needed to worry about.

The information kept coming as we drove around Portland, driving up on Munjoy hill they shared more stories of sledding in the winter down the road. Neighbors were all friendly and would watch out for your children and how everyone knew one another. Something that is much different today! 

We drove through areas that my in laws said was all old stores, buildings that have since been torn down and in place are apartment buildings, new places that look "fancy, nothing like what you saw when we lived here."

It was so great to just sit back and hear the three of them talking about old times, and how much Portland has changed. After I asked that first question they just took it from there, they shared stories, reminisced in the past, and sad to see how those who can not afford the now "luxury" apartments that stand where the working class once lived, they worried about how families like ours can afford to live these days, and worried more for the future of this state, for us and our kids. 


I decided to look for other evidence of gentrification for this post, as I was searching I was amazed to find video of store owners, tenants talk about "the crime that was once known on Munjoy hill, how you don't see that now, that it is a nice neighborhood and somewhere you want to live." I thought more about the people who are being pushed out, raising prices of apartments and homes, families who once lived on Munjoy hill because to the work on the docks and water that the area brought. I thought about the homeless who are being arrested, push around, and left with nothing as the rich move in and buy the land, apartments and increase the cost of living in Portland. I though about the homeless who used to camp out in the wooded areas that have since lost all covering from trees and exposed and fined for camping out. I think about how there is little land available to purchase and the cost in hundreds of thousands of dollars, that organizations that want to buy land to help the poor/homeless are unable to do so. 
My interview with my in laws took much longer than the 15 minutes, but I had to only ask that one question. I want to know more. I wanted to know about their personal experiences and struggles, about what it was like to live in Portland during that time, and their own struggles over the years and the choices they have made along the way. I didn't go there this time. I just sat there and enjoyed seeing them interact the way that they did, talking about the old times, laughing and smiling about experiences they had and times they spent together having fun in Portland. I saw a joy in them that I had not seen for a while, a connection between the three of them that has been missing for so long. I did not want to rob them of that moment, by talking more about struggles and unpleasant memories.

I found this great video from Down East Maine, the writer says exactly what is happening in Portland, and does not sugar coat it at all! She talks about growing up in Portland and the changes that have and are taking place, and what we are to expect for the future!

 

 

 

 

Wealth Inequality in America

 The other fact that I was thinking about was the wealth inequality of America- and remembered a video I saw last week at the Maine Equal Justice Partners Training in Augusta. I though it would be important to share here as we talk about inequality of people, and how the wealthy are able to come in and purchase land, remodel apartments and houses in Portland, as the working poor, middle class are pushed out and unable to compete with the wealthy to purchase homes and land in Portland.

Weekly Observations: 
1. As a friend of mine were sitting at a local restaurant I over heard a women from the table next to us talking about buying property in Portland, renovating it, and renting it out for more than the mortgage as a income property.  
2. As part of my project for my policy class I am looking at policies that are in place for homeless youth in foster care. I came across a housing voucher that is available to youth in foster care and emailed Jon from Preble Street to ask how many youth are using this voucher. The response was shocking- none, (yes there is more back story) but no youth in foster care are using this voucher....

 
   References: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHY9qxzCkQg
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/21-May-St-Portland-ME-04102/121781805_zpid/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxOphY5MQyg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAxfEbYRkA8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM

STORIES....RESEARCH AND ACTION...

 
This weeks reading really hit home with me. I attended a training this past weekend for New Leaders Council of Maine (NLC) and an activity that we did was called "The Story of Me." An activity that we worked on throughout the day was getting to know ourselves- looking and thinking about ourselves. Where we come from. We took a self-evaluation of our goals, values, where were were in our relationships with others and our personal values and goals, and examining our "core identity." Our core identity incorporates the external and internal elements such as our history; circumstances; relationships; needs; strengths and passions. "Our personal history is our life story, through our personal narrative. It encompasses where we come from,our experiences, and what we have done with our lives.... It may sound easy to think about this, but precious few of us mine the chapters of our personal story to inform and enrich our days"(Gergen,Vanourek, p. 60 ). The activity was to take some time and draw, write or express however we chose, our life story/personal history. We were to focus on the key highlights from "each chapter of our lives- including both high points and significant changes." We had a stock card and we could create a visual representation of our personal history. The activity did not need to be a timeline, but rather it should be something that is meaningful to us and we could interpret it easily later. After the time allotted we were to meet in small groups, our partners for the remainder of our training (6 months), and share our live stories.

For me this was terrifying, my life history is at times dark, sad, EMOTIONAL! I really had to overcome my emotions and fears and trust this group of strangers and share my "visual representation" with them. After sharing with the group we needed to pick one person from our group to share with the rest of the larger group...of course the group nominated me, I did not choose. Reluctant and terrified, I agreed.  I found power, strength and the ability to share my life story (or Life Journey as I called it) with 30 other strangers.

 I started with my birth, significant enough.... my parent divorcing when I was three, the judge ruling that I should live with my father (the biggest mistake any judge could have made) and the abuse.... I shared with this group of stranger the key moment in my life, being taken by the state (willingly) and placed into foster care. I shared with the group policies that were in place then that I had the chance to help work on to reform, while in care to make changes for future youth in foster care, such as sibling rights to be placed into a foster home together, have visitations, a relationship with siblings and relatives of your biological/original family; recent legislation of supporting youth in care for post-secondary education through a grant program that LePage of all people is supporting and funding.

 I shared with them good times in high school running track and cross country, having dreams of going to the Olympics, (yes I was young and had big dreams the same as every other child!), holding records to this day in my high school and here at USM.  I shared getting pregnant at a young age, a year and a half into college, dropping out of college,giving up on my dreams of running track, and coming back to college a few times in between children. I shared moving over 40 times in my life, living in 4 different foster homes, being homeless, a single mother, couch surfing with a baby. Getting married, having two other children, my husband adopting my daughter as his own. Our struggles and experiences as a military family, coming back to college at the age of 30, finishing my BSW and now in my MSW program. I shared new adventures I'm taking, new opportunities I'm passionate about; reconnecting with old friends; repairing old relationships; dreams for the future and questions of where I may go next.  I shared it all with these strangers, for the first time I had the strength, power and support of others to share some "deep shit" and it felt scary and great all at the same time.


So as I read for this week it got me passionate more about collecting stories of other youth in care, their struggles, their triumphs, their dreams and policies and changes still needed to be made so that they too have the strength and support in their lives. I met with a fellow colleague at Muskie yesterday to make my passions part of the work we are doing here in class, I presented my idea to him to collaborate with Preble, Transitional Living Program, DHHS and other homeless shelters/organizations in Maine to look at policies, whats working, whats not, and to collect stories from youth in care and former youth in care about their life journeys, their struggles and triumphs and use it as a bases for my class project for this class and my policy project, and much more- a work of my life passion, Youth in Care! He agreed and now I start a bigger project than I anticipated, but because I am passionate about this it does not scare me, it empowers me to do more, envision more and except nothing but progressive movement for youth in care.

The readings for this week and the NLC training really got my blood flowing in so many ways, looking at oppression, racism, sexism, poverty, homelessness and the list can go on. I looked at other work that is being done with digital storytelling and it inspired me for this project. I found a few really great videos I wanted to share with you, movements that are being started and other creative ways of expression. After expressing my passions, life journey with strangers, I started thinking, "how can I do something spectacular for youth in care?" I found some poetry slam that really inspired me as well thinking we could do this as well...

Here I found a animated story... 



 Poetry and poetry Slams:



Resources:
http://storycorps.org/animation/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhsajKsmj44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etrSO53RoLU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyhSxOeNdR0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9XoY2Paux0

Lambert, J. (2013). Digital Storytelling, Capturing Lives, Creating Community. New York: Routledge.

Knight, K., Schwarzman, M., & Others (2006).  Beginner’s guide to community-based arts. New Village Press: Oakland, CA.   

Gergen, C., Vanourek, G., (2008).  Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA.