Newark & NIMBY

Don’t take NIMBY for granted.

Last week I was asked to do a brief presentation at a hearing in conjunction with a program that lets people rejoin their families into housing run by the Newark (DE) Housing Authority upon being released from incarceration. It’s part of a statewide program called the Family Reentry Pilot program. Its a small program and, in terms of reentry housing, has far fewer logistical hurdles than other reentry housing.

But nonetheless, there was concern in Newark (home of UD and my office which has sat empty since March) that the public was not adequately informed about this project. This had ominous tones of NIMBY to it, which left me agreeable yet nervous toward accepting NHA Director Marene Jordan’s invitation to give an “expert” and outsider assessment of the program. I prepared for things to get ugly.

The hearing was held via Zoom. I did my little piece, others from the State housing authority and corrections department also spoke. Then the public comments started to come in. Maybe 15 of them. And lo and behold, all but one of them were supportive. Newark residents concerned enough to speak up in this hearing recognized the importance of housing to successful transition into the community and reducing reincarceration. I felt pleasantly surprised and proud of the city to which I hope once again to commute to sometime in the future.

The Newark Post write up gives more detail about the hearing here. I imagine a world in which all public hearings for reentry housing go this way.