After work Friday, I attended a graduation ceremony for a group of young people who spent the summer as Fellows of the CORO Center for Civic Leadership.
The focus of the 2008 Community Problem Solving Fellowship was Homewood, and they asked to interview me. We met one morning at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA and they peppered me with questions. Toward the end, one of the questions was something like, "What can we do to help Homewood?"
"Move here," I answered.
Homewood may need a lot of things, but one of the things it needs most, like the City of Pittsburgh itself, is new residents. Not to displace the current residents, but to help fill up the vacancy.
But folks generally don't move to a neighborhood to meet that neighborhood's need; they move there to meet their own.
Which raises the question, "Why would anyone move to Homewood?"
When I moved to Homewood in January 1984, it was because the apartment I found in Homewood was the first one I could afford.
Is there anyone out there who has moved to Homewood within the past five years? If so, why did you move there? Or, if you've been in Homewood for longer than five years, why are you staying?
The Fellows concluded that economic redevelopment is key to Homewood's future, and that entrepreneurship, folks starting businesses, is key to economic redevelopment. As opposed to, say, trying to attract a mega-business.
Does Homewood have the entrepreneurs needed to fuel economic growth? Or do we need to import them? What do you think?
NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Antoine L. Smith was acquitted of homicide charges in the death of George Caldwell.
P.S.: If any of you in the Ninth District have concerns or questions for Council, but are unable to attend Thursday's meeting, you can express them here. I will attend the meeting and attempt to raise those concerns and questions.
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Posted
Aug 12 2008, 02:32 AM
by
Elwin Green