Issue #76, July/August, 1994

In This Issue

"Normally," says Andrew Cuomo, "when you did community development, you had to build housing the way HUD said, and then you had to come up with a job training program the way DOL said, and then you had to come up with an income supplement program the way HHS said, and you had to make them all fit. It's not the way you would have done it, but that's the way you had to do it because that's how the money came."

The government is finally taking steps to provide a structure for community organizations to attack problems with comprehensive action. This issue of Shelterforce offers observations and recommendations on the nature of such action. Janice Litwin, Janet Lansberry, William Slotnik and John Vaughn illustrate how comprehensive strategies make for effective community development. In a companion article, they describe how to get the most out of technical assistance to become a truly effective organization.

Two groups that have rarely joined issues – environmentalists and housing advocates – can find common ground in energy policy and low-income housing. These two movements are beginning to unite, being led by the environmental justice movement. Roger Colton shows how energy policy hurts the poor and how to improve it. Raymond Lau shows how low-income housing developers and managers can understand the need for, and practically implement, energy saving activities.

Comprehensive solutions demand involved communities. W. Dennis Keating reviews two books – The Rebirth of Urban Democracy and Streets of Hope – that "shed considerable light" on the efforts and abilities of communities to become empowered to change their destiny. One sad note: the book Streets of Hope was co-authored by Peter Medoff, the director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. Medoff died recently of AIDS. Medoff truly left the world a better place than it was when he found it. His presence is missed by all his friends, colleagues and neighbors.