FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2000, 5:00 p.m. Co-Director Completes Deputy Training Program BARNES PLACE, ATLANTA, GA--Barnes Place Co-Directory Timothy State has completed the 12-hour training program to become a Neighborhood Deputy of Atlanta's Code Enforcement Office. Tim is now trained in identifying code violations and is empowered by the City of Atlanta to send a "Community Notice" as a friendly warning to the property owner. Tim will also join education efforts to inform the community on code and ordinance issues. In addition, he will now be able to sign his name with the suffix "N.D." for "Neighborhood Deputy". The title, however, did not come without Tim nearly being pelted with chicken wings for sharing his thoughts on Section 8 housing. In Thursday's training session, Ahmad, a representative from the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) was conducting a presentation on Section 8 Housing. He highlighted the requirements the AHA has for landlord participants, which includes at least an annual inspection and health and safety regulations stricter than Atlanta's codes and ordinances. The goal of Section 8 housing is to distribute economically-challenged individuals and families throughout the city where subsidies provide market-rate rents so clusters of low-income slums are avoided. With the AHA's inspections and strict regulations, the chances are significantly higher of a resident having a maintained Section 8 rental unit next door verses a rental unit in disrepair which is not in the program. The program provides anonymity so families and individuals don't suffer from the stigma of housing subsidies. Clarence, however, had a different perspective. He felt strongly about finding out which homes in his community were Section 8. "See, whats wes got to do is get does houses outta our neighborhood. They is the problem, and I wants to knows which homes are Section 8. Yah hear what I'm axing?" Ahmad instructed that no one with AHA would tell him which homes were Section 8. "Zat wood tote-ally defeat dee per-pose of dee program," he said. "Let me pood it dis way," Clarence continued, nose raising. "I've gots thirty years. Thirty years. Invested in my property. And I'm just trying to protects my interests." With that, Shakeesha, Tamika, and Larongalo jumped on the band wagon. "Yeah. They're the problem. We needs to get them out of our community." "They just need to goes somewhere else." "Why can'ts we just build a place for them to all go that's not in our neighborhood?" Tim's ears were turning red. Attempting to keep his cool in a room where he was the token representative of white Atlanta, he burst out, "Yah know, it's so interesting that when it comes to poor people, people in Section 8 housing, that we can all talk about them as if they are things and not people, like junked vehicles. 'Oh, well, let's just move them here.' 'Oh no, not in my backyard, we're not gonna have those kind.' Yah know, I thought this is a thought process our society threw out in the 1960s!" To say that went over like a lead brick would be an understatement. The room exploded in commotion. Clarence shot up, complimentary chicken wings flying, and pointed is finger straight at Tim like the Grim Reaper making his next purchase. "Oh no... Oh no... Yous not imply-en dat." "I hear's yah. I hear's yah," Tamika yelled as she realized she was on the wrong bandwagon and made an immediate attempt to get off. She waved her hands in the air, in the raise-the-roof formation. "But... its just bad, yah know? But I's hear yah." "Dee per-pose, dee per-pose is to inta-grate," said Ahmad. Shakeesha and Larongalo kept quite. "Dee per-pose is to inta-grate." The AHA rep thought the word 'inta-grate' would bring a sense of calm. The program coordinator, who had temporarily left the room, came running in. "All right! ALL RIGHT!" She yelled over all the side conversations that had erupted. "I'm so glad we're all pumped up about making our neighborhoods better!" She shook her booty bon-bon style as if that would catch everyone's attention. "That's just it, we're all going to get pumped up and we're gonna create change!" She waved her fist in the air. Silence was on the horizon. "What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? We're gonna create change! Woo-hoo! Change! Say it together! What are we gonna do? Create..." "Change" the room yelled in unison. Clarence sat down without taking his eye of Tim. "Say it louder!" "Change!!" With that episode, Tim kept his mouth shut for the remainder of the training session, and is now empowered to create change in Barnes Place's community of Home Park. --END--