Built to Last: First Suburbs Fights to Keep the Inner Ring Thriving

It's a pretty powerful thing to be in a room with 200 like-minded people, as I found myself in while attending the First Suburbs meeting on Thursday night, April 29.  First Suburbs is a non-profit advocacy group that focuses on issues facing the inner-ring suburbs (literally, the "First" Suburbs) and advocates to make their issues a priority for our elected officials.   
 
First Suburbs focuses on Housing, Infrastructure, and School Funding, since Federal and State policies on these issues tend to favor (and financially benefit) the newer, farther-out suburbs. By promoting the sprawl of these new suburbs, these policies deplete the resources of the older communities that make up the inner-ring suburbs. 

What I find most interesting at these meetings is the tenacity of the First Suburbs membership. Their questions are direct and to the point, they present their issues clearly, and they are not the least bit shy when asking invited politicians to support their agenda. Usually, a politician's choice not to attend a First Suburb meeting in the first place speaks volumes. If you are a smart politician and disagree with the group's policy points, you're probably not going to show up at the event anyway. 

 
Nonetheless, below is a summary of some of the question and answer sessions between these parties at last night's meeting:
 
 
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Question on Housing presented to Diane Lello, Acting Regional Director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and John Pickett, Executive Director of the Delaware County Office of Housing and Community Development
 
QUESTION: Will you both work with the First Suburbs Project to make housing equity and mobility a priority in Delaware and Chester Counties by convening representatives of the Housing Authorities to: 1) Explore ways to use existing programs to promote housing choice and mobility, and 2) propose new ways to promote housing choice and mobility including a joint application to HUD for any new programs designed to increase housing choice for low income and families with special needs? 
 

Further, as we explore existing programs we need to look at how the current fair market rent calculations are reducing choice and mobility for section 8 voucher holders. We believe that can and should be changed. Will the HUD office agree to review how the fair market rent is calculated so as to better promote mobility and freedom of choice? 

ANSWER: Yes.

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Question on Infrastructure presented to State Senator Ted Erickson and Representatives Ronald Waters and Bryan Lentz
 
QUESTION: Will you work with First Suburbs to build support with the legislative representatives on the PENNVEST board to create a separate “fix it first” funding mechanism for sewers within PENNVEST?
 
ANSWER: Yes.

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Question on Education presented to State Senator Ted Erickson and Representative Ronald Waters and Senator Anthony WIlliams (via Rep. Waters)
 
QUESTION: Can we count on you to be champions for our school districts and work with us to:
 
- challenge efforts to weaken the formula in ways that undermine our communities?

- advocate to improve the formula so that is also addresses the costs of special education?

- advocate to make sure we have an adequate level of funding without taxing our communities out of existence?

ANSWER: Yes.

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I'm fully aware that there are probably not any elected officials that would come to the First Suburbs meeting and answer “no” to questions like those posed above. However, as someone in the audience with many of those same concerns, I found it very encouraging to hear affirmative answers from the officials present at the meeting. Straight answers are usually a rarity among elected officials, aside from a select few, often at a very local level. And while the succinct Yes/No answers can turn to convoluted grey areas in many instances, last night I heard nothing but resounding a "Yes" in all of their answers. 

I would like to give an big "atta boy" to the politicos that showed up last night. It took courage and conviction, and I really respect that. Nonetheless, I do wonder why a lot of other regional officials that represent constituents in the inner-ring suburbs were not there. Noticeably missing were State Senator Dominic Pileggi, State Representative Nick Micozzie, and State Representative William Adolph. I do realize and understand that our elected officials have a long list of groups that request their attendance and plenty of work to do, but I come from the “must be willing to move a mountain" crowd. So while the three named above probably had a legitimate reason not to be there last night, I do hope that by not being there, they now have an even better reason to be there next time. 

As for me, I can't wait until the next First Suburbs event. I am thrilled that I went last night, and was pleased to see that the meeting was so well organized and ended up being a productive experience for all involved. It is very reassuring to know that the First Suburbs organization, with its massive support, is actually having a positive impact on our inner-ring communities.

Line up your friends for next time! If you are interested in joining a group of folks who love their homes and communities as much as you do at the next First Suburbs meeting, please call or email me.