Newark Major Crowding Issue (Wilmington: apartment complex, foreclosure, condo)

[Revellanotvanella]

The apartments I live in I have lived in for 7 years and me and my boyfriend have made a family beginning two years ago.

There is such a limited amount of low-income housing available (A bunch of condo's being built as we speak)I think, because Newark refuses to acknowledge these people that theirs a major crowding issue. Now Main Street --the main Campus life attraction--is supposedly coming expanding to Elkton Rd--more merchants--and less room for the people who cant afford these costly prices. After our apartments were renovated we got tricked into believing it was becoming a family residence as in the past it was mostly older college students and professors, and just five months after renovations ended all these handicapped, mentally handicapped people and homeless people were moved into our apartment complex!!!

We are fuming because we were not informed of these plans and were even given previous compensation to move out and would of did so if they were honest. STill, even that said, finding affordable, clean, legitimate housing for a family of 4 is very hard to do in Newark Delaware. One guy sits outside everyday facing his door and just swings his head back in forth and thats scary when you have kids. Yea, they say they have all been screened but who is keeping track of these tenants to make sure their keeping on their medications (a serious issue for the mentally impaired) and not going to lose sight of reality one day. What about sexual predators who somehow evaded the sexual predator registry and passed a screening??

While this is not the whole issue, Newark does not have a legitimate Housing Authority like most cities do and this needs to be addressed. Me and my boyfriend have moved to New Jersey for a couple years and then to Wilmington, DE and we still came back because Newark is home to us. This is where we made a life together. Me, personally, I love the library and a big supporter there, the diversity, and where I live, its quiet. I still love taking trips to Trolley Square and the zoo park with my kids but there is such a difference. As a young mother of two girls there is fun in just walking Main Street or around town because the nice exchanges, you can easily spark a conversation, the Learning Station, the Paper Mill Park (hiking up it in the summer!), the Resevior. Its special and even now, I am afraid Newark is going to change alot with the entire line of Elkton Road under construction (The Bombay burned down and demolished, a big chunk of elkton). Im hoping city officials will take into account these people as the rise of foreclosure is sure to add numbers.

[anniebleu]

I'm not trying to downplay your concerns, but I recall a conversation I overheard once. A man was worried about a new home for people suffering from mental illness that had been located in his neighborhood. The person he was conversing with, who had long worked in the mental health field, pointed out that, statistically, if you compare houses of the same size, one filled with college kids and one filled with people receiving treatment for mental illness, there are substantially more violent incidents in the college kids' house.

Many Delawareans have been distressed by the terrible troubles at the one and only state hospital. It sounds as if Newark is, at least, trying to address some of the problems of this population that suffers so.

Perhaps, if you ask some questions, some of your concerns may be relieved. It seems likely that the people living in your apartment community have case workers checking on them to see how they're doing.

Best to you.

[Revellanotvanella]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

Many Delawareans have been distressed by the terrible troubles at the one and only state hospital. It sounds as if Newark is, at least, trying to address some of the problems of this population that suffers so.

Perhaps, if you ask some questions, some of your concerns may be relieved. It seems likely that the people living in your apartment community have case workers checking on them to see how they're doing.

Best to you.

Yea, and it feels like a hard place to be in. Because I know the situations of the state hospitals and I would love for the entire complex to be these people but the problem is there is not alot to offer in Newark as far as apartments go for families in that area. If we were told of the situation that would arise we would of moved because they compensated us for moving (for renovations).

[anniebleu]

If you weren't given any information at all about the change, and if it's a very substantial change, that's wrong, of course. What percentage of the apartments are now occupied by those with handicaps?

Regarding your concerns about possible sexual predators: I do hope you're not lumping in the mentally ill with this group, because at least as I understand it, sexual predators are seldom classified as mentally ill. That's why they go through trials and are incarcerated. Some very nice neighborhoods, with upscale housing, have their share of sex predators.

[Revellanotvanella]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

If you weren't given any information at all about the change, and if it's a very substantial change, that's wrong, of course. What percentage of the apartments are now occupied by those with handicaps?

Regarding your concerns about possible sexual predators: I do hope you're not lumping in the mentally ill with this group, because at least as I understand it, sexual predators are seldom classified as mentally ill. That's why they go through trials and are incarcerated. Some very nice neighborhoods, with upscale housing, have their share of sex predators.

Well, ever since they completely stripped down the apartment complex the office says that they have struggled to bring in people because potential tenants had the idea that there had been a fire and thats why they could not bring anybody in. Well, theres one side of the apartments that goes down about 4 blocks, my side, and then the other side goes down equally (stopping a little short of our side), but in the middle of the opposite side of me there is a courtyard section. The courtyard seems to be doing alright, I mean, I do see a few people coming in and out but its certainly not like before.

The new people they are moving in are occupying the very front of these apartments, then skip the courtyard (for now) and then theres the last end of that side that is COMPLETELY empty that is RIGHT across from our building (because theres a house right at the end that becomes a residential circle). We are concerned because that is the only place they could go and from talking with the office their is no chance that they won't. The side were on was the first side to fill up because the other side was still under construction, so basically its all the previous tenants (with some of the new occupying the very front,). All the buildings are 1 and 2 bedrooms.

I didn't mean to imply that mentally impaired people are sexual predators. It is a mix of homeless tenants and mentally impaired. This issue is personal to me because as a victim of a sexual predator I believe it is my duty to look out for my kids as much as I can. Even if its just for their physical safety. But yes, medication issues do come to mind because I know from other people that medication is very important and often it is a stuggle to keep them on it. I do hear there is nurses that attend to all of them periodically which does provide some relief. We were told they were from a state agency I guess from Wilmington.

Go to myspace.com and type in: "revellanotvanella" into the browser.