>> Frederica: THIS IS A
SPECIAL WEEK FOR THOSE LIVING IN
THE BAYVIEW COMMUNITY OF
MADISON.
BY THE END OF THE MONTH, NEARLY
50 PEOPLE WILL BE LIVING IN NEW
APARTMENT MOMENTS AFTER YEARS OF
PLANNING AND FUNDRAISING.
"HERE & NOW" SPECIAL PROJECTS
JOURNALISTMURV SEYMOUR DESCRIBES
HOW THIS AFFECTS AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ACROSS THE STATE.
>> ALL THE HOUSING ON THE
TRIANGLE LIKE BAYVIEW'S IS
LOW-INCOME HOUSING.
>> Reporter: ON THE SOUTH SIDE
--
>> 50 YEARS OLD.
>> Ro>> Reporter: SITS A TINY
COMMUNITY REPRESENTING
DIVERSITY.
>> FOR 50 YEARS, A CENTER OF
QUIET PROMISE.
>> BAYVIEW HAS BEEN CULTURALLY
DIVERSE.
>> THIS IS AN AREA OF THE CITY
THAT USED TO BE ORIGINALLY TOW
TRUCK LANE, AND THEN IT BECAME
LATER ON LAND THAT WAS SETTLED
BY WAVES OF IMMIGRANTS,
ALBANIAENS, JEWISH PEOPLE,
ITALIANS, AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
>> MY PARENTS LIVED HERE BEFORE
I DID, MY NEIGHBOR'S PARENTS
DID, AND LANGUAGE IS A BARRIER,
BUT DOES NOT STOP RESIDENTS FROM
ENGAGING AND TALKING TO ONE
ANOTHER, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST
HAVING THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
>> BAYVIEW'S A PLACE I LOVE.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 18
YEARS.
>> Reporter: NINA AND JOHN ARE
LONG TIME BAYVIEW RESIDENTS.
BOTH SAY --
>> HERE, IT'S MORE THAN
TOWNHOMES, SIDE BY SIDE, MORE
THAN JUST BRICK BUILDINGS SIDE
BY SIDE, AND EVERYBODY KNOWS
EVERYBODY, THE PARENTS, THE
KIDS, THE GRANDCHILDREN.
>> WE LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
YOUR KIDS CAN GO OUT AND PLAY
WITHOUT YOU WORRYING OF ANYTHING
HAPPENING.
IT IS A PLACE THAT'S REALLY,
REALLY FREE, SAFE, AND IS SAFE
FOR FAMILIES.
>> WE HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY OF
PROVIDING HOUSING.
>> Reporter: THAT DIFFERENT
WAY ALSO PROVIDES --
>> JOB SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICE,
SOME HEALTH SERVICES, EDUCATION,
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BAYVIEW IS ONE
OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES
AROUND.
>> WAIT FOR FIVE, SIX YEARS
WAITING TO GET ONE APARTMENT
THAT'S AFFORDABLE.
>> BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING
IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS CLOSE TO
THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO
GET TO IS REALLY ESSENTIAL.
WE'RE LOCATED WITHIN A MILE OF
DOWNTOWN MADISON.
WE ARE ONLY BLOCKS AWAY FROM
CAMPUS.
WE ARE BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE BAY.
HERE, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO
TRANSPORTATION, JOBS, REALLY
GOOD SCHOOLS, BANKS, HEALTHCARE
FACILITIES, ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT ALL OF US NEED.
>> Reporter: ALSO KNOWN AS THE
GREEN BUSH COMMUNITY AND
NOWADAYS THE TRIANGLE BECAUSE OF
THE UNIQUE SHAPE OF THE BLOCK
WHERE IT SITS, THE SENSE OF
DIVERSITY HERE DATES BACK MORE
THAN 50 YEARS WHEN THE TRIANGLE
BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE.
BACK THEN, WHEN CITY LEADERS
CHOSE TO REBUILD THE AREA, IT
WOULD HAVE A DEVASTATING IMPACT
ON THIS MAINLY MINORITY
COMMUNITY.
>> I THINK THAT HISTORY ON THE
TRIANGLE IS ONE THAT, YOU KNOW,
IS REALLY COMPLICATED.
>> IN THE 1960s, THAT
BLOSSOMING, FRUITFUL, IMMIGRANT
AREA WAS DEVASTATED BY URBAN
RENEWAL.
MONEY WAS AVAILABLE TO CITIES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO REMOVE
URBAN BLIGHT.
HOMES WERE BOUGHT OUT, SELL OR
BE CONDEMNED OUT SO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD WAS TAKEN DOWN
WITHOUT REALLY CONSIDERING WHAT
WOULD HAPPEN TO THE RESIDENTS
WHO LIVED THERE.
PEOPLE WENT OUT TO SECURE
HOUSING, AND THERE WAS NOT MORE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE HAD.
THEY LIVED WITH RELATIVES.
THEY LIVED OUTDOORS.
SLEEPING IN WHAT'S NOW A PARK,
AND THEY LEFT THE COMMUNITY.
THEY TRIPLED UP AND RENTED
APARTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THEY SURVIVED.
NOT WELL.
AND NOT, PERHAPS, FAIRLY.
A GROUP OF ADVOCATES WHO HAVE AT
TIMES SAID, YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE
DOWN ALL THIS HOUSING WHERE
THESE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE ARE
LIVING.
WHERE WILL THEY GO?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CITY OF
MADISON?
>> Reporter: IT IS 2021,
GROUNDBREAKING DAY ON A
$55 MILLION RENEWAL EFFORT TO
FUND ACCESSIBLE APARTMENTS, NEW
TOWNHOMES, AND EXPANDED ARTS AND
RECREATION CENTER.
BAYVIEW WILL BE ABLE TO HOUSE
500 PEOPLE, 200 MORE THAN IT
CURRENTLY HOUSES.
CONSTRUCTION CREWS HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON THIS FOR MORE THAN A
YEAR NOW, AND ALMOST READY FOR
PEOPLE TO MOVE IN, BUT UNLIKE
THE PAST, THIS MODERN DAY
REDEVELOPMENT IS BEING DONE IN A
PROCESS CALLED "DESIGN JUSTICE"
MEANING WORK DONE HERE AT
BAYVIEW IS DONE WITH THE VOICES
AND VISIONS OF THE PEOPLE THAT
LIVE HERE AND NOT WITHOUT THEM.
>> I LIVED HERE FOR MANY, MANY
YEARS.
>> Reporter: JOHN TOOK PART IN
CEREMONIES THAT DAY, AND HE
COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT THE
TRANSFORMATION OF THE PLACE HE
CALLS HOME.
>> I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THIS
REDEVELOPMENT, THESE BUILDINGS
ARE VERY, VERY OLD.
>> ACROSS THE STATE, PEOPLE ARE
JUST BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND
THAT WHEN YOU REDEVELOP
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR HOUSING OF
ANY KIND, YOU REDEVELOP IT WITH
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, NOT
IN SPITE OF THEM, NOT WITHOUT
THEM.
FOR US, THAT MEANT HOLDING 25
COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN THREE
LANGUAGES.
WE'D SAY TO THE RESIDENTS, WHAT
ARE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT X?
THEY WOULD ANSWER IN THE
MEETING, 1, 2, AND 3, AND WE'D
SAY TO THE ARCHITECTS, DID YOU
HEAR THAT?
THEY SAID, 1, 2, 3, COME UP WITH
SOLUTIONS FOR 1, 2, 3, AND GET
BACK TO US.
>> THERE WAS BOOKLETS OF COLORS,
WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
THIS ONE?
HOW DO YOU WANT THE ROOF LINES
TO BE?
>> MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO
HAVE A VOICE.
>> INSTEAD OF BASEMENTS, WE ARE
MAKING PEOPLE'S LIVING SPACES
LARGER, CREATING MORE STORAGE
ROOMS THAT ARE EITHER IN
INDIVIDUAL APARTMENT UNITS OR IN
COMMON AREAS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SHARED SORT
OF LIBRARY OF TOOLS OR EVENT
SUPPLIES THAT PEOPLE CAN USE AND
SHARE IN THE FUTURE.
THE ARTS ARE A BIG PART OF OUR
HISTORY AND OUR FUTURE.
WE ARE PLANNING TO DOUBLE THE
SIZE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE
ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SPACES THAT
ARE CLASSROOMS THAT SERVE
SPECIFIC AGE GROUPS, SO WE'LL
HAVE A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, A
SPECIAL DEDICATED SPACE FOR
SENIORS AND ADULTS, FOR CAREER
DEVELOPMENT, FOR BUSINESS
PLANNING, AND WE'LL HAVE AN
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPACE THAT WILL
PROVIDE EARLY LEARNING
EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS PARENT
ENGAGEMENT CLASSES.
WITHOUT THIS KIND OF A MODEL OF
HOUSING, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE
END UP COMPLETELY STRETCHED AND
TAXED AND BE PAYING MORE THAN
50% OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT, SO
THEY WON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY
FOR CLOTHING, BOOKS, FOOD, ALL
OF THOSE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
>> PEOPLE NEED PLACES TO CALL
THEIR OWN, AND A ROOF OVER THERE
HEAD TO CONCENTRATE ON SIMPLE
THINGS LIKE WORK.
DAY CARE.
HEALTH.
>> WE ARE COMFORTABLE IN A PLACE
THAT'S CUTE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE
HAPPY.
>> Reporter: WITHOUT BAYVIEW,
THEY ARE NOT SURE WHERE THEY'D
CALL HOME.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHERE I WOULD BE
LIVING.
AS A FOREIGNER, I PROBABLY WOULD
BE STRANDED AND HOMELESS.
>> THAT IS A MODEL OF COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT, OF HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT, THAT THE ENTIRE
STATE WOULD BENEFIT FROM, AND IT
COULD HAPPEN WITH ALL DIFFERENT
TYPES OF COMMUNITIES.
I THINK IT IS ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT THAT IT HAPPENS IN
LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE ARE
TYPICALLY THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T
HAVE AS MUCH POWER, WHO ARE LEFT
OUT OF THE CONVERSATION.
>> Reporter: A CONVERSATION
HELPING TO CREATE STRONGER
HOUSING, HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY.
REPORTING FOR "HERE & NOW," I'M
MURV SEYMOUR.
>> Frederica: THE NEXT PHASE
OF CONSTRUCTING MORE HOMES AND
TOWNHOMES BEGINS NEXT MONTH.
THE BAYVIEW FOUNDATION IS
LOOKING TO RAISE $1.4 MILLION TO
COMPLETE THE ENTIRE
REDEVELOPMENT BY THE FALL OF
2024.
FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG