HiA travels to Newark

It was an early morning for tired fellows as we were out the door by 7 am on our way to Newark, NJ. Friday was our first “field trip” day, which took us on a tour of the problems and challenges Newark is facing as a city.

After breakfast, which was provided for us by the Community Development Corporation, Bob Curvin, who has been active in Newark politics since the 1960’s lectured us on the city’s political history. The issues which shape Newark today are the result of racist policies, government corruption, and weak government structures all dating far back in Newark’s history. In examining the city’s flaws, it is important to also remember its assets, which included location in a wealthy district, well developed public transportation, and proximity to New York City. As Bob stated,” Newark is a representation of urban problems in American society.” The city is big enough to be urban but small enough to manage its issues. While it is the largest city in NJ, the city is small, covering only 24 square miles. The city is one of the few in the nation which is decreasing in population since the 1960’s. Like many US cities, it experienced White flight in the 1960’s, and has transitioned from being a mainly white city to being mostly black. Now, once again it is dealing with issues of gentrification as whites return to this city 50 years later.

One of Newark’s key issues is housing. Zoning within the city enforced racist and anti-urban policies, allowing for suburban sprawl and limiting urban growth. This combined with corrupt and classist city policies have made for difficulty the housing market. This leads us to our next lecture.

Sub-prime mortgages presented a challenge, as the mortgage market is complex and not easy to understand. Housing scholar David Stathe gave a clear presentation which brought some clarity. This issue is particularly relevant in light of the current mortgage crisis.

A sub-prime mortgage is a loan that begins with a very low initial interest rate. However, after a period of 1-2 years this rate dramatically balloons, often from 1-2% to 8-9%. In addition, the additional interests from the first two years must be paid as well. Originally these loans were designed for housing investors, now they are often the only loans those with bad credit can get. Often the end result is that these mortgages affect minorities and the poor most seriously. When home owners default on their loans, the bank repossesses the house, which becomes abandoned, bringing down the value of all the houses in the neighborhood. In recent years as the economy has struggled, more people are defaulting on their loans. In Newark 6,000 household out of 100,000 have been displaced this year, causing neighborhoods to suffer from blight and decreasing property values of neighbors.

After a delightful lunch, we were bused to City Hall for a meeting with Cory Booker’s staff. We were lectured on the mayor’s new campaign to transform Newark into a leading city. American’s leading urban city in safety, prosperity and nurturing family life. Michelle Thomas, the Business Administrator, discussed the city’s safety concerns. This conversation, continued by Chief of Police, Anthony Campos, detailed the “Quality of Life” statue, under which police can stop any citizen for a quality of life violation such as biking on the sidewalk or jumping a turnstile. The philosophy, copied from New York is that by stopping someone early you will prevent that individual from committing more serious crimes. Some of the fellows took issue with this policy, as it would seem easily exploitable, but Campos states that the program has been successful in reducing street violence, locking up “dangerous criminals” and improving police image on the streets.

Melvin Waldrop, Neighborhood Services coordinator, considered his department’s values as safety, respect, ethics, quality of service and continuous improvement. Working with issues such as trash removal and property maintenance, Walthrop assesses his performance by the work done, the quality and quantity of such work, and the effect his work has on the community. Arcelio Aponte who works in management and economic development spoke about developing the assets of the city. He saw the city’s problems as high unemployment, low wages and low home ownership. These problems could be solved in part through city planning of business and residential areas and through re-entry programs for prison inmates. In addition, he sought to bring various city departments into collaboration for the use of their resources.

After such a long day of lectures, we were taken on a driving tour of Newark lead by Bob Curvin, ending at his house, for a fantastic dinner and conversation with Bob, his wife, children, and two of his grandchildren.


Amy and Jan