Activists are more than happy to spend money on their pet projects. That money, however, isn’t their own—it comes from taxpayers. So, it is quite easy for them to put your money where their mouth is. An organization in Portland, Taking Ownership, is putting its money and efforts where its mouth is.
Taking Ownership is a non-profit that helps low-income blacks in gentrifying neighborhoods. Volunteers provide time and money to repair and maintain homes with the goal of helping older residents remain in their home and avoid displacement. The group has a growing list of volunteers and contractors who repair rotting decks, sagging roofs, failing plumbing, and much more. Rather than demand that others finance their social goals, the organization is, as its name implies, taking ownership of its ideas.
Many housing advocates call for coercive measures to combat displacement. They advocate forcing developers to include below-market rate housing in exchange for permission to proceed with a project. They call for government to require developers to negotiate with community groups and satisfy the demands of those groups. They want rent control to limit increases in rent. They want to use the coercive power of government to achieve what they could not attain through voluntary means.
In contrast, Taking Ownership is a non-coercive, voluntary way to avoid displacement. The group has helped more than fifty homeowners and has a waiting list of more than one hundred. It has raised over $500,000 and has a list of 250 volunteers, including licensed contractors.
Those who truly want to reduce displacement, or correct any perceived social ill, should take a lesson from Taking Ownership. Those who care about an issue should be willing to put their money where their mouth is.