STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS FORM ALLIANCE
More than 27 neighborhood organizations throughout the City of St. Louis have formed the St. Louis Neighborhoods Alliance.
Initiated by citizens, this grassroots organization is intended to facilitate communications with each other and with city officials about issues and policies of common concern. This unique Alliance formed organically over the past 12- to 18 months as neighborhood leaders banded together to communicate effectively and jointly with policymakers.
Activists Found Each Other
Many of the neighborhood leaders who are part of the Alliance discovered their common agenda as the Board of Aldermen began to rewrite the rules for Short-Term Rentals and Liquor Licenses. Many members of this group believed (and still believe) that aldermen that City officials were placing the interests of corporate owners and businesses above the interests of residents.
These neighborhood leaders saw a pattern emerging where commercial interests -- ranging from corporate Short-Term Rental operators to Homeless Shelter Industry leaders -- were being empowered by stripping ordinary citizens of their voice and their rights to be involved.
The Passion for St. Louis Neighborhoods Grew
Alderman Alicia Sonnier, with full support from Board President Megan Green, began the effort to change St. Louis policy regarding the unhoused. St. Louisans became alarmed when the policies the Aldermen wanted to enact included:
Legalization of public urination and defecation
City designated ‘camping’ areas for the Unhoused
A requirement that the City provide facilities and security at Unhoused Camping Areas.
This stunning overreach by Sonnier and Green alarmed neighborhood leaders who quickly joined forces and worked to defeat the bill—successfully.
A tearful Sonnier pledged to come back to the Board of Aldermen with a new bill. And, she did.
Diminishing (Silencing?) Neighborhood Voices
This time Sonnier stripped the most salacious of provisions and focused on stripping the neighborhoods of their role in granting zoning changes by making changes to the Petition and Plat ordinances.
Simply stated, under current rules, if a group wants to acquire a property and change the zoning away from residential to group homes (homeless shelter, home for domestic violence survivors, half-way house for discharged prisoners—any group home), they must first obtain approving signatures from the surrounding neighborhood.
This provision forces providers to meet their potential neighbors and negotiate operating plans. As one shelter operator told us: “The process is difficult, and it should be.” In recent days, Sonnier is said to be negotiating with aldermen to find out how far she can weaken the Petition and Plat process and pass her bill.
Enter Mayor Jones and East-West Gateway
Earlier in July, Mayor Tishaura Jones announced that the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council would take the lead on organizing a regional summit on homeless policy. The summit, to be held in the Fall, was approved by Mayor Jones, County Executives Page and Ehlman and the other county leaders across the bi-state region.
Long-term observers know this is a major breakthrough. For nearly 40 years, St. Louis City alone has borne the costs (fiscal and social) of caring for homeless people. Now, finally, the region is coming together to discuss and formulate policy.
We need a pause
Alliance leaders were buoyed by the announcement of the Homeless Summit meeting. They issued a letter to all involved city officials asking them to “pause efforts to pass proposed legislation targeted at assisting unhoused people, and allow the process initiated by EWGC sufficient opportunity to develop.”
The Alliance’s letter went on to say, “Members of the Alliance share your concern about our unhoused neighbors and wish to see them get the assistance they need. We simply do not support taking important tools away from the rest of the community to accomplish that. There are other, better ways to achieve the desired outcome.”
Few responses
This letter was delivered to all of the Aldermen, Mayor Jones and President of the Board of Aldermen Megan Green. To date (two weeks later) only Aldermen Schweitzer, Browning and Cohn have acknowledged receipt. Alliance leaders tell us that they will continue with this fight.
