April 30, 2009. Evansville Courier & Press.
Evansville’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund got a boost Thursday night when Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel pledged to commit $1 million in city funding to the cause.
The mayor made the commitment in front of about 900 members of Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment (CAJE), a grass-roots group of 11 congregations focused on social justice issues.
The members gathered at St. Benedict Cathedral for their annual action assembly, in which CAJE presses public officials for specific commitments to address community issues.
At this year’s meeting, the focus was on two issues: affordable housing and public transportation.
CAJE first considered the housing issue in 2007. The transportation issue is new for the group this year.
Evansville established a housing trust fund several years ago with $1 million from Casino Aztar revenues. That money has been spent, CAJE officials said, and since then the trust fund has sat idle.
At the meeting, Weinzapfel promised the city will contribute $500,000 both in 2010 and 2011 to the fund.
All of that money will be used for housing for people living at or below 50 percent of median income.
The mayor also pledged the city will work with CAJE to identify additional funding sources, with an ultimate goal of finding $2 million per year for the trust fund; and that he would work with CAJE and Vanderburgh County officials to seek county funding for the cause.
Weinzapfel told the group the city is committed to providing more affordable housing, and he challenged those present to also do their part.
“We recognize that there’s a lot more to be done, but it’s not just government that can do it,” the mayor said.
On CAJE’s second target issue, public transportation, the meeting was not as successful.
Over the past several months, CAJE members have met with representatives from the Metropolitan Evansville Transportation System and the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization as well as elected officials, area employers and others.
But no one from METS was present at the meeting to hear CAJE press its case for improved public transportation. However, Tom Barnett, executive director of the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization, was present.
The Rev. Jay Davidson, a member of CAJE’s executive committee, said he was disappointed but not discouraged that no one from METS accepted CAJE’s invitation to the meeting.
Davidson reminded the crowd that CAJE had a similar experience when it first proposed a dental clinic for those in need.
The group continued to press the issue, and a dental clinic opened in 2006.
“Hang in there with us — we will succeed,” Davidson told the group.
