By Eric Curl
While Savannah Agenda is meant to be locally focused, this new feature gives me an excuse to write about places I’m visiting and post photos I took along the way. It’s enlightening to see the local issues other communities are facing, how much they have in common with Savannah, and how government leaders and activists go about addressing the challenges. After attending an friend’s wedding in Hot Springs, NC, I made my way to Asheville, where I’m being cooled by the mountain breeze and the steep inclines are doing a number on my knees.
Similar to Savannah, Asheville is experiencing an affordable housing crisis. On May 10, the city council considered support for an affordable housing project in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville. As the city of Savannah is doing, Asheville is looking to boost the chances of some affordable housing getting some low-income tax credit assistance.
Of note: According to 2020 Census estimates, white folks make up almost 83 percent of Asheville’s population while Black residents make up only 11 percent. Yet in 2020, residents elected the city’s first all female city council, three of whom are black (43 percent of the council) – another first for the city.
Also noteworthy, in 2020 the Asheville City Council passed a resolution supporting community reparations for Black Asheville. The resolution calls for the city manager to, “establish a process within the next year to develop short, medium and long term recommendations to specifically address the creation of generational wealth and to boost economic mobility and opportunity in the black community.” The initiative may be worth paying attention to, considering the Savannah’s racial equity task force (remember it?) recently reported:
- 30% of the households of color have a net worth of zero
- 25.6% of Savannah families of color live in income poverty
- 7.8% of all workers of color in Savannah are unemployed as compared to their white counterpart at 5.1% and as compared to the state rate of 3.7%.
- African-Americans unemployment rate is 12.5%.
- 38.6% of the people of color in Savannah are homeowners as compared to their white counterparts of 50.8%
- 75% of the families living in poverty are led by African-American Single Females.
So … on a lighter note, Asheville’s city hall is having some issues with its historic elevators and they are set to be replaced (A friend and I apparently got to take one of what will be the last rides in the historic lift, which includes a crank the elevator guy spun when he took us up to the top floor and back. This too has been a common issue with Savannah’s City Hall’s elevator, which seemed to be undergoing maintenance a majority of the time I was working as a city reporter.
A little fun: Asheville has a dog park/bar where children are not allowed called Wag Bar. Why does Savannah not have this?
That’s it for this, the first edition of “Everywhere is local somewhere”. I should be back writing from and about Savannah again by Friday, while nursing my sore knees and calf muscles. Thanks for staying engaged. – Eric
If you find value in this website, please consider contributing via Paypal below to help cover the costs ($2 suggested contribution per story). You can also send contributions via Venmo @Eric-Curl and via CashApp at $ECrl77. Your support, no matter how much you give, is appreciated and will help ensure the future viability of this community resource.
#StayEngagedSavannah