VOICES: Dayton tenants are the gems in oversight of the Gem City’s housing policy

It was the late 90s when I attended my very first workshop on asset-based community development (ABCD). That workshop has been pivotal to me in my work as a social worker in the way I perceive communities, their residents, and the potential for greatness that lies within them. Folks in our field know that social issues are mostly addressed by conducting “needs assessments” and the more of a social problem a community has, the more funding is often received and so on. The problem with this formula is that it can sometimes lead to seeing a community and its residents as “needy, deficient, or as a glass that is half empty”.

ABCD provides an alternative way for communities to solve social problems. Neighborhoods and residents are assessed for their “assets” or strengths, and they are organized and mobilized in a way that allows them to be a part of the answer to a community’s concerns. Residents are valued for their wisdom, resilience, creativity, ideas, and experience. They are included and consulted on how their community is best served and have leadership roles in community development and oversight of the policies affecting their communities.

One great example of a city that has done the hard, long work of embracing and embedding ABCD in its practices and policies is Cincinnati. In 2021, Cincinnati city council passed Ordinance no. 0358-2021 which includes the statement, “Whereas this Council acknowledges that those affected by local government decisions should have the opportunity to participate in an engagement process“. Today, the city has 35 boards and commissions with a number of them having citizen representation. Each board has the requirements outlined and citizens can apply to be a member from the Engage Cincy website.

Now that Issue 6 has passed, it’s time for the conversation about the role of Dayton tenants on the city’s housing policy steering committee to reconvene. I have been a witness to the effects of inadequate, unsafe and non-affordable housing on Dayton’s tenants’ health. Tenants of the Gem City need to be seen by the City of Dayton’s administration as the gems in improving the lives of Dayton renters by having a leadership role in the oversight of the funds raised by the income tax just passed. Perhaps the city commission could start with passing an ordinance like Cincinnati, outlining the city’s commitment to citizen engagement.

Dayton tenants deserve to be a part of the process of addressing Dayton’s housing situation.

Jennifer Zapadka is a graduate student at Our Lady of the Lake University Worden School of Social Work and has worked in Dayton as a medical social worker since 2015.

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About the Author

Jennifer Zapadka