Greta J. Harris: Keeping Richmond’s character will require embracing change
In a year where affordable housing is expected to dominate the conversation in Richmond, bold choices will be needed to keep Richmonders in the city without sacrificing the city’s character, according to Greta Harris.
Harris, who is president of the Better Housing Coalition, spoke on Thursday morning at The Richmonder’s “The (Real) State of the City” breakfast.
She noted national trends showing Richmond as one of the hottest places in the country to move.
“We’ve always known that something is special about this place,” she said. “Now a lot of other people have figured that out, too.”
National investors have started purchasing real estate in Richmond, “not because they care about community, but because they see strong potential return on investment.”
Harris said investment and growth matters, but wants to ensure that Richmond keeps its soul in the process.
“If we aren’t careful and we aren’t intentional, Richmond risks losing the very thing that makes it special,” she said. “Suddenly we will look like Charlotte or Nashville or Austin or Portland — all successful, all thriving, and all increasingly homogenous. … Where the people who once gave those cities their unique character can no longer afford to live there. I don’t want that for Richmond.”
She encouraged attendees to care about their communities, and to support local and state leaders when they make tough policy decisions.
She encouraged those leaders to make strategic investments to allow long-term residents to remain in their homes as prices rise around them, to create new housing for those who need it, and to lift up local businesses that give Richmond its flavor.
“We have to welcome diversity, embrace density, and re-prioritize investment away from the anemic levels of capital currently flowing into housing affordability, accessibility, attainability, or whatever label you want to put on it,” she said.
“Every Richmond neighbor deserves a safe, stable place to lay their head at night. A place to call home; a launching pad for their dreams. Because when they succeed, we as a community succeed. This is my housing wish. This is my housing prayer. That we remain open to change, so that Richmond never loses its soul.”
Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.
