(The Center Square) – Reparations and past racial discrimination were part of the Wednesday discussion between Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and the Select Committee on Government Efficiency in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
She said rather than payment to individuals, it can mean “investment in communities that have been underserved historically whether it’s education or housing.” A commission between the city and Buncombe County was created in 2020 to study and make recommendations.
“It certainly can be that,” Manheimer said in response to a legislator’s question about payments. “It may just mean investment in communities that have been underserved historically whether it’s education or housing. The city of Asheville is not involved in education or healthcare, but we are involved in housing, infrastructure and neighborhoods.”
She cited the federal Urban Renewal program in the 1960s as an example.
“The city was responsible for taking the homes of people and depriving them of an ability built wealth generationally,” Manheimer said. “We took people from their homes, moved them to public housing and they were no longer able to enjoy that generational wealth that many other families continue to be able to experience.”
Cities such as Evanston, Ill., have established homebuying grant programs for people who can prove their home was taken through urban renewal, the mayor said.
Grant recipients could use the grants to “establish that wealth that you were robbed of previously.”
Many homeowners were not adequately compensated for their properties during urban Rrenewal, she added.
“There are families today that are still living in public housing, robbed of that opportunity to hold on to generational wealth,” the mayor said.
Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Republican from Chocowinity, took issue with the mayor’s statement that the property was stolen by the government.
“Are you telling me that the city of Asheville walked in and stole someone’s home from them?” he asked.
“What I would say is that they drastically under compensated them and forced them into this situation,” Manheimer said. “I’m just telling you what legally happened.”
The legislator asked for specifics.
“Very interestingly, there is a project in Asheville where we have documented every property that was taken through urban renewal,” the mayor said. “There are photographs, there are deeds, and we have documented the families that were affected, how much they were paid for those properties.”
Rep. Jay Adams, a Republican from Catawba County, also criticized the urban renewal program
“Urban renewal was a disastrous policy of the 1960s,” he said. “But are we talking about reparations or about restitution? This is a very interesting conversation to have. I do believe that property was unfairly taken during urban renewal.”
