There has been a big ruckus in our community recently over neighborhood problems between two parties that got way out of hand. As far as I've been able to gather from the reports in the paper, the problem boiled down to two original parties that just couldn't seem to work out their differences in a rational manner. Tensions were already high in that area due to gang issues so when these and other non-related complaints entered into the equation, it only added fuel to the fire and escalated to the point where there were threats, a fight and a drive by shooting. When all was said and done, the original quarrel between two parties had expanded to include lots of other people that were apparently just spoiling for a fight, a few passersby and neighbors, and ended with gunfire. The shooter has since been arrested, but local police are involved, trying to get to the bottom of conflicting stories. Because the original two parties are of different races, there are a lot of things to sort through. The whole situation is pretty ugly.
The area this occurred in was until just a few years ago considered a very desirable established neighborhood complete with good schools, a nice park with a playground, basketball courts and athletic fields for little league and soccer games, and bike trails with lots of mature, beautiful landscaping. It made for a pretty drive when passing through that area of town. In recent years, however, local authorities have had to respond to numerous incidents there due to a spike in gang-related violence and activity which was ultimately responsible for a murder at the basketball court in the park. This led to the city removing the basketball courts in that park in an effort to keep the riff-raff away. While it did seem to curb some of the problems at the park, many families living in that area now feel unsafe taking their children to play at the park, becuase they often get harrassed by local thugs. Instead, they've began holing up in their homes living in fear of things like drive-by shootings and their children being singled out for retaliation at school if they as parents stand up and say something. One person from the area commented that it's like living under seige.
The increase in crime there seems to be in direct proportion to the increase in 'problem' rentals in the area. Homes owned by absentee landlords that are rented out to whoever they can get in there to get their rent payments. Homes in this formerly desirable neighborhood began to depreciate in value when the problem renters began moving in, with lawns being let go and homes and fences falling into disrepair.
A police officer we met a while back told us that most altercations he's called out for in some way or another involve 'problem rentals'. Rentals with a high turnover rate. With new family groups moving in and out every few months. Often those renting these homes are either struggling single parent households, welfare families on Section 8 housing subsidies, folks that moved to the area to be closer to the prisons (where family loved ones are incarcerated), or folks that can't really afford the rent, but know how to work the system. If the case of the latter, the renters usually pay the deposit and first months rent, then begin slipping on their payments until frustrated landlords begin the process of eviction. These people will then stay on until just before they are evicted, the entire process giving them 5 or 6 months in a nice home for roughly 1/3 the rate that was originally asked of them. In many of those cases, the landlords don't even sue out of fear of retaliation on their rental home investment, and the fact that legal fees would usually cost more than the unpaid rent. Often, the evictees will leave under cover of darkness just prior to when they would be forcibly removed, and out of spite will often trash the home before leaving, as though it's the owner's fault that they couldn't pay their rent! It's appalling.
That is kind of the state of things as far as problem rentals are concerned. Though we live across town from the above community, we've seen the same thing happen in our development as well, and it's less than two years old. One house on our block has had two renters in less than a year. The first family at least had the decency to clean the place out completely, including tubs and toilets, and to leave it good shape when they left. The second family, however, moved out leaving a bunch of trash and garbage all over the place, including 5 months worth of accumulated dog poop from six dogs they kept in their small backyard. The stench was horrible. The owner actually had to hire people to come in and clean up the yard, then to repair the inside of the home. It took them 3 weeks to set the place to rights again. Among other things, they told us they had to replace a horribly pet stained living room carpet and to replace marble counter tops in the kitchen which they believe were broken by a sledgehammer. And this house was not even two years old!
Getting back to my opening story, the two main parties involved in the altercation were a homeowner and a problem renter. The homeowner, who had a vested interest in the neighborhood, was tired of all the problems brought into it with the problem renters. Kids running wild, loud music blaring from car and home stereos all ours of the day and night, and the riff-raff making it unsafe for he and his family to go out in their own front yard. The crime and other problems increasing around him. Add to this watching the value of his home being driven down to the point where even if he could sell his home to get out, he'd never get back all he put into it.
I can understand this man's frustration. Most folks biggest investment is their home, and it would be very disheartening to move to a desirable area, only to have the area begin to rapidly fall into disrepair by renters that don't take the same pride in their home that you do. Add to this, the neighborhood they once felt safe in now feels almost as though they are living under seige because gang and drug activity had moved in. It is unjust. Hardworking, law-abiding folks suffer because those that would not otherwise be able to even afford to live in such neighborhoods now can, thanks to section 8 housing and absentee landlords, often bringing trouble with them, and then drive down the value of the homes in the area because they don't have a vested interest in keeping things in the area nice.
Programs like Neighborhood Watch do have their place. Back in the 70's and 80's when I was a kid, however, they weren't much needed. I believe there were a couple of reasons for this. Neighbors stayed put for years back then, and everyone got to know everyone else, in the kind of relationships where folks borrowed a cup of sugar or tools from time to time. Usually there were one or two eagle-eyed neighbors that kept track of everything going on in the neighborhood, and would let you know if something suspicious were happening. And if there were problems with some new family that had moved into the neighborhood, it was handled by the people in the neighborhood through peaceable, neighborly chats. Back then, involving law enforcement was rare and scandalous enough that most folks didn't dare let their kids run wild or do anything else that would risk their becoming known as 'trouble' because a police car showed up outside their home. This served as kind of a positive peer-pressure. The new folks generally kept their noses clean because they didn't want to make enemies of their neighbors. Neighbors also kept their eye on each other's homes while families were on vacation, and sometimes even had spare keys in case they got locked out. All these things knit neighbors together with a sense of interdependency and community, and often neighbors were also very good friends.
These days, however, the dynamic of neighborhoods has changed somewhat. Due to high rates of divorce, the economy, job transfers and other factors, it seems folks just aren't staying in one place for more than a few years. But even when people do live in their neighborhoods for years, they often go without ever even getting to know the people across the street or next door. Many neighbors don't even talk to each other anymore. Our society has gotten rather reclusive, with many folks preferring to keep to themselves, holing up in homes filled with their preferred forms of entertainment.
Most problems like the one I opened this posting with could be solved if folks really got to know each other, were friendly, and settled all matters politely between themselves. These days, however, everyone either allows their temper to flare, a mountain being made of a molehill, or completely skirt the wisdom of Matthew 18, and go straight for the top by involving law enforcement, when most problems could be diffused by folks just talking things out in a calm, rational manner. More enemies than friends are made by taking things straight to the top instead of at least trying to resolve it between yourselves first.
The answer to such problems is not more Neighborhood Watch type programs or more police. It's in more people policing themselves. Taking care of things on their end. Holding themselves and their children to high standards of common decency as neighbors and members of a community. Keeping their own 'business' tended to. Their own property maintained (owned or rental), their own kids kept in line, their own tempers kept in check. These things along with respecting and even looking out for each other's property, observing common quiet hours, and just being polite and kind to each other go a long way towards a peaceful coexistence in any neighborhood or community.
The Bible is full of wisdom about living peaceably with all men. Trying to settle things person to person first, then bringing witnesses and then, as a last resort, getting higher authorities involved. These aren't just meaningless things put in the Bible as filler. Our Lord, the maker of heaven and earth and the very giver of life knows better than anyone else what works best when it comes to living at peace with our fellow man, because He created the system. Sometimes it seems a little bit upside down and backwards when we first look at it. What? I'm supposed to love my neighbors? Love my enemies? Do good to them that persecute me?! It's when you really examine it that you begin to see the deep wisdom behind it all. Diffusing a matter rather than allowing it to escalate. Actively working to maintain peace rather than contributing to chaos. Honesty instead of lies, kindness instead of hate or anger...all of these things are wise ways of handling situations we find ourselves faced with, and if held to by even a few would begin to make a vital difference in a community.
As believers, our very witness will be adversely effected by how we handle difficulties between neighbors. Hebrews 12:14 says, Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Neighbors can include folks you bump into in the store or the gym. The people living next door. Those you work with in the workplace. Those in your social circle. Your church family. And let's not forget those in our own homes! Is the Holiness in my own walk with the Lord so prevalent that it oozes out and others see it and consequently lives are changed? Because that's what we should be aiming for here...Letting our light so shine before men that they see our good deeds and glorify our Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Everyone should ask of themselves, "Am I striving for peace instead of contributing to discord?"
For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:16-18)
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