by Hollis Wormsby, Jr.
Three Statistics That Say a Lot About Our City
There are approximately 212,113 people that live in the City of Birmingham. Out of this number only approximately 35,000 people work in the City of Birmingham. And then this final statistic, 128,000 people work in Birmingham but do not live here. These three statistics tell us loads about the state of our community.
Even if we assume that 100,000 people in our community are young people who are not yet old enough for the workforce, and that another 30,000 are seniors that have completed their work lives, and that maybe another 10,000 are working outside the City, that would still leave over 70,000 adults living and not working at all in this City. We sense this as we see the number of adults walking around unengaged, but to actually see the numbers is mind boggling.
Based on this analysis it would appear that the City needs to embark on two strategies simultaneously. The first strategy has really already begun with the rapidly evolving loft district on the Southside and downtown area drawing thousands of young professionals back into the City. Hopefully this momentum continues and we see this area continue to develop. The City could also look at financial incentives to attract middle class families back into the City. I think a down payment incentive, along with an expansion of scholarship program discussed between the City and UAB could accomplish this.
Why would we give financial incentives to middle income to upper middle income families to move back into the City? We would do it because it would be good investment, and because replacing the families we have lost in the past 10 years is one of the most important steps in stabilizing our residential areas outside of the loft districts. So literally I would find a way to offer incentives of as much as 20 thousand dollars per household to attract people back. And the reality of this investment would be no different than when we offer incentives to businesses. Over a matter of four to five years this investment would be returned in property taxes and other taxes incurred by the family in living in the City.
The other incentive I would look at for all residents would be the incentive that if you graduate from Birmingham Schools after a minimum number of years of attendance you would qualify for financial assistance to college. Think of the impact on a family living outside the City if they were told that if you move back we will give you 20 thousand dollars in down payment assistance and guarantee your child a four year education. It would be an incentive for me to move back.
The scholarship program can also be used as an incentive for poor people living within the City to have greater hope for their children. For the program should be set up such that a poor person would know that if they could get their child through high school with a certain grade point that they can get scholarship assistance and have hope for a better future than the previous generation.
The level of development that is going on around the City is astonishing and is certainly something to be proud of. But the truth is that until we do something to intervene in behaviors and improve the skill set amongst the tens of thousands of adults that live in this City but do not work, it will be hard to seriously reduce crime and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
Or at least that’s the way I see it.
(Do you have a question or comment on this column? Look me up on Facebook/HollisWormsby or email me at hjwormsby@aol.com.)
