one immediate thought occurred to me about how the housing provider might be a good neighbor. my thoughts are around design. i hope whatever space is used it can fit into the existing fabric of the neighborhood, and (in the event that it is in a commercial corridor like broadway or central, for example) i hope that it can even go beyond fitting in and be an example of a good relationship with the surrounding built environment. that is, i hope the building can make the space around it feel safer and more attractive to pedestrians, current and potential business owners and people driving by. for example, what if the 10-year plan took everything from the curb in into consideration? what if, like lake shore, residents of the neighborhood saw any space developed by the 10-year plan as a recreation spot?

all that to say i hope the TYP won’t feel their housing needs to remain as hidden as possible. instead, i hope they will work hard to, as much as possible, have their housing integrated into the neighborhood and even, perhaps, meeting a need or desire of the current residents.

as far as how i can be a good neighbor, i will look for information as to how i might be involved in the lives of the residents just like i would with any of my other neighbors. i want to be sensitive, though, to any extenuating circumstances of people coming out of homelessness. that’s where i will continue to try and learn the best way to interact.

that’s where the TYP might be a good neighbor to me. if there were a contact person or a list serve i could be a part of, i’d love that. even if there was an information page or a website that explained what to take into consideration when meeting people in supportive housing. that would be great.