Is Clovis truly anti-racism? Then end decades of discriminatory housing policies
At the start of last week’s Clovis City Council meeting, the five council members took turns reading aloud a proclamation condemning racism in their city.
Not just overt racism — the kind exhibited toward Chanel Wapner, the only Black business owner in Old Town Clovis — but also “discrimination, bigotry, bias and hate speech.”
How solemn and earnest they sounded.
“Whereas on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, events occurred in this community that neither represent our values nor reflect the values of those who live here,” Mayor Drew Bessinger said, referring to the break-in and hate crime at Wapner’s Just My Essentials.
“Through the lens of that event and events occurring across the country, we hereby adopt this resolution to publicly condemn bias and hate in all forms and to reaffirm our community values of respect, inclusivity, civility and equity for all.”
Councilmember Lynne Ashbeck spoke about the city’s “vision statement” that promotes equality for everyone who “lives in, works in, does business in or visits Clovis regardless of race or ethnicity.”
Councilmember Jose Flores offered a brief history lesson on Clovis’ multi-cultural origins: “Early Clovis High class photos remind us of the diversity on which this community was built.”
Councilmember Bob Whalen spoke about the link between racism and discrimination, leading to “disparate outcomes” in housing, education, employment, criminal justice and health.
And, finally, Councilmember Vong Mouanoutoua reminded us that anti-racist words must be backed up by community-wide action and behavior: “We must actively stand up against bias and discrimination of any kind.”
After the proclamation was read into the record and stamped with the official seal, Bessinger directed city staff to frame it and find a suitable hanging place inside council chambers or city hall.
“These are foundational values that every community should have,” Bessinger said. “We need to stand up to people who are being victimized, every single time.”
It’s great to see Clovis council members take such a public stand against racism and its many permutations. But for the proclamation to be more than an empty gesture, they should back up those words with deeds.
What deeds? Well, for starters, they could begin to rectify decades of policies and planning decisions that resulted in a city where low-income families of color are practically barred from living.
Which, if you think about it, are just baked-in forms of discrimination and bias.
Instead, these same city leaders have flouted state mandates for affordable rental homes — sometimes from the same dais where they condemned racism — to the point where a judge will soon decide whether they’re breaking the law.
Clovis sued over housing
The next hearing in the lawsuit between Central California Legal Services, on behalf of plaintiffs Desiree Martinez and Maria De Jesus Sanchez, and the city of Clovis, the city council and city manager is Dec. 4 in Fresno Superior Court. Among the filings is sworn expert testimony from UC Merced political science professor Jessica Trounstine that I found quite interesting.
For example, in 1970 the populations of both Fresno (90%) and Clovis (97%) were almost completely white non-Hispanics. But as Fresno became more racially diverse, Clovis hung on to its white majority. By 2018, the difference between Fresno’s white population (27%) and Clovis’ (53%) had nearly quadrupled.
Furthermore, Trounstine included maps showing Clovis’ most diverse, low-income neighborhoods are “segregated” to the southwestern part of the city.
Then there’s housing. In 1980, Clovis (33%) actually had a higher percentage of apartments, duplexes and condos than single-family homes than Fresno (30%). By 2018, the percentage of multi-family homes in Clovis shrank to 25% compared to 37% in Fresno.
Not surprisingly, median rents and home prices in Clovis have risen at a higher rate. In 1980, according to Trounstine’s data, the median Clovis resident paid 14% more in rent than Fresno renters and homes in Clovis were worth 11% more. By 2018, Clovis residents paid 22% more in rent and their homes were worth 37% more.
Leadership not whining
None of this happened by accident. Clovis became whiter, more segregated and wealthier than its larger neighbor by design.
And while the city’s housing policies and planning decisions may not be overtly racist, it’s hard to argue they aren’t exclusionary. As a result, very few low-income families, who by percentage tend to be people of color, can afford to live there.
None of this happened by accident.
Clovis is in the midst of a building boom, but hardly any of that satisfies California’s requirements for low-income, high-density housing. Which is why, in 2018, it stood to lose millions in state funds. To avoid that fate, city leaders rezoned several vacant lots for high-density — without building the actual units.
I get that low-income housing is a thorny issue for Clovis politicians. Few people living in single-family homes want multi-family dwellings in or near their neighborhoods. Avoiding that is why some of them moved there in the first place.
But this is one of those times when leadership should be more than just a popularity contest. Instead of whining about state mandates that aren’t “something the city of Clovis wants,” help your constituents understand how low-income housing can enrich the entire community. Teach them not to be afraid of diversity.
Otherwise, that anti-racism proclamation amounts to little more than empty words hanging on a wall.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
