Asheville – You hear it everywhere: we need affordable housing. But what happens when city policy and non-profits’ attitudes actually cause landlords who have worked to provide affordable housing to quit? This is what some landlords are being forced to do.
Terry Simmons is just one example of why we are losing affordable housing. Simmons once had over 30 rentals that were affordable, but now has only two left. His tenants came from Homeward Bound, Section Eight, ABCCM, HUD-VASH, Thrive, and Vaia Health. Simmons said, “You name an agency, we worked with them providing housing. I won’t work with any of them anymore.”
The High Cost of Affordable Housing
When asked why, he said the tenants all tear up your houses. If he complains to the agencies who place them, they tell him it’s between him and the tenant. “I worked hard for my rental houses,” said Simmons. “I didn’t inherit my property; I worked and earned everything I’ve got. The two renters I still have are a guy who takes great care of the property and has been with me for 20 years, and the other is a disabled vet I want to help.”
Landlords who take in low-income individuals not only get less monthly income from their properties, they have the added burden of having to make costly repairs when the tenants do harm to the property. Due to Asheville City policies, landlords are now also having to clean up trash, needles, and worse on their properties. This is the case with Simmons’ West Asheville properties.
Needle Exchange Comes To West Asheville
The problems started when the store on the corner of State Street and Hanover was sold, and a free clothing area was created for the homeless. Shortly after that, Steady Collective showed up with the needle exchange truck, parking right next to the driveway of the home Simmons owns on State Street. Each time they leave, he has to go pick up used needles. Simmons explained, “I’ve got to pick up trash. My tenants have to call the cops because some junkie’s passed out by my garbage cans. I’ve got to clean feces off my walls and my fences and do stuff that you would not be able to put in your paper.”
Simmons said he’s not against helping people, explaining, “They shouldn’t be doing this in our neighborhoods. We’ve got kids, the elderly, and people who pay taxes who want a nice, safe neighborhood. If they’re going to give out needles, do it at the health department or the hospital, somewhere where you can care for these people, because if they shoot up something’s going to happen to them. Simmons added, “If it’s a true needle exchange, don’t give them new needles unless they bring back used needles. I’ve got a half of a Home Depot bucket full of used hypodermic needles that I picked up just on my property.”
Safety Concerns With Kids and Tenants
Simmons has his two sons help him with cleaning up, mowing, and keeping the places nice. He’s had to teach them not to pick up needles because he’s afraid they’ll have fentanyl on them. How do you explain that to an eleven-year-old? And just this week, a female addict opened the door of Simmons’ vehicle and tried to get in the back seat where his kids were.
Simmons fears for his neighbors and tenants, some of whom are women. “I’ve got a nurse that’s coming home after working a double shift saving people’s lives, and now she’s worried about this guy that’s passed out on the driveway.” Recently, because of the city-sponsored needle exchange bringing addicts into the neighborhood, Simmons has lost a good tenant that has lived in one of his West Asheville homes for three years.
Why Affordable Housing No Longer Works
“I’m tired of paying taxes and then getting no help,” said Simmons. “I’m a strong supporter of the police, but when it’s 40 minutes before they can get to my property, it leaves a bitter taste, because who’s paying the taxes around here? I understand they’re shorthanded, but our property rights are getting trampled on, and my tax bill last year was $125,000 plus for services I’m not getting.”
Simmons closed with, “When I bought all these houses 20 something years ago, they were foreclosed, run down, nasty, most of them drug houses. I’ve made them into nice homes for families and working people and people who contribute to society.” Simmons said he’d like to help, but when the city offers no help when things go wrong and gives more money and rights to those who don’t contribute to society, it’s just no longer viable to rent his properties as affordable housing.