Joshua Bradley
Name: Joshua Bradley
Which office are you seeking? City Council At-Large District
Campaign website: bradleyforraleighworkers.com
Social media: Facebook: Joshua Bradley For Raleigh Workers
Insta: Bradley4Raleigh
Twitter: Bradley4Raiegh
The income of many households in Raleigh is too high to qualify for income-restricted/subsidized housing, yet these residents are cost-burdened by climbing prices and rents across market-rate housing. Explain at least 2 policies you will seek to implement to address the rising costs of market-rate housing in Raleigh.
1. I will try to get rules in place that will prevent private companies from buying up housing stock. Private companies have been buying properties in a way that individuals cannot compete with.
2. Once we get a sufficient amount of low cost and subsidized housing to ensure no one has to live in the woods, we can focus on housing for people who make more than 85% of the AMI.
What is an issue in Raleigh that deserves critical attention, but isn't talked about much in the media or the community because it's not sensational or obviously apparent?
There a groups pushing the expansion of policing (and use of armed security) in areas of the city where lower income people congregate. This does not do anything to lower crime. The only thing statistically shown to reduce crime is providing housing and services to those who are in need.
How will you balance the interests of individuals with those of the general public? Especially when voting on an issue that will negatively impact a small, but vocal group of residents, but which offers significant benefits to the general public?
My priority is to help the workers, the poor, and the traditionally oppressed. I will prioritize the needs of this group.
Should Council allow more Missing Middle housing (duplex, triplex, townhomes and small apartment buildings) to be built in the City? If yes, how would you accomplish this? If not, why not?
I think it would be ok to allow more Missing Middle housing if there is a public process. I would only support such housing if a significant portion is set aside as low cost housing. I am not in favor of million dollar townhomes built without input and support of the people in the areas where they are to be built.
Should the City continue investing in Bus Rapid Transit? If so, what additional investments and/or land use regulatory changes should the City make to support the successful implementation of the Western and Southern corridors? If no, why?
The only way that BRT will be successful is if the people who ride the bus are not gentrified out of the area. The city should build housing on the land it owns for people who make under 50% of the AMI. Density bonuses are largely not being used and sometimes developers are trying to get around this using zoning requests. The city council should make sure that there is no displacement when considering zoning along the corridor.
What is your vision for how Raleigh’s built environment should evolve over the next 10 years?
We need to start at the bottom and work our way up. The city should prioritize housing for the unhoused and low income people. Then work up to the middle class. Then, once everyone else is taken care of, the city can look at the luxury market.
How would you change the way the City's Office of Community Engagement operates?
I would make sure that the CACs are funded and expanded. I would fight to make sure that they represent both renters and owners. I would try to get the city involved in expanding renter's unions and residents councils (in public housing). I would push for more robust engagement and better community notification of things that impact its people.
Should the City preserve existing moderately priced housing (Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing) to help slow the rate of resident displacement? If yes, please provide 2-3 specific policies that you would ask your fellow Councilors to support. If no, what other policies do you support to address resident displacement?
Yes.
1. The city should buy housing if needed, before it is sold to developers.
2. The city should find a way to use inclusionary zoning. If this means halting most re-zonings until the state changes its laws to allow this, then so be it.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you or your campaign? (Optional)
Without line level workers, the city could not exist. It should be a priority of the city to ensure that the workers, whether they be servers, cooks, waste management workers, water workers, tellers, retail workers, teachers or other workers, should be able to afford live and thrive in the city, as the city is utterly dependent on them. I am running to make sure this is a priority. I am sure that the investors, owners, developers and corporations already have a seat at the table. The workers, poor, unhoused and traditionally oppressed should have one too.