Low-income housing is an idea that's been around for awhile. Yesler Terrace was built during World War II. During the Sixties, the only truly liberal-dominated time in this country of Jesus and small, exportable wars (Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Somalia and Iraq, to name a few), low-income housing was an idea whose time had come.

But once the alleged great Communicator, Alzheimer Ronnie, shakily took the helm, low-income housing was cut; at the same time, mental institutions were emptied. Problems ensued which are still being dealt with twenty-seven years later in all large American cities, including Seattle. Still, under the upscale gloss, Belltown does its local bit for low-income housing. "Twenty-five percent of Belltown is (occupied by) low-income housing," John Pehrson, the 80-year-old chair of the Belltown Housing and Land Use Committee says.

"In general, low-income housing is very successfully integrated into our community," Pehrson says. "Many of them are small, well-run units. Plymouth Housing (which operates 12 or 13 low-income buildings around the city, including the William Tell at 2327 2nd Ave.) says their average tenants stay for 39 months. That's very good for a lot of properties, not just low-income housing."

Mark Baerwaldt of the Belltown Community Council is another fan of low-income housing within the neighborhood.

"I believe it has a positive effect on the community. Any time you have true diversity that's a positive. without diversity it becomes very difficult to understand the problems of everybody in the society. I absolutely support low-income housing. The condo owners are the newbies, not the residents of low-income housing. I like to think a really good thing about Belltown is everybody likes living together or they wouldn't be here," Baerwaldt says. And the positives don't stop with low-income housing according to Mark.

"There are over 50 social service providers in Belltown," he adds. "Literally almost every block has some social service provider. It's all blended together in a very positive way."

It's here that Mark does rouse a quibble from John Pehrson.

"The problem is not the low-income housing. I think most people don't even realize most of that is even here. And most of those who are aware support it. But some of the social-service providers who use the sidewalks as their lobbies are a cause of some concern. We are concerned that some of the social service providers are not acting as good neighbors," Pehrson said.

"I get annoyed when I can't walk one block without getting hit up by a panhandler, but I understand there is always some tension when you try to have everything together," Pehrson said.

The next question, be you an advocate for diversity via requiring low-income housing, or be you one who desires to see only people of the condo class and their fancy dogs and digs ensconed near your home, is: What is the future of low-income housing in Belltown?

"The trend seems to be that there is very little space left for low-income housing," Pehrson said. "The newest developments are 3,000 people in expensive condos. And the neighborhood will be safer with more people; but I think it will become less of a mixed use kind of thing. But, it isn't going away, it's just that low-income housing will become a lower percentage (of available housing)."

How low the percentage goes will depend partly on the citizens of Belltown and partly on those friends of rabid development, also known as the Nickels administration. But a close look at Fremont, for one example, can't be too encouraging to those who feel a neighborhood composed of one social class is not really a neighborhood, but a ghetto.