Tempers flare over Yamacraw future at special Savannah Housing Authority meeting

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -Residents of Yamacraw Village confronted housing officials Wednesday about their future if the historic downtown neighborhood is demolished and redeveloped.

The Savannah Housing Authority held a special meeting to address concerns about the potential demolition of Yamacraw Village, which has existed since 1941. Current residents and advocates passionately demanded answers about what will happen to people living in the village after demolition.

“No suit can stop the truth, no men in suits get to displace black and brown people because they don’t have enough resources to afford dignity,” one advocate said at the meeting. “This is about people not being able to afford dignity, and men like you think that black people without money don’t deserve dignity and don’t deserve housing.”

Housing authority awaits federal approval

The housing authority is waiting for approval from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish Yamacraw Village. The once-segregated community for African Americans once held over 300 units, but that number has shrunk to under 100. Current residents say that as people move out, boards go up over vacant units.

Opollo Johnson, a resident advocate, said families have lived in the community since its inception.

“We have families that have been here since the inception of this community and we’d like them to be continued members of this community,” Opollo said.

The housing authority said it is committed to paying moving fees for the 91 families currently living in Yamacraw Village. Around 100 current and former residents will also receive vouchers for priority registration when the new affordable complex is built.

However, meeting attendees expressed skepticism about these promises.

“If you don’t put it in writing does it really exist?” Opollo said.

Mayor Van Johnson has supported the village’s redevelopment and explained his position Tuesday.

“The reality is that Yamacraw is becoming a public safety hazard,” Mayor Johnson. “And so we’ve gone through this, we’ve debated back and forth, we’ve had public meetings, it’s time for something to happen.”

Residents seek guarantees

Both sides agree they want the village to be modernized, but residents and nearby neighbors continue to question whether the new plan will maintain the historically African American presence.

Opollo said residents want to ensure Black families remain part of the community.

“That is our main point that we’re driving home,” Opollo said. “We would like black folks to have a presence in this city. It’s a nice, walkable livable city for all of us, but in that area there’s a food desert so we’d like to see amenities, we’d like to see a grocery store, we’d like to see housing replaced, but we don’t want black folks replaced.”

The housing authority will host another special Yamacraw meeting at The Parker House on Farms Street on January 29 to address miscommunications between the board and residents.