Reduce Norfolk's Poverty; Follow These Steps

This is an open letter to Norfolk Mayor Paul Fram’s Poverty Reduction Commission. What I propose are nothing more than suggestions; they are not meant as dictates or demands. 
Norfolk suffers from an extremely high level of poverty compared to other cities in the region, except for Portsmouth whose poverty level is just a tad higher.
Portsmouth and Norfolk are also home to many public housing projects whose residents live close to or below the federal poverty level.
Public housing, once a solution, is fast becoming a relic of another generation of politics and policies. 
A percentage of them are elderly and disabled; a high percentage of them are single mothers with several children.
A report, The Regional Competitiveness of the Region, published by the Hampton Roads Planning Commission two years ago concluded that cities with low high-school graduation are caught in a cycle of decay and poverty (my words) and that cities with higher graduation rates tend to be more affluent. 
In another words, the education of our children is the key to the future of our communities.  
My column will not address the cultural and social issues confronting (or perhaps confounding) the commission. 
Instead, I will suggest possible ways to tackle the situation, which is complicated and mired in political dogma, as well as good intentions. 

1. Improve education – not only among our children, but also among our young and old adults. Education is a passport (my apologies for the cliché) to the future. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Create education clubs. 

2. Merge the myriad and often conflicting groups that offer assistance to the impoverished. Many of these organizations are competing for a finite pot of money. Competition, in this case, doesn’t produce better results, just winners and losers. 

3. Create of group of religious institutions that assist the poor. Keep it populated with all denominations and keep the board members to a few. (Maybe this exists already.)

4. Populate the commission with representatives from advocacy groups and with individuals who have experienced poverty and homelessness. 

5. More outreach from local organizations and government departments whose mission is to grow the city’s economy and jobs. 

I applaud Mayor Fraim for creating the commission and for his willingness to tackle Norfolk’s poverty rate. It is a worthwhile cause. Yet, here I hesitate when I see the number of members of the commission. Many of these representatives have no real experience with poverty or with individuals and families who are struggling to pay their rent, their electricity and to buy food.  This isn’t a criticism. If you have a home, don’t have to worry about paying bills and have a job, you’re perspective is skewed somewhat. You perhaps might see poverty as a social and cultural issue. Instead, conceive solutions.   
Commission Members
Protogyrou, Andrew A.
City Council, City of Norfolk

Williams, Angelia
City Council, City of Norfolk

Baker, Saphira M.
Principal, Communitas Consulting

Begland , Judy
President & CEO, Opportunity Inc. of Hampton Roads

Berg, Lynne
Executive Director, Prime Plus

Bilisoly , F. Nash
Attorney, Vandeventer Black, LLP

Brandt , Sandra W.
Executive Director, STEP-UP, Inc.

Breaux , Tristan R.
President, NAACP, Norfolk Chapter

Bright , Marvin
Provost-Tidewater Community College-Norfolk Campus

Bryant , Gary R.
Partner, Wilcox & Savage, PC

Burgess , Hosey
Virginia Employment Commission

Coleman , Clarence
Vice Provost, Norfolk State University

Crow, William W.
President, Virginia Ship Repair Association

DiCroce , Deborah M.
President & CEO Hampton Roads Community Foundation

DiFilippo , Anthony J.
President & CEO, Visit Norfolk

Goldsmith , Michael
Chief of Police, City of Norfolk

Harnage , David F.
Chief Operating Officer, Old Dominion University

Harrell , William E.
President and CEO, Hampton Roads Transit

Hofelich, Kurt
President, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Horman, MD , Richard V.
Pres. & Provost, Dean-School of Medicine - EVMS

Houston , Sharon D.
Deputy Director, Garden of Hope

Houston, Sr. , Kirk T.
Reverend, Gethsemane Community Church

Martin, Adale M.

McBath, B. Courtney
Bishop, Calvary Revival Church

McCabe, Robert J.
Sheriff, Norfolk Sheriff’s Office

McCormick , Thaler
Chief Executive Officer, ForKids, Inc.

McPhillips, Charles V.
Executive Vice President, Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.

Puryear, Suzanne
President, The Planning Council

Riley, Sharon
Pastor/Admin, Faith Deliverance Christian Center

Robertson, Jerry
Assoc Vice Pres & Exec Dir, ODU's Business Gateway

Rogers, James A.
Community-Based Initiatives & Outreach, Norfolk

Simmons, Dr. L’Tanya
Deputy Supt for Operations, Norfolk Public Schools

Sterzing, Sarah
Early Childhood Programs Coord, City of Norfolk

Wofford, James M.
Retail Alliance