By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – A group formed to combat anti-Somali racism is hoping to lead a new downtown affordable housing effort.

Paul Young, coordinator for the Many and One Coalition, would like to see the group lead efforts to redevelop a downtown apartment as a model project.

“The goal is to create something, a solution that could be plugged into any community that needs it,” Young said.

His plan calls for working with one landlord who owns apartments in the poorest section of Lewiston, bounded by Adams Avenue and Park, Pine and Bartlett streets. That area has been targeted for redevelopment as a part of the city’s Heritage Initiative.

Using city, state and federal grant money, Young said the landlord’s property would be redeveloped, brought up to code and turned into a nonprofit. Tenants could qualify for rent help, as well as job counseling and educational programs.

The idea is to bring up the standard of living in that area of the city.

“It’s important to not just help the tenants, but landlords as well,” Young said. “This would be an incentive for them.”

Tenants would get a nice place to live and owners would get a more valuable property. He hopes it would spur neighboring landlords to clean up their property.

“What we’re trying to do is attack the roots of the problem, not just the symptoms,” Young said. “For everyone down in this area, the problem is poverty.”

The Many and One Coalition formed in the fall of 2002, after then-Mayor Larry Raymond urged Somalis to stop coming to Lewiston in an open letter. The city was stressed financially, according to the letter.

The letter drew international media attention. A group of neo-Nazis came to Lewiston for an anti-Somali rally in January 2003. The Many and One Coalition sponsored a counter rally, which drew thousands.

“Racism against immigrants is really a symptom of a larger problem,” Young said. “A rally attacks the symptom, but you have to get to the root of the problem to make real change. The root of the problem is unemployment and poverty and substandard housing. If you can fix those problems, you solve many others.”

Young has presented the plan to the Lewiston Housing Committee and Empower Lewiston. He hopes to enlist their help.

City and Empower Lewiston officials said Young’s plan could work.

“It’s in the early stages now, but it’s something we would look at down the road,” said Jim Andrews, city community development director. “I can’t say it’s guaranteed, but it’s an innovative idea. And we do look at any innovative ideas.”