Written by Lana Leonard

Link to AUDIO STORY INTERVIEW

ASBURY PARK, NJ– “We are only as good as the weakest of us. We can’t say we are a great community and our weakest–our most vulnerable is completely tossed away and tossed aside. Then we are a fraud, and what we are building is an illusion. And I think what we are building is an illusion,” said Felicia Simmons, life-long Asbury Park resident, activist, and Asbury Park city council candidate.

The city has to be mindful of policies, said Felicia. As well as mindful in all decisions that come out of the municipal office. She notes the neglect of the homeless. In particular one man, striped to his under briefs in front of the municipal building with no help coming from our public leaders in office, most notable, Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn and Mayor John Moore.

Felicia and I sat in her living room the afternoon of Oct. 22nd. We haven’t sat with each other in person for sometime and has been a while since we we’ve sat and caught up.

“When you make this kind of cliquish bubble of a business community you are missing out…” said Simmons in regard to the segregated business community of Cookman Avenue.

Cookman glides you down some of the most expensive apartments in the city as you move toward the water. That shoreline is home to multi million dollar apartments under the 2002 amendment (from the previous 1999 amendment) “revitalization” plan that resumed in 2010. Manhattan-based real estate company, iStar, took on the city’s redevelopment as the developments master developers, Asbury Partners struggled financially, said nj.com. They’ve since built multi-million dollar waterfront apartments.

The average income for Asbury Park is $41,000, according to the 2018 census bureau.

The activist has lived in Asbury Park her whole life. She has witnessed the entirety of the city gentrify like no other city. This gentrification of Asbury and its pace is oppressive and pricing out its own black community, residents, life long Asburyans. I sit down with Felicia to discuss what it means for her to run for a seat on one of the most popular Jersey Shore cities in the state while police tensions are high, while affordable housing becomes essential, and policy needed.

Felicia has made life long friends, community, and space for those that have always lived in what was one of the most eclectic, cultured, and loving places. Felicia is a piece of Asbury that will continue to make change no matter what. With her boots on the ground in the Asbury community she will continue to defend with love for all of her life.

“Personalities–I don’t wanna talk about, but the policies from the current council is disturbing and not acceptable at this time.” Said Felicia. Motioning her hand to her words as she speaks them.

There was no development during Felicia’s life in Asbury until now. The city council candidate says that rent control is needed, as well as inclusionary housing, and work programs so that while development is happening and the city is growing the people in the city are actually growing with it.