To:

Rowan University/ Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors       
The Camden County Commissioners
The Camden City Council
The Mayor of Camden
And All Elected Officials Responsible for the Future of Our Community

PURPOSE:

We, the residents of Lanning Square West (LSW) and local community members, stand united to demand justice, accountability, and immediate action from our city leaders.
Our neighborhood — home to hardworking families, single mothers, and lifelong residents — is being quietly dismantled under the weight of neglect and redevelopment pressures.

We refuse to remain silent while our homes, our families, and our community are threatened and disregarded.

BACKGROUND:

Lanning Square West has stood as a foundation of strength and pride in Camden for generations. Yet while nearby districts thrive with multimillion-dollar projects in the Eds and Meds Corridor and Waterfront areas, our community has been left behind.

Residents who have invested their lives and livelihoods here now face growing pressure to vacate their homes. Meanwhile, the city has failed to update the Lanning Square West Redevelopment Plan, leaving our future uncertain and our needs ignored.

This inaction sends a clear message: those in power have chosen development over dignity, and profit over people.

OUR CONCERNS:

Families, single mothers, and homeowners are being pressured to leave the neighborhood they helped build.
City officials have neglected to update the Redevelopment Plan, failing to protect or prioritize current residents.
New construction projects are being advanced while relocation assistance and community improvements are ignored.
Basic needs — affordable housing, safety measures, grocery access, and retail opportunities — remain unmet despite the city’s ongoing development elsewhere.
This pattern of neglect and avoidance demonstrates a deep disregard for the well-being and stability of our community.

OUR DEMANDS:

We call upon the Commissioner, the Mayor, and the Camden City Council to take decisive, transparent, and compassionate action:

Update the Lanning Square West Redevelopment Plan immediately to reflect the real needs, values, and vision of current residents.
Prioritize and protect existing families before approving or advancing any new construction or redevelopment projects.
Invest directly in Lanning Square West — develop affordable housing, establish a community supermarket, create retail opportunities, and improve public safety.
Engage openly with residents through public meetings, community workshops, and accessible communication that ensures residents’ voices shape our future.
OUR MESSAGE:

Urban development should build communities — not break them apart.
A city’s progress must be measured not by its skyline, but by its commitment to the people who live beneath it.

We will no longer accept silence, neglect, or displacement.
We deserve renewal, not removal.
We deserve representation, not rejection.
We deserve a future here — not a forced farewell.

CALL TO ACTION:

We urge our leaders to listen, act, and stand with the people of Lanning Square West.
Sign this petition to demand that the City of Camden:

Update and honor the LSWRA Redevelopment Plan,
Protect residents and their homes,
And commit to rebuilding our community with — and for — the people who live here.