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"In 2004, what we had talked about was an impending crisis in affordable housing. Today, that crisis is here."
So city comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. tells the Times today while discussing his offices recently released report "Affordable No More: New York City's Mitchell-Lama and Limited Dividend Housing Crisis is Accelerating" (PDF) and the similar study just released by the Community Service Society "Closing the Door: Accelerating Losses of New York City Subsidized Housing" (PDF).
The gist of both reports is the same, and comes as little surprise to anyone paying a modicum of attention: "The shrinking of New York City's supply of privately owned but subsidized rental apartments — housing relied upon by many working-class New Yorkers as well as teachers, civil servants and police officers — has accelerated sharply over the past three years" and shows little sign of slowing down. For example, since 2004 more than 25,000 apartments have withdrawn or begun the process of withdrawing from the Mitchell-Lama program in which landowners receive government aid in exchange for "affordable to low" rents. That's more than the 24,000 in the history of the program up till 2004.
So what's to be done? To start, "both studies strongly support the idea of legislation to put all Mitchell-Lama rental buildings under rent stabilization once they leave the program." Two bills that would do just that are currently pending (A2454 and S2061). A step in the right direction?
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Good, I'd rather live next to a rich guy/girl then someone who only lives in my building because of subsidies. So Donald Trump rather than johnny almost homeless, I'd be cleaner. You think cockroaches hand out in poor neighborhoods because the rent is cheap? I used to live in washington heights and every other mexican had roaches except this clean white guy (me) who spent the $9.99 to buy roach traps.
You can't seriously take away the 'carrot' for affordability and expect developers to ever want to (and yes, some developers look to purposefully develop affordable housing with LIHTC and many other HPD funds) build affordable housing in the future.
Thats like your employer telling you at the end of the month - "well you know, we promised that if you worked for us this month we'd pay you but as it turns out we need more work done, so we're gonna withold your paycheck until some later date... for us to figure out, of course"
What the city should do if it really intends on doing something about affordable housing is to increase the incentives to build new affordable units and to devlop programs to provide rehabilitation funds for older market rate units in exchange for some type of affordability requirement going forward.
i think the government, city or otherwise should not be inthe business of housing. leave that to the market. its precisely the stabilization intiatives that had the unintended consequence of helping very few while the rest are forced to subsidize them. other major cities have high housing costs as well, but seem to handle them without the drama of nyc and its politics.
So, Chris, teacher or civil servant says cockroaches and almost-homeless to you? Your lack of knowledge of this city and how it works is flabbergasting.
Hey BaHa, I didn'tknow subsidised housing was only open to civil servants and teachers like it was designed specifically for them. Maybe they should call it teacher housing? What I'd like to point out is you are referring to these people by their jobs, their jobs that have good wage increases and pensions. If it were up to me I'd set all remaining low income housing aside to those making less than 20,000 and then phase the program out with time limits. The big problem here is supply and demand, lets compare it to milk and food stamps. With housing there are only so many units on the market at any given time, lets say 2 for emample, if one is locked up by someone with no incentive to move then with constant or increasing demand rent can only go up. The only dip would be decreases in demand or new units entering the market, non stabalized units in this case. With milk you can always ship another gallon or breed another cow and food stamps are paid for by the government, the milk companies don't need to take advantage of working people to subsidize the poor. In semation, real estate should be at the highest and best use. I'd kick out a bum paying 200 a month just to hang out and move in someone of worth any day. I'd write a thesis on this but you wouldn't read it but another poster said it well when he pointed to other cities. I think LA and Boston still have teachers and police. They just have fewer crybabies wanting me to pay their rent...
but you're not paying "their" rent,
you're paying the landlord.
you're not subsidizing anyone, that's a myth.
NY real estate is not like any other.
Sounds like someone is jealous paying $2200 a month for a shoebox.
Now, who's whining?
Saying we are not paying their rent is like saying the government is paying for welfare people. The people not getting the benefit always pay. Also, 2200 for a shoebox? If the thousands paying below market were set to pay market then they would all move because they couldn't afford to live here in the first place and then supply would skyrocket and overall price would drop. Like flooding the market with gas, if i released 10 billion barrels for free then the price of a gallon would drop dramatically. Why do the people argueing for these people are the same people that failed economics. They are eating a free lunch myself and everyone else paid for...
Hey dadonald, if costs go up past the allowed percentage increase set by the rent stab board then who pays for the shortfall? The landlord? He's not in the business of losing money, he raises the rent of those not on rent stab. Therefore I pay a portion of the deadbeats rent down the hall.
Jeez Louise,
again with the supply and demand crapola.
you really think rents will come down?
Landlords are stockpiling empty vacant apartments
so they can get their building out of stabilization
that's why they're harassing tenants.
It's greed, plain and simple.
How are rent stabilized tenants deadbeats if they pay their rent on time?
Go back to where you came from because
it's going to be a long hot summer
it's dinkins time.
albreenspan, right... the landlords will just keep raising rents, theres not tens of thousands of other apartments out there in competition to be filled. a landlord doesnt want to sit on a vacant apt for too long. supply and demand works basically in the rest of the non-comunist world, i dont understand why nyc politicians cant figure out that the laws they past with the best of intentions never helped the problem and only made it worse. look, if you subsidize housing, its like illegal imigration and employers, you are only helping the businesses who refuse to pay a living wage. By subsidizing, your taxes pay the difference between what someone makes and what they can afford in rent. simple as that. i'd just as soon get rid of this whole system, allow developers to build market rate apartments instead of restricting them becuase of these "affordable" laws and let the price slowly decline with supply to match peoples real wages.
Dearest In The Lord:
I am Mrs Rebecca Johnson. from Kuwait. I married
to late Dr Eric Johnson who worked with Kuwait
embassy in Ivory Coast for nine years before he died
in the year 2004.We were married for eleven years with
out a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted
for only four days.
Before his death we were both born again Christian.
Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a
child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is
against. When my late husband was alive he deposited a
box containing the sum of two Million Dollars in one
of the security company here in Abidjan.
Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for
the next Eight months due to cancer problem. Having
known my condition I decided to donate this fund to a
church that will utilize this money the way I am going
to instruct herein.
I want a church or Individual that will use this fund
for orphanages, widows, propagating the word of God
and to endeavor the house of God is maintained.
The Bible made us to understand that "Blessed is the
hand that giveth". I took this decision because I
don't have any child that will inherit this money and
my husband relatives are not Christians and I don't
want my husband's efforts to be used by unbelievers.
I don't want a situation where this money will be used
in an ungodly way. This is why I am taking this
decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where
I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom
of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says that "the lord will
fight my case and I shall hold my peace.
I don't need any telephone communication in this
regard because of my health hence the presence of my
husband's relatives around me always. I don't want
them to know about this development.
With God all things are possible. As soon as I receive
your reply I shall give you the contact of the
security company. I will also issue you an
authorisation letter that will prove you the present
beneficiary of this fund.
I want you and the church to always pray for me
because the lord is my shephard. My happiness is that
I lived a life of a worthy Christian. Whoever that
Wants to serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and
Truth.
Please always continue your prayers upon me.Contact
me on this email address any delay in your reply will
give me room in sourcing another church for this same
purpose. Please assure me that you will act
accordingly as I Stated herein. Hoping to receive your
reply.In the verbal inspiration of the Bible. This is what i believe.
In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.
That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.
Holiness to be God's standard of living for His people.
In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.
In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.
In the Lord's Supper and washing of the saints' feet.
In the pre-millennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Yours in Christ,
Mrs Rebecca Johnson.