AA's "Fat Flier" Got Whole Row
Ashley Dupre On Tiger Woods' Babes: "At Least I Kept My Mouth Shut"
Same-Sex Marriage Blame Game Aims at Paterson, Addabbo
Wife Tries To Abort And Poison Husband's Lovechild
Rihanna's Random Airport Search
Yesterday, the New School held a forum to discuss how New York City will save its public housing. The New York City Housing Authority, which is the city's primary sources of affordable housing to 400,000 residents, has an annual shortfall of $225 million.
The Daily News reports that Sean Moss, the Regional Director for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the NY/NJ region, offered a suggestion that "prompted shocked murmurs." His idea: Sell some of the Housing Authority's buildings in expensive neighborhoods. "It may displace some people, and that is a concern...That is not necessarily a bad thing if you can create more housing with that. Instead of having 300 units [in a project], maybe there is a way to increase that if they are able to...sell those assets so that you can create more housing." There are some NYCHA developments in neighborhoods full of new, luxury development, but would that mean lower-income families would be shifted more remote places?
Some others on the panel were more cautious. Teamsters Local 237 president Gregory Floyd said, "We have something that's working. We would like this to be improved." And City Council member Rosie Mendez suggested the city help out by not charging the NYCHA for "police services, water, trash pickup and senior programs."
Last year, NYCHA chairman Tino Hernandez proposed a seven-point "Plan to Preserver Public Housing," which included a limited rent increase and use of Section 8 funding to support operations in 8,400 units. You can read it here (PDF).
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
My spider sense tells me that they don't give a shit about the people who live there, and they are being pressured to make the sale by developers who have some politicians in their back pockets.
Even if its a money loosing proposition, its for the public good. Find some other way to make it self sufficient.
This has been a rumor for years, particularly around the Chelsea projects.
Of course they don't give two shits about the people because the majority of tenants living in housing projects are low income to no income Blacks and Hispanics.
I guess someone finally said what everyone has been thinking.
I'm sure there are a lot of people who want to get rid of those projects around the High Line and get their hands on the land.
they should sell. it just makes common sense. get rid of government housing all together. poor people concentrated in one area is a bad idea.
governments aren't known to make the best businessmen. everything they run is a huge waste of money.
instead give out rent vouchers. this way people could live where ever they want within their means.
i have been saying this for years, they need to sell those projects in manhattan & build more housing in the bronx. it's only a matter of time. anyone who was shocked has just been living in denial. people who have jobs have been moving out of nyc because it's too expensive, it would be asinine to think that low-income people can afford to stay here.
Please get rid of those projects right by DUMBO, let's get some more luxe condos up.
they need to get rid of these eyesores yes, and build new, better, more efficient housing. however this new housing should be 40-50% low-mid income..
what have you been doing? no job? go and get one! there's really no excuse for people not to be working... these government handouts have got to stop... you think it's a waste of money to install camera's and security? well it's a waste of money to float perfectly capable hands to not work.
I do feel for some of the elderly and disabled, but their stories are far different than the woman pumping out more kids just to collect a little more money.
today's word is Job. J-O-B! Now go out and get one.
I live in Chelsea and I think the housing project and the diversity of incomes helps keep the neighborhood interesting and livable. When I walk by I see happy families living together, playing ball, running on the playground. We really don't need to replace that with another luxury condo.
While I believe it is sad that people will be displaced there has to be an understanding that free market economics have to be accepted. If something is losing 225 million per year we have to look at it financially. What can $225 million build? What could the sale of these properties generate? Frankly I've looked at the designs of these projects and they're horribly inefficient by design.
When most residential buildings have ground floor retail businesses assisting the building owner to pay the mortgage note these buildings have parks and playgrounds. The building design themselves aren't utilized to maximize occupancy or the land mass they're built on.
Further, when most individuals are paying that extra "city tax" to live here I hate to think that I'm paying the government to subsidize inefficiently run real estate properties.
This isn't saying "go F yourself and move to the outer edges of the boroughs" but it is saying that if you don't make enough to live in this city there are other options that you have to consider.
This makes a lot of sense. As horrible as it would be to force people to relocate, I think projects have pretty much been shown to be a failed experiment.
If we're going to subsidize housing, I think Armchair Warrior's idea of rent vouchers makes a lot more sense.
The party' over!! I don't care what you do as long as your not doing it here. And thoes activities include
1)making babies that you cant afford that will eventually rob my ass in 15yrs in front of thoes PJ's
2)Treating your living areas like shit.
3) Waking up at noon
C'mon guys help me out with #4-200
There are people in these Manhattan projects who DO make an honest living. Where will they be moved to? Don't assume that because someone lives in the projects they're uneducated and lazy.
Chelly, #14
I'm sorry f I came off a little harsh but i never said that they were uneducated i mearly stated that there seems to be an awful lot of able body young people around the PJ's that are not at work or school in the middle of the day. i'll go out on a limb and say that their lazy or working from home and taking a break from telecommuting.
Finally, someone within the system with the balls to say what most were thinking. The whole lottery system, income cutoff rules, self-reinforcing notions of entitlement that come part and parcel with Section 8 all reek of corruption and favoritism. Ask any low income person who didn't qualify for public assistance and is now living in a slum lord's rat hole what they think of the public housing system.
Take welfare out of government bureaucracy and turn it over to charities & non-profits where it belongs.
The projects are an eyesore and i think there has got be be a better way. I would like to see the city sell the land to developers and give low income people a "Section 8" like check and require all landlords to accept them. Maybe even a "first Condo" program so that we get more home owners. Crowding poor people together in buildings made in 1960's is not going to help anyone. Developers will continue to build apartments in the city on every square foot they can find. The more houses there are on the market the lower the price of rent. Of course this would have to be done slowly so that new building come online before the people are displaced.
P.S.: Likewise with those homeless shelters around Park Avenue.
You are right, lots of us think it but never say it. Yes, they should all go. And maybe it will help lower the rents in NYC if the market is flooded with apartments. It all makes sense to get rid of them. I for one do not appreciate the free ride that some people get. When it was necessary I worked 2 jobs to make it all happen. Some people are just used to the idea of free money. Hey, give me some, instead you (the wonderful city of NY)double my house tax over the past 6 years!! That's just not fair. :
There are waterfront highrises in Roberto Clemente Park on the Harlem River in the Bronx that would be highly desirable. And the oceanfront Moses project out on the Rockaways that didn't pan out the way he imagined. He thought he was creating the ideal residence, but the residents weren't interested in the beach and were stranded from jobs. Anyway, we shouldn't simply displace people. Current residents should be helped to become homeowners. Other units can be sold (with the current tenants' leases honored for a generous period). Hopefully the effect would be like the co-oping of New York in the 70s and 80s. Many stable communities created.
lower manhattan: I'm not sure your co-oping idea is realistic. Also, I'm not sure it's fair. What's to stop these "new homeowners" from reselling their new condos at fair market rates?