HUD Official Speaks the Unspeakable: Selling The Projects
As we’ve mentioned before, rumors about the privatization of certain public housing projects in parts of rapidly gentrifying areas of Brooklyn have been circulating for a couple of years. Most recently, we wrote about the theory that the Ingersoll and Whitman Houses in Fort Greene were being emptied in anticipation of such a move; it’s…
As we’ve mentioned before, rumors about the privatization of certain public housing projects in parts of rapidly gentrifying areas of Brooklyn have been circulating for a couple of years. Most recently, we wrote about the theory that the Ingersoll and Whitman Houses in Fort Greene were being emptied in anticipation of such a move; it’s also not hard to imagine something similar happening at the Farragut Houses, given their close proximity to Dumbo, the most expensive neighborhood in Brooklyn. Given what a politically and emotionally charged issue this is, however, no public official has ever said anything in its favor, as far as we know. But, on Tuesday, Sean Moss, the regional administrator for the federal Housing and Urban Development Department, went out on a serious limb. In light of the New York Housing Authority’s dismal financial position (an annual shortfall of $200 million), he said, selling public housing buildings in the most upscale areas could make sense. “It may displace some people, and that is a concern,” Moss said. “That is not necessarily a bad thing if you can create more housing [elsewhere] with that.” We’ll see whether political pressures force him to backpedal in the coming days.
Feds Eye NY Building Sale at Housing Projects [NY Daily News]
Bye Bye Public Housing, Hello Luxe Condos? [Curbed]
What’s Really Going on at the Ingersoll Houses? [Brownstoner]
There are some valid points from both sides of the issue however, if you guys are still going to use Chicago as a evidence that tearing down public housing or selling off prime real estate housing, then you are not doing your homework. This bullet point proves the point of housing advocates. If I am reading the articles correctly, the data shows that all politicians in Chicago did was move the problem from one area to another. Also, crime did not decrease it increased. So….. come with facts that are at least in favor of your argument before you use them.
As for handing the buildings to the tenants, that is called co-ops and there has been a history in NYC of these buildings failing and the city has to go and bring them back into the fold.
My opinion on this topic is NYCHA needs to update thier system and bring talented people to manage the conglomorate of buildings. Centralization of the application process and localization of the day to day running.
It’s called budgeting and allocations of resource prudently.
Also, I think that they should look into green measures to help allivate many of the power and water usage. In turn lower utility costs. It saves money that can be used else where.
Just a thought.
I know this topic is rather old, but I happened to come upon it when I was googling to get info on NYCHA. I currently live in the projects; Lafayette Gardens (LG) in Clinton Hill. I am not shocked at what I have read in this forum, and although I have not read it in its entirety, I have read most of your posts and I can only come up with one question.
What IS the solution? Most of you are saying why this should be done or not be done, but I really haven’t seen anyone turn this into a discussion of solution. Someone asked for a latte. Why don’t you make it yourself Because the person that is making that latte for you definitely could not live in your world because you obviously believe that there is no need for affordable housing. Do you really think someone serving coffee can afford to live in a gluxorry condo? And being working class poor means you have no right to your own home? Even if it is just the projects, it’s better than a cold bench in the park, or perhaps on the stoop of your beautiful brownstone. If your car stops running, do you FIX it, or trash it? There is alot wrong with the projects, but there’s also alot of good things. It’s just that some things need fixin.’ So many children would be out in the cold if there were no projects, and probably in the foster care system as well. There are always some bad apples in a bushel, nothing is perfect in this world we live in. I have lived in this neighborhood since diapers (they didn’t have pampers back then) and witnessed many changes in fort greene/clinton hill, some good, some bad. I used to live in a brownstone, until I found out from the bank that the owners were taking my hard earned money and spending it on things other than the mortgage. The building was in foreclosure, the bank took it back, and I had to pack up my children and vacate the premises. This is MY nabe, I was here first! I stayed in the ‘hood through the good and the bad, so why should I have to leave? Nobody can say that relocating/moving is an easy task, even if you have the money to pay for all the expenses that come with it. And it’s not just about being able to afford to move. When you have lived somewhere for such a long time it is an emotional strain as well. My children are adults now and they all moved out of NY sooner than I care to say. Now I am alone, slightly disabled and NYCHA will soon be putting me up for a transfer to a smaller apt. I don’t want to leave my home. I put so much into it and created so many good memories and built some friendships in and out of the projects. I will probably lose most everything because I don’t have anyone to help me move, and I can’t afford to hire a moving company. If I were given the opportunity to own my home, that would be wonderful. Bottom line: I’m just as human as you are and if you had to live this way you would feel just as I do.
I am all for change for the better. But not at the expense of another human beings demise. If we could put a black man in the white house, which nobody thought would ever happen, then we can improve the conditions in NYCHA.
With that said, I’d like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy, lucky New Year.
Best regards,
DrummerGirl
Wow, Faithful and Montrose Morris….still reading this thread even though it’s off Crownstoner’s main front page already.
I agree with you’all. This supposed S.W. is full of it. Hhhh… Frankly, between you’all, me and the Internet lamp post, many of the social workers I know and deal with don’t seem to know what in heck’s going on. Sometimes they are shockingly ignorant of how healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, and social services operate and overlap or not…and are happy to get some pretty decent salaries.
They’ve got their own issues as well like all of us.
You see rather average intelligence people managing to get that 2-year MSW and then going out and unleashing their blahness on the populace. It reminds me of my friends and acquaintances who got MFAs. A two-year degree and you can go “teach” on the university level, go figure. Granted salaries for fine arts profs are not the same as those for computer science or engineering professors but still, it’s the only masters degree that can lead to a tenured university professorship. Sweet. And, some (read “MOST”) of those “art teachers” in the academy are worth less than nothing. Sad state of affairs. In fact, for boomers in certain art fields, there were no MFAs offered in the 60’s through the 80’s so some have gotten tenure with no masters. Even sweeter…
All this blither and maybe I’m doing 10:10 a disservice. Maybe, 10:10 is a SW making 28K/year…
Bye y’all!
FG/GL
Good for you MM!!! I totally agree with you. I grew up in the projects and many times there are generations who reside there because they cannot afford anything. I consider myself fortunate because my children will grow up in their own home, not many people in the projects get that opportunity. As much as I would like to rent my apartments for $200, it’s just not feasible. I have to live too and there is no way I would be able to survive. Just because homeowners do not rent their apartments way below market rate or do not accept Section 8 doesn’t mean they are not productive in other ways when it comes to people who are less fortunate than they are.
10:10 — Would you be a social worker if you weren’t paid? I don’t think so…and I wouldn’t expect you to be a social worker and not be paid. How would you survive? The same applies to us mom & pop homeowners. Our two and three family homes are not going to solve the problems that will be created if these projects become phased out.
10:10, that’s a load of horsehocky.
By your own definition of one’s devotion to social action, as a social worker, then YOU should be living in the worst project or slum, in the worst neighborhood, in the worst conditions imaginable, to prove your commitment to the betterment of your clients. Perhaps you should also be an addict, a spousal abuser, jobless and uneducated. Of course, you are not, nor do I expect that from you, or think that you are less successful or dedicated to your clients because you have not lived what they live.
Social activism, or caring about one’s fellow man, is not method acting. I don’t need to bankrupt myself to prove that I care. In fact, I can’t help anyone else if I can’t take care of myself. I don’t know why you keep harping on a course of action that you would never follow yourself.
If you are indeed a dedicated social worker, then you should be glad of the commitment and work that others, including myself, are doing for the community. Again, and for the last time, you have absolutely no idea what I do with my social commitments,time and money, so how about putting your misplaced righteous indignation to good work, working on the causes you believe in, and let me work on mine, without this absurd pissing contest. I’m not in competition with you, nor am I required to justify or prove my social bona fides to you or anyone else, except my Creator.
Monstrose Morris/Crown Heights Proud/Brower Park:
As usual, when you are faced with a tough question, you simply refuse to speak.
You ask what have I done for anyone lately? I am a social worker who has dedicated my career to helping others. That’s why I have little patience for people like you who talk a good game and demand action from others but are not willing to do the same if it requires personal sacrifice (i.e. $$$) on your part.
9:26 pm
“Public Housing is neccessary, unfortunately, made even more so by recent higher housing costs…”
The reason why housing costs are so high is because things like rent control, rent stabilization, apartments staying in families for generations and huge (sq. footage) apartments not following any type of market-based cost per sq. footage logic (i.e., someone in the projects paying less than $800 for a 3-bdrm) artificially depress supply so demand goes through the roof for “affordable housing”.
Sandy
Guest 11:40 posted this in part:
“Section 8 needs to be expanded. AND landlords who accept Section 8 should be made to keep rental units in good condition. They often (usually) do not. Landlords often collect steep rents on their Section 8 units (our tax dollars at work) but fail to maintain them.”
Having been a landlord, I can tell you that rents certainly aren’t steep and barely cover a proportional share of the mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, tickets and other maintenance and upkeep of the apartment. Yes, there are slumlords out there, but as with any other business, when income doesn’t cover the “outgo” (expenses), services get cut. Since rent can’t be raised and the mortgage must be paid, maintenance and upkeep get deferred. Also, let me point out that although there are some good Section 8 tenants, a lot are “professional” tenants that will mess up a an apartment in good condition.
There above are but a few reasons why landlords don’t accept Section 8 and Voucher programs in general.
Sandy
A few months back I wrote a blog entry regarding this very issue which I hope you enjoy for it lighthearted hilarity.
http://gentryornot.blogspot.com/2007/08/upside-of-poverty.html