Between 30-40 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) sites across the city are being considered for the agency's infill program — adding mixed-income developments to underused NYCHA sites, the agency's CEO, Shola Olatoye announced at a heated City Council hearing last night. At the moment, this particular program is moving forward at two sites - the Holmes Towers at 403 East 93rd Street on the Upper East Side, and at Wyckoff Gardens at 185 Nevins Street in Boerum Hill. But what the meeting revealed last night was the fact that while residents at both developments will have input on what the final new development might look like, the project will move forward — regardless of community opposition.
A typical new building at a NYCHA site will have 50 percent market rate units, and the other half will be affordable. Of these affordable units, 25 percent will be set aside for NYCHA residents to apply to. And the affordable units will be open to those who make about 60 percent of the area median income, which NYCHA estimated to be $46,600 for a family of three.
The major concern for residents however, that City Councilman Ritchie Torres, who heads the public housing committee, made clear to NYCHA officials was that residents have been mostly cut out of the process — yes they can provide opinions, but the development is moving forward anyway.
Residents who spoke at the meeting stressed that the agency should find alternative means for funding repairs at existing NYCHA buildings.
"How can the government find $4 billion to fund a Penn Station renovation but find no money for public housing?" Darnell Brown, a resident at Holmes Towers, pointedly asked the officials.
16 comments:
Well why don't the city council pass a law and prevent this from happening? They know how to pass retarded nonsense on a daily basis, so why not listen to the people and do something beneficial for once? We don't need any more housing or people in this city, especially at the expense of building over the few open areas we have.
Yet another reason to participate in governing. The pols hold meetings at the projects and no one shows up. There are safety in numbers - you got to band together and work together people.
Just because someone speaks up don't use it is an excuse to knife him in the back to get a dollop of ice cream money.
Still think you have any say ? In Anything ?
This is pointless. It's like Shola, the predator developer's patsy and puppet, is going to let the communities vent their frustrations and they are still going forward with this absurd and somewhat fascist plan to plunder the lots. It looks like they seem to get a sadistic titillation out of disenfranchising people of their rights and seeing how mad they get and the despair and worry they will bring home with them.
This is fucking criminal. And who are going to apply for the market rate apartments in these towers? And why would people that can afford the market rate need the government's help in getting them?
People vs government means people lose every time.accept it.
Why not use the land for additional houses? I'm sorry but I'm a middle class taxpayer and I don't have vast park-like grounds. I don't have a parking space that I can rent for $60 per year!
NYC will have a housing crisis as long as the government uses below-market-rate apartments as a method to lock in votes. By tying up all the lower rent units for friends of the government, the rest of us have to pay more. Use some of this vacant land for sorely needed housing, don't build a 7 family house in the middle of a one-family house neighborhood. Bah!
Correct, Anonymous #5. Why not in-fill housing? There are plenty of New Yorkers looking for affordable homes. Maybe this will also have a positive impact on the original housing.
When you look at it historically, the City bulldozed neighborhoods that they deemed "slums" (though many were poor, but functioning working neighborhoods). The elitist Robert Moses often made the "slum" classification decision. The City then built the projects and moved people unwillingly out of the former neighborhoods. The projects were built in (then) unattractive areas of the city.
So the poor people were screwed once in losing their first home, secondly by getting placed in crappy areas of the city in highrises, and thirdly now that we realize that the properties are newly valuable.
I know the 60 dollar parking rate (if true)makes people think the project dweller is getting some great deal, but realistically how many QC readers would really want to live in these projects given the horrific non-maintenance, danger, rats, leaks etc. etc. etc.
I'm sure many comments are awaiting......
Who wants to live feet away from 26 story buildings filled with savages?
"Who wants to live feet away from 26 story buildings filled with savages?"
Not me ! I turned down living in the Big Six Towers when I saw how unattractive it would be to live in a box between two major roadways and the Jets from LGA bombarding me with fumes and noise ! If you have a choice there are many other places to live and raise a family and not live with the urban shibboleths !
So the Bland Houses' open space in downtown Flushing will soon be developed by a Chinese developer.
"Savages"?
The real social engineering behind it all is to eventually drive out what REBNY feels are the underprivileged "savages".
Urban renewal...Black removal.
There is valuable land to be developed in NYC's shrinking open , developable blueprint.
Who is going to pay market rates to live in the hood? Boy, they really smoking a lot of pot at NYCHA and City Hall these days! Let me clue them in-- NO ONE. The result will be this rooms will go to hoodies and homeless.
who the hell is going to be the 'market rate' tenants? who in their right mind would pay full price to live amongst the animals?
"How can the government find $4 billion to fund a Penn Station renovation but find no money for public housing?" Darnell Brown, a resident at Holmes Towers, pointedly asked the officials.
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Because one will generate money, either directly by rents or by allowing access to the city for workers and business, and the other is a giant waste of dollars they will never result in a positive outcome.
Have any of you doubters checked the location of these two projects? They're right in fancy neighborhoods. People already pay millions to live a block away from them
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