The New York City housing situation is a never-ending story of housing plans and problems. There will always be a new housing plan. The next mayor will see to that. The hope is that the next mayor will look for answers that will not make the situation worse. But that person will be saddled with the mess that this mayor’s building plan leaves him.
Success will bring failure
My first article in this series stated that the mayor’s housing plan will fail. I need to change that a little. The execution of the housing plan will succeed. But the plan will ultimately fail the communities touched by it.
The mayor’s housing plan relies on keeping the community in the dark. When locating “suitable” areas for construction the community is seldom informed. NYCHA may publicize its intention to sell property but the city, in general, does what it wants. Usually with little announcement or fanfare.
Since starting this article new construction begins on another development in East New York. Yet I never heard anything about it. I doubt if the homeowners next to the now-vacant lots heard anything. But that seems par for the course.
Another in the dark move
When placing the homeless, backroom deals are the method of choice. This weekend it came out that the city once again made a deal to use a hotel as a homeless shelter. This deal like the one in Maspeth was made without community notice. See: Another Protest Against Homeless Shelters and Rockaway’s Playland Motel Now Renting Rooms to Homeless Families
How much this time?
As detailed in Unfair Housing Rents. I showed that the city pays too much when renting apartments for the homeless. With this latest deal, the question arises, “How much will this one cost us”?
No Answers…No Permits
The mayor’s housing plan looks good on the surface. All that construction gives the impression of a city on the move. But we need to take a deeper look and ask questions. Such as:
- How will this impact the community?
- Can the schools in the area handle the increased student population?
- Will new developments remove amenities such as recreational areas?
- Will the area become gentrified?
- If so will the present residences be able to afford to live there?
- Who will oversee the development?
- How much will the rent cost in actual numbers?
- I.e. 2-bedroom will cost (Actual Rent Amount)
- How will the city make sure that affordable rent amounts never expire?
These are questions that need to be answered. The answers must be concise and verifiable. We must never accept answers such as, “I will get back to you” or “We don’t have that information right now”. When given such brush offs our response must be, “ Until we have answers that satisfy our questions, your project is a no go”.
Consider the Following
- Mayor De Blasio wants to be known as the housing mayor. Fine but let’s make him earn it. Put his feet and the feet of his administration to the fire and demand better.
- Right now we have homeless shuffled around like cattle. So the city can build upscale housing in an armory. This is housing we do not need. The mayor again must do better.
- The plan calls for “increased population density” aka dense packing developments with tall buildings. Dense packing doesn’t work and tall buildings do not belong next to private homes. I would like to see what people in the mayor’s neighborhood would say if he tried this in their area.
- When the plan was first put forward our civic leaders thought this was a good thing. But I wonder if they have taken a real-time look at the plan so far.
- If I am wrong then nothing bad happens. But if I am right low and middle-income families are gonna be hurt… bad.
Final Word To The Mayor
The litmus test for any part of your building plan is very simple. If you wouldn’t do it in your neighborhood don’t do it in ours.
You have just read: The never-ending story of the New York Housing Plan and Problems
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and nothing stated here is legal advice. This article applies to the five boroughs of New York. All information deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Always check the real estate laws in your part of the country.
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