New York, NY10029
P (212) 860-6001 F (212) 996-9481
Press Release
For Immediate Release: Contact:
11:00am--July 26, 2007 David DodgeOffice: 212-860-6001 Cell: 917-312-3398
Alexa Kasdan Cell: 646-400-2657
Elected Officials Take First-Hand Look at
NYC Public Housing Conditions on Resident-Led Tour of Developments
Group Calls onElected Officials to Put Pressure on Governor Spitzer to Sign Legislation that would add$47 Million to Housing Authority’s Budget
New York City – This morning, public housing residents who are also members of Community Voices Heardtook elected officials through the buildings, apartments, and grounds of Wagner and Drew Hamilton Houses, both public housing developments in East and Central Harlem.
The tour highlighted dilapidated playgrounds, bathrooms without walls and burnt-out hallways, conditions that exist, residents say,due to diminishing government resources for public housing. The group ended the tour with a press conference where public housing residents, elected officials and union leadership called on Governor Spitzer to sign the shelter allowance bill (S.4329/A.7905) which would significantly increase state funding to NYCHA.
The tour first took elected officials to an apartment where residents have been waiting two years forrepairs to abathroom wall. Instead of a wall, a sheet of plastic hangs, exposing pipes and other hazardous materials. Agnes Rivera, a long-time resident of Wagner Houses and a leader at Community Voices Heard explained the importance of showing elected officials these conditions first hand. “We are bringing our elected officials on this tour to show them that our housing is deteriorating. The Housing Authority doesn’t have the money to make the repairs that the families living in public housing need,” Ms. Rivera said.
Ms. Rivera, who entered public housing as a survivor of domestic violence also relayed to officials how crucial public housing is as a source of affordable housing for people in need. “I was in the shelter system, due to a domestic violence situation, and was lucky to have public housing as my safe haven. Public housing has helped me live in an affordable home and to afford sending my children to college. My children want to be able to afford the same things for their children.”
The tour continued to Drew Hamilton Houses in Central Harlem where residents showed elected officials a hallway with tar covered walls. The walls, damaged in a fire over a year ago, have not been cleaned, despite resident complaints.
Throughout the tour, residents from public housing developments across the city displayed photographs of problems in their apartments to show that problems are not isolated in these two developments. Photos showed massive holes
-more-
in walls of apartments and piles of uncollected garbage in front of buildings. Residents outside the buildings also held signs saying “Governor Spitzer Save our Homes.”
At the press conference following the tour, Anne Washington, a resident of Grant Houses in Central Harlem said, “Governor Spitzer needs to sign the shelter allowance bill, which would put more money into public housing, so we can continue to live in our homes. It will allow us to begin to see improvements in the infrastructure of the buildings. It will allow us to continue receiving services and keep rent affordable.”
The shelter allowance bill or S.4329/A.7905, which could add $47 million to this year’s NYCHA budget, is awaiting a signature from Governor Spitzer. The bill which was sponsored by Representative Vito J. Lopez in the Assembly and Senator Andrew Lanza in the Senate recently passed both houses of the New YorkState legislature. If passed, the bill would make the amount the state pays to NYCHA for residents that receive public assistance equal to the amount it pays to private landlords who also house public assistance recipients.
Elected officials, including Councilmember Rosie Mendez, chair of the city council’s public housing committee, also called on Governor Spitzer to help NYCHA grapple with its deficit. “There is no explanation for public housing authorities receiving less than half the payment private landlords receive for the same size apartment. I urge the Governor to sign the bill and avert the unthinkable consequence that NYCHA is financially unable to continue to provide quality, low-cost housing for New Yorkers that are least able to afford shelter in our city’s overheated private housing market.”
Council member Mellissa Mark Viverito, who represents East Harlem, the section of the city with one of the highest concentrations of public housing and the location of Wagner Houses stressed the importance of public housing in New York City. She said, “Our public housing developments form the cornerstone of our city's affordable housing stock. As elected officials and legislators we have a responsibility to ensure that our state and city budgets allocate desperately needed funds to preserve this vital source of affordable housing--doing anything short of this is irresponsible.”
In order to cover its deficit, NYCHA has been raising the rents of public housing residents, imposing fees for home appliances, cutting back on making urgent improvements and renovations and selling off property. As part of its cost cutting measures, NYCHA is also planning to lay off 500 workers by the fall.
Speaking at the press conference, Lillian Roberts, Executive Director of DC 37, the largest public employee union in New York City and one of the unions that represents NYCHA workers said, “It is outrageous that the NYC Housing Authority proposes eliminating 500 jobs through layoffs and attrition to balance its budget. Instead, we must urge Governor Spitzer to sign the shelter allowance bill just passed by the state legislature. This bill will increase the reimbursement rate to NYCHA for residents on public assistance and help preserve critical jobs as well as affordable housing.”
Residents also explained that Spitzer made promises to reinstate state funding for public housing during his campaign for Governor last fall. Since 1998, New YorkState has not provided any funding for public housing. While the state did allocate 3.4 million dollars of operating subsidiesfor state built public housing in New York City this year, this figure is far short of the $225 million needed by NYCHA to cover its budget shortfall.
Efrain Ortiz a 15 year resident of Jefferson Houses in East Harlem echoed the concerns of others speaking today, “We are conducting this tour of public housing to show our elected officials that we need to save public housing for people with low-incomes. It is a good place to raise children. People want to stay living in their apartments; people have lived in their homes for so long. If public housing is not around anymore, where are we going to live?”
Community Voices Heard (CVH) is a grassroots, membership-led organization composed of residents of public housing and other low-income New Yorkers fighting for changes in our communities. CVH members were joined by allies from the New York Is Our Home (NYIOH) coalition and PHROLES, WeACT, HOPE Community Inc, DC 37, Teamsters Local 237, Red Hook Initiative and representatives from Assembly Members Herman Farrell, Adam Clayton Powell IV and Keith Wright.
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