Gov. Signs Shelter Allowance Increase for NYCHA

On Aug. 15, the Governor signed a bill to increase NYCHA's shelter allowance to the level that private landlords receive for tenants on public assistance. This is an important step forward in the effort to secure public housing for the 600,000 New Yorkers who live in these developments. The shelter allowance increase will provide an additional $63 million in funding to NYCHA over the next two years.Thanks to all who campaigned for this. The intensive push of calls and letters, press work and other grassroots organizing paid off. The Governor was under pressure to avoid this spending, but ultimately did the right thing. There is much more to do to ensure full funding for public housing and to preserve other types of housing low and middle-income families rely on, but this is an important moment to celebrate.

Message from Starrett City Tenant Leader on Buy Out Notice

From Linda Tilton, ACORN member and Starrett City Leader:

We got rid of the potential buyer, Clipper Equity, who was trying to buy Starrett City for $1.3 billion. For that much money, Clipper would have had no choice but to raise rent and displace tenants who could not afford the new high rents.

But here we go again! We just got a buy out notice – the landlord wants to leave the Mitchell-Lama program. It’s sad to think that Starrett City might not remain as it is. The people who built Starrett City built something wonderful and should be proud of this. Instead, the money becomes most important, not the people or the place. We are going to remain strong and united. We are not giving up.

Starrett City Receives Buy Out Notice

Tenants of Starrett City, the country's largest federally subsidized complex with 5,881 apartments, received notice on Wednesday August 29 of their owner's intention to buy out of the Mitchell Lama program.

Join tenants and elected officals for a rally and meeting on Wed. Sept. 5th at 7pm at the Christian Cultural Center at Flatlands and Louisianna Avenues (across the street from the Pathmark).

Knickerbocker Tenants Hit with Buy Out Notice

Along with Castleton (Staten Island) and General Sedgwick (Bronx), Knickerbocker Plaza (Manhattan) was recently hit with a notice that their landlord plans to buy out of the Mithcell Lama program.

Without the cultural history of Genderal Sedgwick -- this development produced hip hop artist Kool Herc -- Knickerbocker lacks the same creative option to avoid buy out. (Sedgwick tenants are working to get their building historic landmark status.) But Knickerbocker tenants are organizing as energetically as ever, and recently secured a piece in the New York Times featuring this photograph.

Support Castleton, Sedgwick, Knickerbocker, Starrett City and all Mitchell Lama tenants -- organize for affordable housing and Mitchell Lama preservation!

MESSAGE FROM RITA POPPER, KNICKERBOCKER TENANT LEADER:

Although shocked by our buy out notice --we thought it was due much later --
we remain united in our effort to make sure that all the tenants, not only enhanced voucher-eligible tenants, get the right to remain in their apartments.

Loss of Knickerbocker Plaza from the affordable housing pool would be a tragedy, as would be the loss of other Mitchell Lama developments. I look around my neighborhood and see nothing but luxury housing or walk-up tenements where the median monthly rent is $2,500 and I am shocked. In a way, getting rid of all affordable housing is akin to "financial cleansing." Luxury or market rate housing produces a very transient community. Affordable housing is the strong thread in the fabric of a community – it means stability.

This is a sad day because of the lack of foresight of our city planners. We have worked very hard to get legislation to preserve affordable housing. Unfortunately, immediate financial gain by owners who do not live in our community is superseding the will and ability of our city’s affordable housing planners. Let's keep working to get preservation legislation. It's the tenants’ only hope.

Spitzer signs 421a legislation

Gov. Spitzer signed the 421a legislation on Friday August 24th. Some key provisions are:

-Expansion of the area within which affordable housing must be built to include all Manhattan and more outer borough neighborhoods

-Affordable units must be in the developments themselves -- no off-site certificates allowed

-Special provisions for the Atlantic Yards project, allowing it to claim tax breaks for higher income housing; however, this special treatement may be amended in further legislation

Check out the Pratt Center for Community Development's website for a map and more info: http://www.prattcenter.net/nyc421areform.php.

Read about Public Housing in the Gotham Gazette

Did you know NYC was the first US city to build public housing? Learn more in Joe Lamport's recent article, "Hard Times in the Projects."

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/housing/20070820/10/2261