The mayor talked explicitly about improving the level of ‘happiness’ in New York City as he rolled out proposals for universal healthcare, universal retirement security and mandatory paid leave.
Rev. David Brawley, a leader of Brooklyn NYCHA tenants pressing the mayor for answers, says a lack of trust will hamper many of the initiatives the authority has announced as it tries to save the housing on which 400,000 people depend.
The precarious electrical situation at the Jackson Houses, which are home to 2,357 people, has led to chronic power outages that trap people in elevators and send over-heated residents to the hospital, residents say.
‘There needs to be a moratorium on any new development schemes until NYCHA housing complies with all New York City building codes.’
A year-long investigation found that ‘many of the families who rely on NYCHA’s emergency transfer program are not getting the help they need.’
‘The best solution is the most obvious one: Start investing in public housing again.’
The city’s framework leaves big questions to answer, forces major issues off the table altogether, and triggers legitimate doubts about the unintended consequences of a rezoning. It also could be a genuine attempt to fashion the neighborhood everyone wants.
The reality is that, no matter how streamlined its management nor how transparent its spending plans may be, NYCHA just does not have the resources it needs.
Landmark decisions about the policing of public housing and stop-and frisk put the NYPD on a path of reform. But, the author argues, the department needs a stronger push from the outside to make real changes.
A long, multifaceted public-engagement process produced a planning framework with many positives and few surprises for neighborhood advocates. But two areas of concern remain.
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