We spend half our lives fighting for government regulations to protect people and expected that from government housing. Now you want us to give in to private ownership? What about private prisons, privately financed infrastructure repairs, private schooling instead of public, private pension Social Security and private healthcare companies? Are we going to someday cave in there also? You think that the profit factor will make things better with housing when rents have proven otherwise since the crash. This is like double talk. One minute you are for and now against the private corporate sector. Make up your minds and stick to it.
5
Oh great. Pour gasoline on the fire.
USA recipe for disaster: When in doubt privatize.
woo.. hoo...
4
Fix up all public housing for your new higher paid Amazon workers. Can't help feeling the poor will get shafted again.
3
I don't know what to think about these matters anymore. While I am opposed, on principle, to allowing "for profits" from being involved in managing agencies that should be in the public realm such as prisons and public housing, the fact is that public bureaucrats have shown such incompetence in carrying out their jobs in responsible fashions that perhaps the private sector could do better. The problem is that benefits that should go to those using government agencies will now be subjected to the avarice of landlords. Frankly I don't know what solution would be best for recipients of public assistance in the long run. Such is the conflict between the public sector bureaucrat who avoids responsibility and the private capitalist who puts their own self-interest before all else.
2
Given the incompetence and mismanagement at NYCHA and the city government, it would be wiser for most of all of the system to be run by private landlords who know their communities and can respond quickly to needs, while still being subject to regulatory oversight.
That being said, the conditions are so squalid that I wonder if properties should be sold off en masse so that private developers can rehabilitate or rebuild them while continuing to guarantee affordable access.
The city has not shown itself capable of running public housing.
6
Oh, goody lets give the henhouse keys to the fox. This idea is just plain dumb and desperate. Bad landlords must be licking their chops over this bonehead move. they will steal the money and use it to renovate (if this is an accurate term ) their own dwellings. NYCHA officials must be trying out some powerful weed.
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@General Noregia:
It's not just land lords, it's developers salivating over the land, especially, but not exclusively, in Manhattan.
6
Because that practice of taking the lowest bid works so well: https://www.macombdaily.com/news/local/utica-teachers-say-school-conditions-increasingly-filthy/article_72ac141c-e42d-11e8-a36c-3ff840d1d193.html?fbclid=IwAR211hXoe5Y0BaUKwUcmspX7Rs7PDmLseHd4TnXDfJw7jHQ_giXISIwi9XY
1
Highway robbery will be the big result here
3
Good idea. Bring in the Kushner Companies. They'll replace species of rat with another. But they have experience, being the biggest slumlord in Baltimore.
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This is an uglier variation of the book "Who Moved My Cheese".
It's designed to punish and categorize the poor.
Also what "unused space", you mean largely green spaces?
4
If Nycha can't manage its current properties, what makes anyone think they can do a better job overseeing developers whose goals are profits, not providing affordable housing?
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@Ososanna
The point is not to oversee developers abusing the rules ostensibly there to protect the poor.
There's lots of NYCHA housing land developers are salivating over, especially in Manhattan. The point is to fail.
2
So many of NYCs housing projects have giant parking garages or lots that could better used to build subsidized and market rate towers. Many of these developments were terribly thought out. Turning large parcels of land into suburban style developments. Think of Stuyvesant Town. You’ve got no reason to go there unless you live there. The opposite of what we call street life. If I had my way I’d tear down these places and rebuild them with streets restored and buildings being built up to the property line. I think zeckendorf towers near union square is a perfect example of how to build housing on large lots.
1
@BillBo
Finally, yes the parking lots do offer a way of building.
But no, DeBlasio is trying to destroy a playground on the upper east side.
You also have to remember that parking lots, let leave space for light to enter surrounding apartments.
Proceed with caution! Could turn out to be a case of the "fox guarding the chicken coop." Still, NYCHA is clearly dysfunctional, and if current NYCHA residents have experienced this transfer of management and most have found the effects to be mostly positive, with no impact on affordability or their rights as tenants, then it's worth giving this a shot.
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@AEK in NYC
And remember Reagan massively cut public housing funds.
I don't see anyone talking about restoring public funds to public housing--nation wide.
Right, developers love this; they'll work for it to fail, and then demand full control.
Also note how this NYTimes "reporting" conflates public housing with "affordable" regulated rentals with public housing.
1
It's definitely worth a try, especially if the private companies are as productive as that of Ocean Bay Apartments. What we have is not working, so let's move on. Can't get worse.
But we have money to subsidize our Amazon purchases, 1.5billion dollars worth. But we dont have money for public housing?
12
This is such a bad idea. Once developers get their hands on what they want, how would the city ensure that they are maintaining the NYCHA buildings.
3
@Terry-It's not like the city is maintaining the NYCHA buildings now! If fact, the NYT has reported clearly criminal acts to hide violations by city workers (rather than do the work they are paid for) and yet NO ONE has be arrested or even fired!
3