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Last summer, #DefundNYPD and \u201cdefund police\u201d more generally became a rallying cry for activists – so loud that it became a seriouspolicy question that cities across the country had to reckon with during budget negotiations. And now it is a central question during our city elections this year. Through our work as the Justice For All Coalition, we learned that some residents are weary of this movement, worried that it could put themselves, their families, and their neighbors at greater risk, so we undertook a closer examination of the relationship between policing and the experiences of residents living in public […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Tenants in New York State has a legal right to safe and habitable homes. It is called the Warranty of Habitability. When this right is violated by a landlord tenants have a legal right to withhold their rent. This means that if you have no hot water, no heat, rodent infestations, broken appliances, leaking pipes, mold, or other issues that render your apartment less habitable or even hazardous, you landlord has a legal obligation to address it. When they don’t, you can withhold your rent. Landlords are not always honest actors, so rent strikes are not without risks, but these […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
JFAC Excecutive Committee member Kristen Hackett speaks with Bronxnet about The Blueprint and what it means for public housing, and what the alternatives are \u2013 in an interview following the State Housing Committee hearing on December 8, 2020. Questions addressed in 12 min interview include: Who is the Justice For All Coalition and what is your mission. What exactly is NYCHA’s Blueprint for Change? Why are tenants and JFAC advocating to #halttheblueprint? The State Assembly Housing Commiteee recently held a hearing to discuss this blueprint. Some NYCHA residents were able to attend. What happened at this hearing? We’re there any […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
NYCHA has been moving at breakneck speed to privatize public housing. First with infill, then with RAD and PACT, and now with the Blueprint. This latest plan was announced in July, and already, hearings are planned on legislation that has been proposed by NYCHA, and NYCHA is closing its public comment period by the end of the year. Meanwhile, too many folks don\u2019t know what the Blueprint is and what it means for them, their right to housing, and their future. In short, these plans together will end public housing as we know it, and thus must be stopped today. […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
The people in New York City leading both the efforts to bring attention to the deteriorating conditions in our public housing, and the efforts to have them repaired, are their residents. It is important to recognize that government and civic organizations, as well as the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) itself, have only followed after. We all benefit from public housing, and the entire city would be hugely affected by its loss. However, NYCHA residents need to be recognized as both the people with the most at stake, and the people who have taken the most direct initiative to […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
News outlets were full of reports of New York City Housing Authority\u2019s (NYCHA) systemic failures at the end of 2017. When questioned whetherpeople who live in public housing deserve the same standard of living aspeople in private housing, Mayor Bill de Blasio explained \u201c[p]eople in pub-lic housing deserve the very best living standard we can give them with themoney we have.\u201d This statement both manages to acknowledge the dig-nity of the tenants and yet still excuses the city\u2019s failure to provide healthyhousing. Dr. Ben Carson, who as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development (HUD) oversees public housing […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
A conversation revived. The economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an astonishing $14 billion budget deficit in New York, with projections of up to $30 billion by 2022, according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In efforts to minimize the cash flow crunch and increase capital funding of the state\u2019s economy, state legislators have turned to the New York City real estate market for relief. Most relevant is the revival of the \u201cpied-\u00e0-terre\u201d property tax surcharge on qualifying non-primary residences within the state.\u00a0 \u201cPied-\u00e0-terre,\u201d (French for \u201cfoot on the ground\u201d) typically describes a secondary residence, often […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Please join us for a press conference and rally that is happening on: Thursday October 29th at 3p at 250 Broadway. The press conference is spear-headed by tenants who live in NYCHA developments across the city – including Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses in Queens, South Beach Houses in Staten Island, and Jefferson Houses and Holmes-Isaac Towers in Manhattan – who are fed up with the neglect by NYCHA and elected officials, and the resulting unsafe and uninhabitable living conditions that threaten their health and well-being. Multiple tenants will be announcing that they will be or are already withholding their rent, […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
While Trump has been attempting to slash funds for public housing, his budget proposals and our approved budget show a consistent influx of funds to the Dept of Defense. Today, under Trump, the United States is spending more on its military than at any point since World War II, with the brief exception of the invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s. In 2015, the military accounted for more than 50% of discretionary funding. And its not just “a lot” in the context of the US. Our military budget accounts for 40% of the total money spent on military worldwide. […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
RAD is a program through which public housing buildings and units are transferred from Section 9 to Section 8, and private entities are brought in to management and repair the buildings. We looked into these private entities to learn a bit more about who the city was transferring control over too – who’s hands were they putting NYCHA tenants in? This preliminary analysis examined the development, management, construction and social service entities that have been assigned to NYCHA developments that are in the process of undergoing RAD conversions or have already. In contrast to the hopeful promises expressed by the […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
What are the City\u2019s plans for public housing, what would they mean for tenants and how can we fight for more? This will be the topic of conversation for a series of teach-ins starting this week at Queensbridge. Next week we’ll be at Ravenswood Houses on Wednesday, and we’ll put out a schedule of additional dates for when you can join us.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Privatization is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days, especially in the context of public housing, but what is privatization and why is it dangerous? Understanding privatization also helps us understand the broader nature of what is happening with public housing today, and what it could look like tomorrow if we don’t act. We speak with Si Kahn and Elizabeth Minnich, authors of the new book, \u201cThe Fox In The Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy\u201d that exposes the damage privatization has done in several areas of society including, schools, prisons and the military. This 15 minute segment […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
NYCommons.org helps New Yorkers impact decisions about\u00a0public land and buildings in their neighborhoods. As they explain: Vibrant public spaces strengthen communities and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. They provide opportunities for learning, health and recreation, as well as connecting with friends and neighbors. But all too often, publicly owned spaces are sold or taken out of public control with very little meaningful public input. This website\u00a0is part of a strategy for\u00a0breaking this pattern and giving New York City residents a chance to have a say in the decisions that affect their communities.\u00a0 We gravitated towards this resource because […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
New York is facing a $14.5 billion budget gap this fiscal year, federal relief dollars don\u2019t appear to be forthcoming, and schools and local governments are facing deep budget cuts. The coronavirus pandemic \u2013\u00a0and the financial nightmare it created \u2013 prompted some progressive lawmakers and activists to double down on a question that New York has been weighing for years: Should we increase taxes on the state\u2019s wealthiest residents? Continue reading >> How New York could raise taxes on the rich | CSNY For those advocating around public institutions like public housing, “tax the rich” is not a new request. […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Please join us for a press conference and rally that is happening on: Saturday September 26th at 4p at the red steps in Times Square. The press conference is spear-headed by tenants who live in NYCHA developments across the city – including Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses in Queens, South Beach Houses in Staten Island, and Jefferson Houses and Holmes-Isaac Towers in Manhattan – who are fed up with the neglect by NYCHA and elected officials, and the resulting unsafe and uninhabitable living conditions that threaten their health and well-being. Multiple tenants will be announcing that they will be or are […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
At the Republican National Convention a video showed multiple NYCHA residents who are considered community leaders appear to speak in favor of President Donald Trump and instead cast blame for NYCHA’s woes onto Mayor Bill de Blasio. Though the video has been widely discredited, with the interviewees even speaking out, this has created a tremendous amount of confusion. NYCHA tenants say they were misled into RNC video appearance, Brooklyn Eagle. N.Y.C. Tenants Say They Were Tricked Into Appearing in R.N.C. Video, NYTimes. NYCHA Resident Leaders Who Appeared In RNC Video Clarify That They Don\u2019t Support Trump, Gothamist. So where does […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Time and again, we are told by public officials that there is no public money to fix NYCHA. Private investment is the only option. But that\u2019s a lie. We know because the City has invested time, money, and resources on project\u2019s just next door. This handout suggests that it is not about the lack of public money, rather it is about the lack of political will. Source: Where\u2019s the Money for NYCHA? \u2013 Justice for All Coalition<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
In 2013, a class-action lawsuit was brought against NYCHA on behalf of tenants with asthma who needed abatement of toxic mold in their apartments. The plaintiffs negotiated a consent decree with NYCHA which put together a program of mold abatement standards and requirements that NYCHA has to follow throughout the City. NYCHA has to follow these standards for everyone, not just for tenants who has asthma. This consent decree also allows a tenants to seek and receive transfers if the apartment is \u201cuninhabitable\u201d because of toxic mold contamination, and the tenant has asthma or other respiratory problems that are made […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Today, public housing in our city, and in the country really, is at a crossroads. Buildings are dilapidated, unsafe and unhealthy to the tune of $40 billion, meanwhile disinvestment has also led to an operating budget deficit. The City has put forth three plans they say will solve these coinciding crises and put NYCHA on a path towards a brighter future. I think these plans will fundamentally change public housing as we know it, and put an important public institution and its tenants in jeopardy going forward. […] Continue reading >> The City\u2019s Three NYCHA Plans That Will Privatize Public […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>