I attended an East Harlem Community Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 3rd. The meeting was scheduled for 6pm, but was seriously delayed due to heavy snow. The meeting wasn’t actually called to order until roughly 6:45. The meeting was held at 7 East 116th street, at Bonifacio Senior Housing. This apartment complex operates with Federal housing funding, providing affordable living for low-income elderly.
The first topic of discussion was a new low-income apartment building proposition called the East 120th Street Housing Project. The proposed projectis an eleven story low-income apartment building with 179 apartments. The construction is sponsored by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the agency responsible for carrying out de Blasio’s Five-Borough Ten-Year plan. Despite being proposed in 2013, the proposition has yet to receive the green-light for construction (due to ULURP). The meeting was concerned with the Community’s preference goals for the proposed housing project. This simply means that the future builders and overseer’s of the project stood before the community meeting to speak to concerned resident’s about the neighborhood’s concerns and goals in the construction of the new housing complex. Not surprisingly, those in attendance were heavily in favor of the new project, the main concern being that the apartments were truly affordable and that such a large housing project wouldn’t change the landscape of the neighborhood.
The second matter of discussion was the rehabilitation of East Harlem low income housing properties: Milbank-Frawley and 120th Street. These two properties have fallen into states of disrepair. To address this issue, the New York City Housing Authority, or NYCHA, sold many of their projects to private developers in exchange for a great deal of money that would allow them to repair damaged properties. A representative for NYCHA at the meeting addressed this issue bluntly, admitting that privatization is not an ideal solution, but the money was necessary to make living conditions in the properties bearable, a cited $113 million to be exact.
A representative of the private developer was there as well, and together with NYCHA presented the plan to renovate derelict properties. Primarily, apartment lobbies would be renovated, and all apartments in several buildings will each receive new kitchens and bathrooms. Roofs will also be repaired, as many residents have experienced leakage and flooding. These solutions seemed relatively harmless, and while I’m not entirely convinced privatization will be beneficial long-term, it is undeniable that the complexes needed immediate repairs, and therefore, immediate money.
The last topic was about illegal hotels. Illegal hotels are when an apartment landlord rents apartments as hotel rooms. Apparently, the Manhattan Borough Board wants to pass a resolution that will ban illegal hotels and wants to raise awareness across communities prior to the vote. Illegal Hotels take valuable and potentially affordable living space away from those in need of apartments- and the problem is bigger than many people realize.
