Affordable Housing (Week of 2/5)

After reading the assignment, I would absolutely build new public housing in New York City. I knew that the homeless population in New York City was increasing, but I did not know that it has more than doubled since 2000. Because of the increasing homeless population, thousands of individuals, families, and children have to live in city shelters. Unfortunately, city shelters cannot accommodate to everyone. In addition, wages have only slightly increased while rents and utilities have dramatically increased in the past two decades. This has resulted in people who can no longer afford to pay their rent. There is an obvious need for new public housing in New York City.

I really believe that city officials and political leaders should prioritize affordable housing. Mayor Bill de Blasio has made it a goal to “build or preserve the quality and affordability of their homes.” I completely agree with this idea because this assignment really brought the importance of preserving communities as well as building new public housing to attention. I think public housing should be more frequent throughout New York City and have housing that can accommodate individuals, families, and elderly. Preserving the quality of public housing, the right to settle in a home and know that it will still be your home years later, and mandated low rent control is how I want public housing to be. In preserving the quality and right to a home, I think this would create stronger communities, prevent gentrification, and preserve authenticity.

Thus far in the course, my definition of authenticity is the belief that a home, place, or community that presently exists will exist in the future. Community preservation is an imperative element to my definition of authenticity because it has to do with the “where do we live” aspect and one of the readings mentioned that when families are displaced to city shelters, it alters children’s educational paths. New York City has always been a symbol of opportunity, and so children should not grow up with disrupted educational paths or understandings of their potential because they are forced to reside in a city shelter. If public housing in New York City was more frequent and at lower, rent controlled prices, it could result in a dramatic difference in the city’s future. For example, a child who’s family is forced into a city shelter might feel educationally inhibited, that education is not important, that he or she has less opportunities or less potential than other children. If this child were to be in a quality public housing building instead, he or she might not feel the same way, continue in their education, and manage to climb up the social and economic ladders and eventually use that mobility to make a difference in the city.

I understand that public housing, especially severely rent controlled public housing, is not favored by private companies because they are not very profitable, but they would be able to affect the city’s future in positive ways, which is priceless. Creating opportunities for individuals and families to afford their rent, have a home, and a chance to find work or continue their education is what New York City should offer. An authentic New York City can offer people a safe and affordable home, and opportunities to move up the social and economic ladders, and I think public housing would move the city in this direction.