This weeks articles dealt with how some communities have dealt with gentrification and what the city government is doing to provide more affordable housing to low income residents. Upon reading the articles it becomes clear that there is a large rift in the relationship between the city’s government and its residents. The trust is simply not there. What the Crown Heights Tenant Union accomplished with the a relative small increase in 1 year leases is admirable. However, the fact that that they had to sign petitions, and protest, and pass through metal detectors to attend the hearing is proof of the city’s reluctance to mediate an agreement between landlords and existing tenants. De Blasio’s plan for the East New York is new and a work in progress, the residents of East New York do not see the good it can bring to the neighborhood and are worried of the implications of allowing private investors to build. This issue could be remedied be the working together of both the city and the residents to draft up a plan that will satisfy all parties involved. It is here where organizations like The Crown Heights Tenant Union can come in handy, by expressing their concerns and the needs of the neighborhood the residents can have a say in what the future of their homes will look like. As is stated in the article by Ethan Corey, “there is power in numbers” if enough residents join a community union like the CHT, the city will be forced to take them seriously. For this reason it is my opinion that for a public housing site we should stress the importance of joining the local organization if there is one and if not, how to start one. It is also important to inform the general population of their rights as tenants. Also included with rights as tenants, would be various examples of housing that has gone up in price around the city in the past few years. Buildings that offer a percentage of their units as “affordable” would also be listed. Giving the public this type of information will enable them to make an informed decision on how to traverse the affordable housing crisis that has befallen the city in the past decade,
