Author: Crystal Awad

Before this class, I knew about the housing crisis in New York City, but I did not know about it in great detail, nor did I know about shift from finance to technology or the crisis facing local shopping streets. This class has taught me to ask questions like: what should public housing look like, who should be eligible for public housing, should there be rent control, what are community boards, should they get more power, how has New York City shifted from a finance dependent sector to a technology dependent sector, what are the benefits of New York City becoming technology, what are employment prospects for New York City, what are problems facing local shopping streets, and many more questions that arose during this course. What is even more amazing is that I know how to answer these complicated questions with regards to zoning, affordability, gentrification, local city government, and many more themes that we discussed in class. All this is so relevant because I live in New York City and this is the city I hope to one day live, work, and shop in. This class taught me the importance of keeping up with local government, the importance of my vote, and that if we want to see a change in our city, we have to be the change. We (Macaulay and all other New York City college students) are the future of our city and if we hope to see a change in our home, we have to be that change. We have to get involved in our local community boards, pay attention to what our mayor purposes for the city, and the effects of those actions. And the only way we can do that is by being educated first. The things I learned in this class will absolutely play a roll in how I view our local political leaders and therefore, the vote I have to elect them. The issues and themes in this class are so vital because these issues are happening right where I live and affecting many others and myself. In addition, an important part of a being in a democracy is knowing the issues facing others and what can be done to alleviate or solve these issues.

During our discussion about the umbrella concept of diversity, the other students taught me the importance of being educated about other cultures and religions other than my own, and more importantly, being respectful of them. I know that might seem like something that is already known, but to discuss such an important topic in a college setting, in a respectful way, and proposing ideas and possible solutions to prevent terrorist attacks with my peers made me feel a part of a larger conversation happening. Being educated about such an important topic and ways to be respectful of people that are different than you just seems like something all adults should know, and something members of a functioning society should know.

A major theme (to me) in this class was society, and how housing, the economy, and shopping affect our society. However, this class taught me about the responsibilities I have to my society. It feels like it is my civic duty to know about the issues, cultures, religions, and government happening in my society. This came threw in my fellow Macaulay students’ presentations at the common event. Unfortunately, the session I was in seemed more applicable to the “How we work” team. They spoke about the city’s shift from finance to technology, Silicon City, and Silicon Valley (though they didn’t speak about Civic Hall). It was very interesting to see what my fellow Macaulay students thought about the city’s dependence on the tech sector via Bloomberg’s administration (if I remember correctly) and how this would affect New York City’s future. They predicted an increase in tech jobs. However, I don’t mean to brag about our class in particular, but I believe we talked about how this will affect the city’s future more in depth. We talked about what this will mean for people working outside tech jobs, coding, specialized intense classes to teach people how to code, and the program that might take effect in grades K – 12 to teach students how to code, and Civic Hall as a collaborative workspace. I think the other Macaulay students would have benefited from our trip to Civic Hall, to see how technology is affecting how we work today.

I can go on for pages talking about what this class taught me, and I’m afraid no matter how much I write, I won’t be able to do it justice. This class really taught me about responsibilities as a young adult, a member of a functioning society, and the importance of understanding the current events around me. I wouldn’t change a thing about the class. I hope that the future Macaulay students will be able to go on the same trips and do the interviews as well. I also really appreciated the way the course was split into how we live, how we work, and how we shop, and that each group still needed to keep up with the material covered by the other groups. However, I wish that we were able to discuss topics such as the environment (maybe not so much because this is discussed in seminar III), diversity, and urban terrorism more in depth. I really appreciated that my group stood out of the other groups presenting during my session, but incorporating the environment, diversity, and urban terrorism would set our class so far apart from the others and really make us unique.

Take Back NYC’s opening webpage states, “These small businesses – hard working New Yorkers who form the heart and soul of the greatest city on earth – are being replaced by the highest bidder, big box stores and chains whose only motivation is greater profits.” I think it is important to note the passion behind Take Back NYC. They feel that New York City has been taken from them by big businesses. They feel that “the heart and soul” of New York City is being lost. And although I agree with them in worrying what New York City will look like in 5, 10, or 20 years. I do not fully agree with everything that mention in SBJSA.

As a possible solution to sustain local businesses, The Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA) is a bill that has been introduced in the NYC City Council that would give commercial tenants three specific rights:

1. A minimum 10-year lease with the right to renewal, so they can better plan for the future of their business.
2. Equal negotiation terms when it comes time to renew their lease with recourse to binding arbitration by a 3rd party if fair terms cannot be found.
3. Restrictions to prevent landlords from passing their property taxes on to small business owners.

Last week we discussed the importance of local business, and this week has confirmed that when local businesses are forced to close because they can’t afford rent anymore, and a big chain store takes its place, it introduces gentrification in that area and although I think SNJSA is a great start to protecting local business owners, I’m afraid that a more efficient bill should be introduced to the NYC Council. What I mean is that I would like to see a bill that regulates property taxes, or introduces rent-controlled priced for local businesses, and possibly even rent-frozen prices for start-ups. I say this because local business owners can’t predict the economy or what NYC will look like in 2 years, let alone 10 years. If the economy had a pretty devastating year, and that year is enough to drive a small business to close, that local business will have been cheated a longer life because their weren’t enough laws put in place to protect it. In addition, when the economy fluctuates, people cannot afford to spend, which is why business owner Avi Saks does no want to pass his business down to his son. “Saks knows it’s not possible to raise a modern family on the revenue the once-thriving shop is now producing.” There could also be a bill that offers landlords incentives to keep the price of rent low for local businesses.

I agree with Tim Laughlin, executive director of the BID, in saying that, “If the goal is to preserve affordable housing and at the same time to protect independent businesses,” Laughlin argued, “we need to provide incentives for property owners to continue to operate their buildings.” How brilliant would it be if a bill or law gave incentives to tenants to keep the rents low for home-renters and business-renters? This could help people who can’t afford to live and people who can’t afford to work in NYC. Laughlin explains that offering tenants lower tax rates could do this. I think this brilliant! It would be able to keep people living in an area as well as working in an area as well. I see this as a potential tool against gentrification as well as protection.

I also think that community boards, and specifically local business owners, should be able to voice their thoughts when a big brand chain is introduced in their area. Giving them a voice would better represent what that neighborhood wants. If a bodega goes out of business in a particular neighborhood and a Key Foods is going to open in its place, what are the people in that neighborhood going to do if they can’t speak English or find the things they need. There needs to be more power allocated to community boards because it is their community that is changing, and unfortunately, most of the time their vices aren’t heard. Community boards need to be able to give more influence when a big business is going to come into the area because like Elisa Maldonado said, ‘“I feel [The Cast] is representative of the culture that was the Lower East Side,” she explained. “It’s about keeping that spirit, identifying with it and [making a statement that] “we do belong there!”’ So when a local business closes, the culture, spirit, or even authenticity of that area changes, and that directly affects the people living there.

Three Questions for Local Business Owners:

• How has the neighborhood/area changed since your business has been here?
• How do you see the neighborhood/area changing in the future?
• What do you wish you had known before opening a business here?

Disclaimer!!!: My notes are always all over the place and unorganized, forgive me for that, but they are meant to serve as reference points or thought provoking points that remind you of topics and ideas mentioned in class. I am sorry if they are hard to follow, but nonetheless, I hope they are helpful.

Building Urban Terrorism into the Course Project…

• “not dealing with an army, dealing with an idea and you can’t kill an idea with an army” (I just really liked what Mohammed said and thought it was too special not to write down)

Topics and Ideas Mentioned to Combat Terrorism…

• Somehow incorporating civic hall
• Mental health/talk centers
• Considering the community ecosystem
• Diversity training –> mom meetings
• Using the app to report domestic abuse and tenant violation as a foundation for an app to create communication between different groups
• Change the law (with regards to media representation)
• Cultural fluency courses to combat ignorance
• Film (made available in app, communities, in classes, etc.)
• Advertising agencies promoting diversity in ads
• Public schools are now closed in Muslim holidays –> starting at a city level change

With Regards to the Class Project…

• Building terrorism, security, and diversity into introduction or make it its own unit?
• Use diversity as an umbrella concept
• In the work unit, tech people speak in terms of functional diversity, not necessarily the cultural diversity we expect
• Underrepresentation of women in the tech economy (might be worth mentioning in the work unit)
• In the housing unit, we can speak in terms of economic and social diversity
• Reminder: Housing team needs to build into their presentation the zoning changes/plan under Mayor de Blaiso’s administration approved by the city council
• Introduction –> Links to Diversity –> Conclusion
• Use neighborhood maps
• Shopping team can select 3 maps an do an ethnic analysis/breakdown of each and focus on these three areas in the interviews
• Build diversity into each of 3 units of this course and of the class project

Quick Recap of Topics Discussed/Should be Mentioned in Class Project

• Umbrella concept of diversity
• Conclusion
• Terrorism
• Housing team must build the new zoning law into their presentation
• Work/economy/tech must use prezi
• Presentation on April 1^st using prezi for the work team

Reflection of Civic Hall

• Civic Hall and 18F?
• Working for the sake of people/society and not just for private companies
• Civic Hall with the advancement of technology –> there will always be new problems that need to be solved and new job opportunities
• Drive, visionaries, “constant symposia of networking”
• Iteration – coming up with an idea, testing it, changing it (testing or experimentation for us)
• Microsoft sells Civic Hall’s ‘products’
• Run a tech academy – trains people for tech jobs/skills
• Corporation still benefits because they are promoting and selling their own products
• Google as well

Talk About the Economy…

• Industry City used to be called Bush Terminal
• Used as warehouses and manufacturing spaces, goods are then shipped out to the city and the rest of the country
• Attracting “gentrifiers” to the food stores on the first floor and then attracting them to the office spaces upstairs
• Industry City will no longer have college dorms
• CUNY and NYU wanted dorm space here
• Local residents don’t want college kids
• Community residents want places that will hire community workers
• Zoning laws
• Tensions between space for housing and work
• Changing the economy from being Wall Street dependent (finance sector) to the tech sector
• Diversity of economic sectors growing at the same time
• Thinking of Civic Tech in this picture of the economy
• Different parts of tech that might want to be mentioned in the class project
• Fashion
• Media
• Civic Hall
• Real Estate (under the umbrella of finance)
• Entertainment (Film and TV production)
• Artisanal food
• ecommerce
• Advertising
• Start-ups in the tech economy using rented offices
• WeWork as an intermediary
• Waterfront (more manufacturing) in Sunset Park
• The entire workforce can change, especially with intentions of building hotels
• Industrial workers will be expected to do different kinds of manufacturing (working with new technology)
• People working in existing manufacturing jobs are likely not to be hired again for jobs as well paid or as well stable (people in their 40s)
• CUNY is active in workforce training (NYC Tech or MOUSE, encouraging the board of education to start computer and coding classes for K-12)
• Financial literacy or cultural literary apps
• Multiplier effect in tech: 1 tech job can create 5 other jobs (reading assignment by Moretti)

Civic Hall was just inspirational. I am so jealous of the members, their diverse career backgrounds, their skills, the workspace, and most importantly the mission behind Civic Hall. When I think about what I want to do post-college or as a career in the future, I think I am confined to the ordinary expected answers like lawyer, doctor, teacher, etc. I am certain that I want to make the world a better place and I fell that Civic Hall is an unconventional (but will perhaps be conventional in the future) way of making New York City a better place. But what is actually more extraordinary than that is that Civic Hall introduces technologies that make the world a better place. For example, the app that breaks down communication barriers can probably be used by anyone with a phone. One of the speakers also spoke about how soon a technology to help people determine if people are eligible for government assistance and by how much, will soon be available to New Jersey and the goal is to make it available to the U.S., if I understood correctly. The same goes for the technologies they are making to save the government money, as well as other governments. It is just inspirational to think that someone I passed in the city could have indirectly helped parents that do not speak English communicate with their child’s teacher, or help that single mom in New Jersey figure out that she is eligible for food stamps, or help Thailand’s government save money.

Civic Hall was also amazing because of the constant exchange of knowledge. I think Civic Hall can be considered an unorthodox workspace because there is perhaps a web-like exchange of information between a group of collaborators, opposed to a regular office job where knowledge is exchanged one way, usually from boss to employee. I also thought that it is really exciting that someone does not necessarily have to have a background in technology to help work on something that can make someone’s life better. I think that this can contribute to that web-like exchange of knowledge if someone with a mission or idea in mind, who does not have a technology background, can work with someone or even a group, who does know how to code or create new apps, websites, programs, etc. and make something that can help society.

To relate the trip back to the concepts of our class, I definitely think that jobs like or similar to the work done at Civic Hall will become more prominent in New York City’s future. I think that technology is advancing faster than we can imagine, hopefully always with the goal of making the quality of life better, and I think that the members at Civic Hall know this. I think that careers in technology or incorporating technology will drive New York City’s future and Civic Hall seamlessly combines technology with a social cause and produces something that can be used by the average person with a phone. I really hope to one day have a career using a skill I have mastered or enjoy and use it to make the world a better place as eloquently as Civic Hall.

Before the “How we Work” section of this class, we have really only talked about how rezoning affects public housing. Despite the fact that, “The threat of displacement due to rising property values is real not only for industrial businesses but also for the sizable residential population in Sunset Park’s manufacturing zoned area,” I think rezoning affects the economy and job opportunities of an area first, before the residential population. People cannot live or shop in an area where they cannot find work. I have mentioned in previous responses that I think rezoning can be viewed as a temporary fix because it can create job opportunities for the allotted period of time to rezone an area. However, when looking at rezoning long term, it increases the cost of living in that area, it is an effect of gentrification, it displaces large amounts of people, and in terms of the economy or work aspect of this course, rezoning will displace business tenants and their employees which will in fact immediately hurt the economy of the area.

I think the writers of these readings regarding the rezoning plan for Sunset Park described the predicted consequences of this plan so directly, especially when comparing it to what happened to the Latino population that once resided in the Williamsburg – Greenpoint area. The Latino population would be displaced and forced to move further out, which disrupts the cultural and functional diversity of Sunset Park. One of the readings said, “As one of the speakers noted, the last time a New York City waterfront neighborhood faced a similar scaled development proposal was in 2005, when Greenpoint-Williamsburg was rezoned with devastating consequences for the area’s Latino community.” I am fearful that if this rezoning plan is implemented, “the Williamsburg experience of massive displacement and gentrification” will be repeated. Not to mention that this rezoning plan would obviously affect the future, soul, and authenticity of New York City, especially because Sunset Park is one of the only remaining industrial waterfronts in a working class, Latino-Asian area.

In class, we have also talked about the market versus the state. I am mentioning this because the market and the state were two forces I was thinking about in these readings. “Industry City is a commercial real estate venture and its rezoning proposal will make that crystal clear.” I think that the market has is a huge driving force in terms of rezoning plans, especially in this case because the plan proposed for a hotel, university facility, and retail. It was interesting to see the state (more so city government) “combat” this. One of the readings said that, “Mayor de Blasio is considering a ban on hotels as an “as of right” development in light manufacturing zones is a small but positive step towards protecting Sunset Park’s industrial waterfront.” However, in my opinion, this is not enough. Mayor de Blasio should ban the development of hotels. It is not enough to just “consider a ban on hotels.” Such a rezoning plan in Sunset Park would erase the “lives, experiences, and neighborhood spaces of an everyday public, made up of working-class people and communities of color” in order to make room for market forces and a new “public elite,” as the readings put it. If Industry City succeeds in their plan, they could bring gentrification that would displace many middle-class immigrants who live there. However, the market force can justify the consequences because Industry City believes that an upper-middle, or upper class newcomers will benefit the area. It was really interesting to see how a problem we discussed in the housing section of this class affects the economy section differently.

The main benefit of the growth of technological innovation in New York City is more employment opportunities. “New York City’s tech sector employed 117,147 people in 2014, a 71 percent increase from a decade earlier (68,571).” It is obviously important to the city’s economy, but I also think that the growth of technological innovation also adds to the city’s diversity. There are so many jobs that fall under the “tech sector.” Internet Publishing and Broadcasting, Web Search Portals industry, Electronic Shopping, Software Publishing, Computer Systems Design, and Computer Manufacturing are only some subsectors under the “tech sector.” The growth of technological innovation definitely adds to functional diversity, which we mentioned in class last week, is the idea that someone can walk into a restaurant in New York City and everyone is doing something different. The tech sector contributes to this because it is such a larger umbrella that includes so many subsectors of related but different jobs that use technology.

Another benefit of the advancement of technology in New York City is a shift in reliance from the finance sector to the technological sector. New York City still does heavily rely on the finance sector, but with the rise and development of the tech sector, I definitely foresee a shifting in reliance to the tech sector in New York City’s future. This is a benefit because the city should not be so dependent on one sector because if the sector crashes or has a recession, so will the city. We mentioned this idea in class as well when we mentioned what happened in 2008. However, technology, especially Internet based technology, has a way of keeping people connected to each other and to the world. Technology has the ability to give people voices to share their opinions and express ideas. I mentioned in my last post that being aware of issues in a society and possible solutions is an important part of being a member of a functional democracy. Well, technology enables this because it can bring attention to modern issues and people can write and publish their ideas and possible solutions online. However, I do believe that technology does come drawbacks and its potential might not the reality, or that it can be a dangerous slope with consequences.

I think disagreement on these benefits is definitely possible. One could argue that the tech sector will eventually run out of job opportunities or that the only people that can work in the tech sector are those that can afford some college education or intensive courses that prepare for specific jobs. In addition, even though Steve Blank, Maria Gotsch, and Maria Torres-Springer and I believe that the growth of technological innovation has contributed to diversity in New York City, one could argue that Silicon Valley, a relatively homogeneous hub, is a leader in technological innovation without much diversity. One could also disagree with New York City being less reliant on one sector, but is instead shifting reliance in a way that is still unhealthy to the city’s economy. What if New York City becomes just as reliant on the tech sector as it is now on the finance sector?

A negative of the growth of technological innovation is that not everyone has access to it. Only those that can afford technology are able to take advantage of it and only those that can afford proper education and intensive courses are those that can contribute to its innovation. In addition, New York City can become reliant on technology in more than one way. Mr. Tynan-Connelly said, “The city has the largest budget it ever had. But the homeless are still suffering while working-class families, including my students, struggle to find affordable housing and child care. Where are the benefits from the boom that are accruing to the whole city?” He was talking about San Francisco becoming a hub for the wealthy since only the wealthy are able to take advantage and rely on the innovation of technology. In addition, private technology companies can possibly contribute as a “pressure from above” if they gain too much power, in the sense that too many people rely on their services or products.

There was one day when I was using the bathroom in Boylan and when I went to wash my hands, I put my hands under the faucet expecting the water to come out of the spigot. I stared blankly in the mirror waiting for the water to come out, but it did not. I thought the sink was broken or not working for some reason. When I looked down, I realized I was supposed to turn on the water manually. I laughed at myself and then sadly realized how dependent I was on technology, to the point where I expected to wash my hands without actually even turning on the water. The readings for this week helped me think of this problem on a larger scale. What if all of New York City is so dependent on technology and technology advancing in the future?

I think in terms of New York City’s future, I see a continuing advancement and dependence on technology. With the over-crowding problem, New Yorkers expect transportation to become more efficient, faster, and able to carry more people at a time. New Yorkers probably also expect better land usage and innovation in architecture, whether that be in terms of aesthetics or functionality. I also think that art in technology will increase and maybe add to this ‘hipster’ vibe in New York City, as it did in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Advancing technology is a wonderful and beautiful thing because it gives populations more control over their environments and it can prolong life expectancies as well as even save lives. Technology allows us to stay connected and share ideas. However, I have some regards.

One of the readings talked about, “Recognizing that innovation can also result in the destruction of innovation jobs themselves [logically, how can it not].” There is so much uncertainty when it comes to knowing what direction technology will take in New York City, or anywhere for that matter, and how it will affect the city’s economy. Another reading said that, “the winners today can be losers tomorrow.” There is no way of telling how, when, at what rate, in what competitive force, etc. technology will come out in. But most importantly, I understand the pattern that the author describes. When an innovator moves into a community and creates or advances technology in a way, it acts as a beacon for other innovators to come into the same community and do the same thing. However, innovators can be considered entrepreneurs, and when they come into a community, attract others like themselves to come to the same community, and change the face of the community, it sounds comparable to gentrification. This pattern is analogous to rich people coming into an area and gentrifying it. Other reasons why I am a semi-techno-pessimist is because in order for everyone to participate and appreciate the advance in technology, people require higher levels of education and the means to pay for the advanced technology. The author does not give a solution to the fact that not everyone can participate because not everyone can afford the higher levels of education needed to become a “brain hub” or even afford to buy the new iPhone. There needs to more equity and equal opportunity for the technological revolution. There is also no mentioned place for the average folk/average family, or newly arrived immigrants.

So regarding the city’s future, I definitely see and understand the need for technology to continue to advance and make our lives easier, healthier, and better. However, the side effects of the technological revolution make technology a luxury. People need proper schooling to become innovators, and people need the means to pay for new technology. In addition, technology can replace and even discontinue many jobs, which will not be beneficial to the economy or New York City residents. It could build a wider gap between the rich and the poor. So I see myself trying to be a realist in expecting New York City to continue to become a stage of new technologies, but I am a techno-pessimist when I think about the consequences of the growth of technology.

I found these readings a great follow-up to the documentary we saw about Community Board 1. For some reason, I kept thinking about Community Board 1 when reading about rezoning and I was drawing some parallels to the Crown Heights Tenant Union. I was thinking about the voice that these groups create for themselves and ho they should be heard more often. I also felt the frustration that comes when city officials choose not to listen. CHTU was another democratic group that is making a voice for themselves and doing so for their rights. I think affordable housing should be a right, as well as proper heat, hot water, solid ceilings, etc. It is absurd for renters to pay their tenants for caved ceilings, no heat, or no hot water. “It is not the renter’s responsibility to fix the boiler.” CHTU, and groups like it, would be a huge part of my affordable housing proposal. I definitely believe that there needs to be a democratic structure to regulate future rent increase and build communication between renters and tenants. I also think that state or city officials should work with a union like this to monitor their rights, aid in setting rent-stabilization laws, and monitor that no such laws are broken, as well as induce rent-freezes. I know that it is an extremely difficult thing to put in action, especially because of tenants, but rent-freezes seem like a much-needed tool to help the rent crisis/burden. In one of the articles, the writer wrote about a pattern in which people come in to rent, after some time, the rent goes up, the people move out, new people move in and the cycle continues. The writer mentioned staying in Crown Heights but noticing that she had new neighbors every so often. Rent freeze seems like a more secure way for renters to have the same apartments for a long period of time and continue to afford rent. In a proposal, I would push political officials to make a certain percentage of apartments, condos, studios, etc. not just rent-stabilized, but rent-frozen for a certain amount of time. As we mentioned in class, renters seem to be caught between the scissors, or jaws of the rent crisis/burden. Rent has continued to increase while wages have remained the same. My affordable housing proposal is collective action. I do not see the rent crisis/burden as an issue that can be resolved by one group of people or one tool. More groups like Community Boards, Tenant Unions, and understanding political officials need to participate to help fix the affordable housing crisis. I am also a fan of the idea of creating a public nonprofit organization in which those who can afford to, donate money to pay for the renovation of the New York City Housing Authority public housing projects. I really like this idea and because it is a way of enhancing the neighborhood’s livability without rezoning.

I am not a fan of rezoning. Rezoning was described as a “recipe for gentrification” in one of the readings. “Rezoning displaces the very people it is supposed to help.” I do not see how rezoning could ever be a solution to the affordable housing crisis. I feel that rezoning might actually perpetuate the affordable housing crisis because it displaces a huge number of people as well as drive up the rent in the surrounding area. Perhaps political officials see rezoning as a temporary fix because it can make “affordable housing,” create new jobs, new resources, and streetscape to enhance the neighborhood’s livability; however, all theses things are probably devised for the middle class, or upper middle class and not the working class and below. I see rezoning as an excuse for the political officials to put more power in the hands of the real estate market, or just the market in general, which is already an existing “pressure from above.” Housing is where people live, where they make life, where they find jobs, and create families. Political officials can not and should not ask people to relocate for rezoning purposes and promise that it is best for the development of the city, or that it is meant to create more affordable housing and then result in more overcrowding and displace entire communities. I don’t understand how Mayor de Blasio can promise rent freeze and then propose a rezoning project. It seems counter-intuitive to me.

“The median household income in the neighborhood is about $33,000, but in order to afford current asking rents in East New York, one would need to earn at least $44,000 for a one-bedroom or $56,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Indeed, over two-thirds of East New York households are already spending more than what the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines as “affordable.”” I am entirely convinced that rezoning really is just a recipe for gentrification, which makes me grateful for the long process that it takes for a plan to get approved.

So my proposal for a class project is collective action. The best way I can think of doing this is creating some sort of social media platform and somehow combining all the ideas and possible solutions we think of together as a class, and sharing them with other people or groups who can have an influence on the affordable housing crisis. I know that many Community Boards have Facebook pages. My hope with a social media platform is that it can potentially generate enough attention so much that other Community Boards, Unions, existing non-profit groups, (maybe a stretch, but perhaps even) political officials, get in contact with us and there is an exchange of ideas. And even if the said social media platform does not get the attention I hope it would, it would be a way of bringing attention to a matter than members of a properly functioning democracy (as Mohammed said in class) should know about.

According to the website for Community Board 1 (Brooklyn), Community Board 1 represents Williamsburg to Greenpoint. I think that Williamsburg is home to some upper-class people. Williamsburg has condos, chains stores, and many tourist sites. However, there is also a more bohemian, indie, and working class demographic to Williamsburg. As mentioned in “How Brooklyn Became Cool,” from Naked City, Williamsburg had a “gritty” style and substance starting in the 1990s. As for Greenpoint, I think that there is a large Polish background and a large middle class demographic that live there. The main issue for the people that currently live there might be gentrification because with a growing white population, gentrification can also expand and develop. Although there might be an ethnic blending in neighborhoods, gentrification means a loss of authenticity and maybe the movement of certain ethnic groups or the original group not being able to afford their living anymore.

I would definitely anticipate conflicts between the interests and demands of different groups that live in the Community Board 1 area. This area is composed of many different demographics of people ethnically and economically, which will definitely make it difficult to appeal to everyone’s demands. The only way I can think of to reconcile the interests of different groups is compromise or willing to appeal to the majority with respect to the minority. With the up-scaling of Williamsburg, loft-condos and townhouses become more prominent which appeals to an upper-middle class population, but there needs to be a preservation of old communities and respect to those who were originally settled in Williamsburg before its new wave of authenticity. In Greenpoint, the median income for a household in the neighborhood was $33,578 compared to the Williamsburg median household income of $23,567. About 17.7% of the population lies below the poverty line compared to Williamsburg’s 41.4%. These statistics make it hard to satisfy the interests of both groups. More dramatic measures need to be taken in Williamsburg to alleviate the poverty issue and there might be a more demanding issue that needs attention in Greenpoint, even though this issue also needs light.

I think that the “pressure from above” might be those with more power or money, such as city government and private businesses. The “pressure from below” could be the people who are unhappy or dissatisfied with conditions and policies. Perhaps the “pressure from below” makes up the majority of a population. However, just because community boards only have an advisory voice on planning and zoning issues, this does not limit their potential to shape their community and influence the “pressure from above.” Community boards are the voices for people in the neighborhoods and can address problems by different groups of people that maybe city officials would otherwise not know about. They play an important role in voicing opinions and possible solutions to issues in their board area because city officials should be interested in what the people living in a certain area view as problems and how they would go about possible solutions. Community boards have so much potential to change and shape a community if their concerns and advice is heard properly. How can a city official who does not live in a certain area know the areas problems as well as community board members?

I think that Williamsburg and Greenpoint, although very close to each other and similar in some ways, are also very different. Their populations are composed of different groups of people and political officials might just group them together and not understand that each area has different concerns, groups of people, and possible solutions.

The housing project that grabbed my attention the most was the Model of the Mariners Harbor Houses at Mariners Harbor, Staten Island. This specific housing project intrigued me the most because I am from Staten Island and I did not even know that this housing project exists right where I live. Courtesy of the New York City Housing Authority, the Mariners Harbor Housing Development is the first project to be designed “under Title I guidelines” on Staten Island. Even though this development is a “walk-up” building, it is also elevator equipped which makes it ideal for elderly or handicapped renters. I was really pleased to see a housing project on Staten Island because I think the apartments might be more affordable on Staten Island since it is farther away from Manhattan than the other boroughs. However, just as a response to the exhibit, I am afraid that the idea of “affordable housing” is appealing to lower middle class/middle class renters. I went into the exhibit thinking that the these housing projects would be able to accommodate renters below middle class, especially to reduce the growing homeless problem in New York City. However, many of the developments looked expensive and modern. And ideally, I want these affordable housing projects to be in nice neighborhoods and be of nice quality, especially to prevent neighborhoods from developing into projects, or feel like projects, but the housing has to be affordable. What good is an affordable housing project if it is not meant for people who need it or who cannot afford to pay that rent. I am afraid that some of these housing projects might just be creating a wider gap between the poor and rich. By making housing more affordable to the middle class, those below middle class are still left in poorer neighborhoods and less-quality housing.

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.