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Its unfortunate that back in the day when they built these projects they meld together the concept of public housing along with affordable housing. They are really different and it's unfortunate that the elements of the projects that contain public housing residences are a big part of the element of the bronx that are inhibiting any real resurgence. These places are breeding generation after generation of welfare receipiants and the crime hence negative impact to the area that goes along with it. Those clusters of buildings surrounded by some grass and parking that are the projects are proven to have a negative impact and that is why any new residential building in the bronx are more street facing with some store fronts giving it a more city vibe. That being said I agree that these projects should be phased out and destroyed. The south bronx needs upper middle, middle and working class residence in order to bring in the tax revenue needed to be reinvested into the area to truly establish a vibrant community. Nothing is for free and it's all about the tax base that builds a community in contrast to being a burden to society that it is today.
Unless you can do a Hitler "final solution" on the residents, where will they go?
Will you send all the residents to freeze in the streets?
Not all PJ residents are losers. My mom lived in an NYCHA project, Tanya Towers, until she passed because her pension as a Federal employee + Social Security couldn't pay market rent.
Do you have gas chambers and crematoria ready for these folks?
Subsidized housing can be fine with proper tenant screening and evictions of those who do not follow rules.
Its unfortunate that back in the day when they built these projects they meld together the concept of public housing along with affordable housing. They are really different and it's unfortunate that the elements of the projects that contain public housing residences are a big part of the element of the bronx that are inhibiting any real resurgence. These places are breeding generation after generation of welfare receipiants and the crime hence negative impact to the area that goes along with it. Those clusters of buildings surrounded by some grass and parking that are the projects are proven to have a negative impact and that is why any new residential building in the bronx are more street facing with some store fronts giving it a more city vibe. That being said I agree that these projects should be phased out. The south bronx needs upper middle, middle and working class residence in order to bring in the tax revenue needed to be reinvested into the area to truly establish a vibrant community. Nothing is for free and it's all about the tax base that builds a community in contrast to being a burden to society that it is today.
What is truly needed for such a discussion - facts. What is the income spread for project residents ? How many do not now and have never worked ? And so on. Because people who are working should be able to stay where they are - ditto actually disabled people.
It is very difficult to find this information. There is an absolutely dysfunctional set of houses on St. Nicholas, just below 135th, the "Philip's Houses." They are not projects but they might as well be and in the worst sense of the term.
In any case, a few years ago, questions came up about that at community meetings. I was eventually able to ascertain the percentage of full "benefits" (i.e., non-working) residents, but this was near impossible.
all they do is drag down everything and dont even get me started on the scumbags that take that opportunity for granted.
also, lets be honest, they are horrendous looking buildings.
They've already done this in Chicago. And all it's done is make the crime worse in other areas on the city. The system needs to be revamped, not abolished.
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They've already done this in Chicago. And all it's done is make the crime worse in other areas on the city. The system needs to be revamped, not abolished.
Those clusters of buildings surrounded by some grass and parking that are the projects are proven to have a negative impact and that is why any new residential building in the bronx are more street facing with some store fronts giving it a more city vibe. That being said I agree that these projects should be phased out and destroyed. The south bronx needs upper middle, middle and working class residence in order to bring in the tax revenue needed to be reinvested into the area to truly establish a vibrant community. Nothing is for free and it's all about the tax base that builds a community in contrast to being a burden to society that it is today.
Heaven forbid urban residents live in buildings that have open space/yards or parking!!!
There's nothing wrong with the design of the projects at all. The criminal element is there because that's where they dumped the poorest people traditionally, particularly those with government programs, criminal pasts, mental illnesses, etc.
There is no place you could put such people without recreating this. Therefore, the city cannot get rid of all its public housing because who will take in all of these people?
They may very well completely privatized certain projects like the ones in Chelsea or the Lower East Side.
They've already done this in Chicago. And all it's done is make the crime worse in other areas on the city. The system needs to be revamped, not abolished.
Different people who live in Chicago don't seem to report crime being worse in the city overall. Keep in mind generally, of course housing project people were not placed in expensive neighborhoods or wealthy suburbs. They scattered them around poor suburbs, or even rural areas in Illinois and Iowa.
With that said, it probably was overall for the best, because one problem with the housing projects is if everyone you know around you only gets SSI or whatever government program, there's nothing to ever encourage you to try and do better. Trying to diffuse the population of poor people and scatter affordable housing among wealthier districts gives poor people (who may not have cars) better access to jobs.
Also, I do think having massive housing projects in a way penalizes working people, as you have all these units that are defacto taken off the market for working people.
Public housing in NYC is not going anywhere anytime soon but most especially the media assumes that housing projects in NYC is on its final legs. Problem is that neighborhoods like the South Bronx, Harlem, LES, Central Brooklyn were slums prior to the construction of dozens of projects in these areas, slums were cleared and projects were built but it did not solve the problem because once you have high density of poor people stacked up upon each other social ills will run rampent like it did in tenement slums. Projects did provide a better standard of living over tenements. What the city needs to do with NYCHA is sell certain properties and turn them into coops, and use underutlized space and sell them to developers. NYCHA should do door to door visits making sure criminals are not living back home with mommy or girlfriend which is the real reason why crime presists in majority of the pjs in the Bronx, Harlem, LES, and Brooklyn. IF anything raising rents will probably force hard working class folks out of the pjs, to NJ, CT, PA, FL, NC, AZ or GA and NYC will loose another tax base. Lets not forget plenty of people came out of housing projects like Barberr Striesand and Sotomayor, CEO of Starbucks Howard Shultz whos establishmeents across NYC are associated with gentrification and he is a billionaire. Who knew Pjs created billionaires?
Different people who live in Chicago don't seem to report crime being worse in the city overall.
This isn't true.
Cabrini projects were where all the worst criminals were situated. The police tore it down, because it was basically a fortress and the bad guys ALWAYS knew when they were coming cause they had lookouts that could see them a mile away.
Now, instead of the crime being concentrated around that project area, it is now all over the city. Back when the cops used to know where everyone was or where they "might" be, they don't have a clue anymore, because everyone is spread out. Without a proper ID or description, they'll never be able to find out who did what.
There is nothing wrong with the housing projects. They are perfectly built STRONG structures. The apartments are beautiful.
Maybe if the OP wasn't so "afraid" of certain types, he'd be invited over and know that. Not everyone who lives in the projects are criminals. Many do work and are college educated.
But it seems like people are more comfortable with the stereotypes.
There's a proposal to build luxury apartments on NYCHA property to raise revenue.
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