If Mayor Bloomberg and New York City Housing Authority chair John Rhea get there way, land at eight Manhattan public housing complexes will be leased to developers to build luxury apartments. City Council, along with NYCHA tenants and the Legal Aid Society, is suing in an attempt to block that from happening.
The plan would funnel money back into NYCHA–to the tune of $50 million a year, says Rhea–but could likely drive up the cost of living for projects residents in areas that are already costly.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn supports the suit, showing that her recent steps away from Bloomberg’s policies, especially as they relate to lower-income New Yorkers, may have been more than simple campaigning. “NYCHA’s sole purpose is to build and maintain affordable housing,” she said. “Not lease public land to make way for luxury apartments.”
Proposals for developing the NYCHA land are due November 18.
