In 2002 Housing Will Still Be The Issue

by Susan Kosor

When I showed up to see what had been advertised on Bedford Avenue as an $800 studio, I found myself in the spare room of a rather disheveled two-bedroom apartment.

There was no kitchen sink and no stove, but the dude who was renting out the place reassured me that I could do my dishes in the bathtub. He shrugged his shoulders, “I’m sorry. That’s the market.” But it wasn’t always this way. For the past four years, I lived in a 500 square foot apartment for $550 at the corner of Lorimer and Powers. But apparently during that time, decent and safe housing in all the New York City boroughs became a luxury for the rich while the government’s past efforts to give a hand to the poor faded into memory. Now that the mayoral elections are upon us, the people have an ample opportunity to again put affordable housing on politicians’ agendas.

Since the Great Depression, the New York City administration has created affordable housing during shortages. The Koch administration's ten-year housing plan, Housing New York, renovated previously vacant buildings throughout the city, stabilized the rent and transferred ownership to responsible owners. Unfortunately, the city administration's laudable history of implementing creative housing plans to protect the middle and lower class has fallen dramatically in the last eleven years. According to Housing First, a non-profit group, in 1989 the city spent $739 million ($1.06 billion in 2000 dollars) on various housing programs. In 2000, the city's expenditure was $294 million. Rudolph Guiliani was the mayor for seven of those eleven years.

Mark Green was the Public Advocate during the Guiliani administration. The Public Advocate had the power to introduce new legislation. Many consider New York City’s rental vacancy rate of 3.2 percent, the lowest in a decade, to be a crises. But, according to a public advocate spokesperson, Mark Green has never used his legislative power to achieve affordable housing in our city.

To make matters worse, Mark Green is quoted in The New York Times as stating that he supports the decontrol of rent controlled apartments when the tenant is making over $175,000. Green staffers insist that this was his compromise to Pataki's plan to completely eliminate rent-controlled apartments. I am grateful that Green stood up for a compromise but New Yorkers definitely deserve more.

Rent control laws date back to the housing shortage immediately following World War II and were created to keep the middle class in New York. But, only tenants that moved into the buildings between 1943 and 1971 had the luxury of the law. So, in 1969, a rent stabilization law was added to keep the controlled units affordable even after the original tenant moved out. The rent stabilized apartments remained bound by strict increase laws.

In 1994, a decontrol legislation was created to put apartments back at the market value when the tenant's salary reached $250,000. In 1997, the salary required to decontrol an apartment was reduced from $250,000 to $175,000. To some, it seems unfair that a person who makes so much money could have a rent controlled unit. But, if these units are completely decontrolled, fewer rent stabilized units will be on the market and there will be none available when it is your turn to move.

The city administration has helped the middle and lower classes in the past and it is up to us to be sure that they will support us again by making affordable housing a top priority. I do not think that a vote for either democratic mayoral candidate is a solution to the problem but I do know that Fernando Ferrer has had a persistent and passionate dedication to this issue throughout his entire candidacy. Whoever wins, it is time for the people of this city to stand up for themselves and make sure that the new mayor will realize the importance of affordable housing for all and not just the super rich.

If you are interested in working to solve the problem, Housing First (www.housingfirst.net), may be of interest to you. They are in the processes of regrouping due to the recent World Trade Center disaster so it might take them a little longer than usual to get back to you, but they will.

For comments about this article, please email skosor@hotmail.com