Report details links between NYCHA developments and city’s economy

December 19, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced his plan for “NYCHA 2.0,” which aims to raise $24 billion of the $32 billion needed to fix the city agency. Eagle photo by Todd Maisel

Share this:

The current woes of NYCHA’s low-income housing developments have made headlines lately, and a new report from the Regional Plan Association highlights how the Housing Authority’s crisis impacts not only its own residents but the entire city.

Not adequately addressing desperately needed repairs as soon as possible could make the cost of repairs jump by $700 million every year, the report says. Furthermore, if the buildings continue to deteriorate, some may have to be evacuated. If just 10 percent of public housing is lost, this could increase homelessness in New York City by 62 percent.

The report doesn’t only dwell on doom and gloom, however. It talks about the often-overlooked positive side of public housing. The “projects” are home to 121 senior centers; 126 preschools and child care facilities; and 189 acres of recreational space.

Finally, NYCHA residents spend more than $2 billion per year supporting local business, and project residents own more than 650 local businesses themselves, according to Curbed.

“We completed this report not only to dispel some of the myths about NYCHA, but to explain that all New Yorkers have a stake in fixing this system,” Moses Gates of the RPA said.