Harlem River Houses was one of the first federally financed public housing developments in the country. The New York Times
The upkeep of New York City public housing has been the worst part of NYCHA for over 50 years. Public housing was founded in 1934 by New York City Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia as an antidote to the housing crisis that New York City was facing during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The Vladeck Houses, built in 1940 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, were a series of six-story plain brick buildings with generous open spaces. Arnold & Kellogg
Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia speaking at the dedication of the Harlem River Houses in 1937. The development had 577 apartments. N.Y.C. Housing Authority
That was then, as now the lack of upkeep for buildings is the reason for NYCHAs’ decline between the years of 1969-2019. Before 1969 NYCHA and public housing around the nation was more selective and consist in its operation to have affordable housing as between the years of 1934 to 1968 NYCHA was the answer to an ever-growing population of New York and was the crowning jewel to the world as a solution to a city overrun by slums and overcrowding. Back then NYCHA was affordable housing but with a catch, it wasn’t for the poor as NYCHA screened applicants and residents needed to pass the screening by not being the following:
A public housing registration form from 1946.
*Lower-income residents
*Residents on welfare
*Alcoholism history
*Irregular work history
*Single motherhood
*Lack of furniture
Children playing outside the Queensbridge Houses in 1940. The complex is still the largest in the country, with 26 buildings and more than 3,000 apartments. Keystone View Co.
At this point, public housing became the American dream as it was meant for the middle class between 1934-1969. It became a utopia of sorts a message to the world, but this was the calm before the storm as in 1968 NYCHA came under fire from the federal government and social justice activists. This lead NYCHA becoming more and more accepting of the lower class. With no screening, anyone was accepted into public housing a convict, a nurse, and a school teacher could live in the same building.
Just another day in NYCs subway in the 1980’s
The 1980s to 1990s had public housing become the place of operation for crime, drugs, and vandalism. From the crack epidemic to fights and shootouts every day, this was the start of public housing in America dying out. As the nation saw public housing as a plague but NYCHA had the funds to stay operational.
The 2000s and the government wasn’t the landlord anymore leading to NYCHA becoming disinvested at all levels of government as billions of dollars were cut from the agency. With no funding, the agency has been in decline slowly but surely. 2012’s Hurricane Sandy was the final nail to NYCHA as from this came the mismanagement “As NYCHA started lying, covering up and missed lead inspections ”. Small problems become bigger holes that they couldn’t handle anymore. The small list of the current issues of NYCHA are:
*The Housing Authority needs an estimated $45 billion for long-standing repairs. $25 billion is needed to fix immediate issues.
*Of NYCHA’s more than 172,000 units, there is an average of 290,000 open work orders.
*Leaky roofs, mold, broken elevators and faulty heating systems.
*Failure to inspect for lead poisoning
With this in mind, NYCHA has a limited time and funding to avoid catastrophic as within the next 5 years 31.8 Billion will be needed to fix the failing buildings as without change of upkeep for the city NYCHA but 2027 90% of the agency buildings will be beyond repair.
The Wagner Housing complex in East Harlem, where residents wait 15 to 20 minutes for the elevators. Christian Hansen for The New York Times
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York examined peeling paint in a Nycha apartment in 2018. Pool photo by James Keivom
In this apartment in the Bronx, sewage flows into the apartment when it rains and water leaks from the roof. Ángel Franco/The New York Times
Riis Houses in darkness without power after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
Patricia Elcock, 59, used an open oven to heat the apartment she shares with her grandson Michael this winter. Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
NYCHA is a remnant of a good idea gone bad as it was a solution to the past but it wasn’t sustainable for the future.
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/25/nyregion/new-york-city-public-housing-history.html
https://ny.curbed.com/2019/9/4/20849423/nycha-elevators-public-housing-city-council
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/02/nyregion/nycha-public-housing-fix.html
Images
https://allthatsinteresting.com/new-york-subways-1980s#55
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/02/nyregion/nycha-public-housing-fix.html
