A group of local activists are raising concerns about the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)’s plans to demolish and rebuild two crumbling Manhattan complexes, saying the proposal could lead to the permanent displacement of many residents.
NYCHA is moving ahead with a $1.5 billion plan to tear down the buildings at Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses, which are home to 2,055 units and around 5,000 residents. In their place, the housing authority plans to replace the structures with brand-new buildings to house existing tenants.
Proponents of the plan have hailed the idea, saying it will bring state-of-the-art amenities like dishwashers, laundry machines, and heating and cooling controlled by residents — luxuries that are currently non-existent in the soon-to-be-gone buildings.
The plan will also add 2,625 market-rate housing units, and 875 affordable housing units, available for rent on NYCHA land, along with space for ground-floor retail.
But now the Legal Aid Society and the Community Service Society are sounding alarm bells about the potential ramifications of the proposal.
According to the two groups, demolition of existing apartments will begin before their replacement units are ready for occupancy, which will lead residents to be displaced for an indefinite period of time. They worry that such an event could potentially lead to them permanently being uprooted.
According to NYCHA, 94% of residents would not face this issue, and would be moved into their new permanent residence prior to their old one being demolished. However, the activists are concerned for the 6% who would be forced to be temporarily housed, either within the complex or somewhere else in Chelsea.
This, along with some other upshots of the plan, are not in line with the recommendations of residents that comprised the “Chelsea Working Group” — a committee formed in 2019 meant to deliver recommendations and advocate for the concerns of tenants in the Fulton and…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply