LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTERS continued from p. 18
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September 17, 2015
To The Editor: Re “Garden advocates hoping to nip housing plan in bud” (news article, Sept. 10): Providing affordable housing is one of the most important things we as a society can do to ensure the well-being of everyday New Yorkers — particularly older adults. As the older adult population rapidly grows, it is incumbent upon all communities to plan for supporting its members across the lifespan. In New York City, of the 98,000 single elderly renter households in rent-stabilized units, a shocking 65 percent pay more than half of their incomes for rent. Often, seniors have about $100 a month left to spend on food, medicine, utilities and other needs of daily life. There are thousands of seniors on waiting lists for affordable housing citywide. The demand for affordable housing is huge, and grows greater by the day. The lack of suitable sites for affordable housing makes tough decisions necessary. The site on Elizabeth St. has the potential for as many as 100 units of affordable housing, which the Department of Housing Preservation and Development has stated should be set aside for seniors. That would mean that more than 100 New Yorkers would be able to age with dignity, and with access to essential services. As the process of community input on the Elizabeth St. site continues, it is important to recognize that the decisions made today will have consequences for years to come. That is why we must make the tough choices necessary to keep elders in the community. Bobbie Sackman Sackman is director of public policy, LiveOn NY
As goes Petrosino.... To The Editor: Re “Garden advocates hoping to nip housing plan in bud” (news article, Sept. 10): The loss of the Petrosino Square art space now looms as a predictor of things to come: the loss of the N.Y.U. court case (which includes, implicitly, the loss of Sasaki Gardens) and now the loss of the Elizabeth St. Garden. How foolish of Downtown citizens, community board members, Little Italy and Soho residents and local businesses to take the loss of Petrosino in their stride, as though it were a pawn in the game of politics, as though deals might be made, as though allowing a teeny space
to be compromised by “Power” might mean anything other than the oppression of the local citizens and an implicit invitation to Power that it take even more for itself and its cronies: corporations, the Department of Transportation, big money, universities, planet-savers who use more than their share of energy and wish to save the planet at someone else’s expense....and, yes, city councilmembers who demand abject fealty. Where were you? Did you fight for Petrosino? Minerva Durham
Lot needs lots of input To The Editor: Re “Garden advocates hoping to nip housing plan in bud” (news article, Sept. 10): When Tobi Bergman was chairperson of Community Board 2’s Parks Committee, I attended a very initial planning meeting for the space on Hudson St. between Houston and Clarkson Sts. Supposedly, when the water tunnel site was completed, the city was going to turn over the vacant property to the Parks Department, which then was going to give it to C.B. 2 to develop as a park. The property is near a number of schools, none of which have any outdoor recreational space. The fact is that Tobi was excited at the prospect of having recreational space, particularly for City As School and P.S. 3. To read that he is promoting the space for development for affordable housing without input from the community, surprises me in light of the former plan. Lord knows we are as desperate for affordable housing as we are for open space. It is a complex decision that must be made with full participation and choice. There was even talk at the time of the local schools composting and gardening in part of the space. Just as in C.B. 3, we are desperate for housing that is affordable, as well as beautiful growing things and parks for play. When vacant land is developed, it must be a very carefully considered process by citizens of the area. Frieda Bradlow E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published. TheVillager.com