Opposition to 75%-88% Rent Increases for Westview & Island House on RI
August 14, 2008
This week I testified against the proposed rent determinations for Island House and Westview that would increase rents by as much as 75-88% in these buildings.
The owners of Westview and Island House have applied to the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal for permission to raise rents by as much as 75% (at Island House) and 88% (at Westview). DHCR holds hearings to give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposals. Originally these hearings were to have taken place in June, but as I blogged about then, I was able to convince DHCR to grant a 60 day extension to give tenant associations ample time to prepare for these hearings. This week I testified at two hearings (one for Island House and the other for Westview) on behalf of tenants on Roosevelt Island. Click here to go to the Publications section of this website where my testimony can be accessed.
Any rent increase like the ones proposed would be a disaster - it would drive out long-term residents and would essentially mean the end of affordable housing for much of Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island was conceived as a planned community, offering affordable homes for a diverse mix of working New Yorkers. Driving up rents at two of the Island’s remaining Mitchell-Lama buildings is a betrayal of that mission and of the families who have long called the Island home. The owners’ request is especially obscene because they have failed to do their part. The owners have not tried to cut their own costs and when they were given rent increases in the past, they didn’t do with that money what they were supposed to in terms of improvements to the buildings.
Why should we trust them again?
Artists with Cerebral Palsy Display Their Photos in My Community Office
August 14, 2008
Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS staff and photographer-clients with their families came by my community office to loan the otherwise lifeless walls their breathtaking artwork (see below!)
As many of you may know, I have cerebral palsy and issues relating to people with disabilities are very close to my heart. One organization that does fabulous work for New Yorkers is the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State.
When they stopped by my community office last winter and noticed my bare walls, they realized that this was an opportunity to showcase the amazing artwork by some of their clients. Today, three artists came by to present their artwork to me and it is on loan and soon to be hanging on my walls for everyone in the community to enjoy when they stop by (So, please stop by!).
Elva Monsanto presents me her artwork, a photograph taken under the Manhattan Bridge that will be on loan from CP of NYS and hung for the public to view in my community office.
By Elva Monsanto. I love photos taken in black and white, and this gorgeous pedestrian view of the bridge will hang in my office over my desk (I’m selfish that way, ask my staff!)
Anando Perez (pictured here with his mother) presents me his artwork, a photograph taken of a glass container of brightly colored candies that will be on loan from CP of NYS and hung for the public to view in my community office.
By Anando Perez. I am struck by the how well Anando captured color in this photo, particuarly the angle of the shot and beautiful play of light on the top of the glass container, make this a truly delightful piece of art.
Emiliano Perez presents me his artwork, a photograph taken of an Upper East Side street that will be on loan from CP of NYS and hung for the public to view in my community office.
By Emiliano Perez. At first I thought this photo was a double exposure. Amazingly, this is a clean shot. The flowers and toys are reflected on the window as Emiliano took this picture looking out on an Upper East Side street. Look how full of life our neighborhood is!
Kellner, Lappin Help UES Kindergarteners with School Placement after DOE Drops the Ball
August 14, 2008
Jennifer Sapienza (left) and Pankaj Jha (not pictured), two parents of UES schoolchildren, attended a press conference (the press release is available here) with Council Member Jessica Lappin and myself to draw attention to an ongoing problem with kindergarten school placements for UES families living in the PS 151 zone.
The new school year is fast approaching, and while some parents rush around for new lunchboxes, others are still waiting to find out where their children will be heading to class in September. With 19 days left to go before the big first day, a number of UES parents (the DOE says approximately 10 families) who live in the District 2 Zone 151 area were left hanging when a “computer error” by the NYC Department of Education resulted in a stressful summer.
The PS 151 school, which was closed almost 10 years ago, has never been replaced so when parents living in this zone apply for kindergarten they are entering a lottery. This year, an error resulted in a number of parents receiving letters stating that their young children had spots at PS 158, the Bayard Taylor School - but they were later told that this was an error, and no spots existed for their kids.
These parents contacted my office and Council Member Jessica Lappin’s office for help but after 2 months of phone calls with the Department of Education there was still no resolution. After we held a press conference today at least one of our parents received an email from the DOE saying that her child now had a placement secured.
But why did it have to come to this? Looking at the bigger picture, it is clear that a long-term sustainable plan must be made by the DOE to deal with the increasing and disgraceful overcrowding problem at Upper East Side schools. Obviously, an immediate plan is also necessary to help the parents in the PS 151 zone so that next year is not a repeat of this one. We need more spots for Upper East Side residents, including making better use of existing resources, planning for growth, and new school seats. I blogged awhile ago (”Kellner to DOE: PS 66 is the Solution to School Overcrowding on the UES“) about how we need a rezoning. These sorts of incidents underscore this desperate reality.
Starting Kindergarten is a particularly stressful time for the families of young children that takes a lot of adjusting to. In order to ensure a smooth transition, it is important that families have enough time to prepare for that big day. What happened to the Sapienza and Jha families was unacceptable and I will be keeping tabs on how the DOE works to ensure these sorts of problems do not cause hardships for next year’s new kindergarteners.
