Beyond affordable units
To The Editor
Rent-regulated housing constitutes 46 percent of the city’s rental units. Add in Mitchell-Lama rentals, Section 8, public housing, etc., up to 60 percent of the city’s rental housing is regulated in some form. The statement that there’s been a “failure to support affordable housing in the last 20 years” is a point-blank denial of the facts worthy of Fox News.
What is needed is an innovative approach to urban revitalization that understands housing units are only one part of the puzzle. Jobs, community and transportation are just as important parts of the equation.
The mindless demand for more units and more money — always argued in an us-against-them manner — is what breeds failure.
Mark Tyler
READER COMMENTS
FROM ChelseaNow.com
Safe vistas for (some of) the High Line
Re: High Line at the Rail Yards is a Whole New Chapter at the End of the Road” (news, Sept. 25, 2014)
Let’s hope this section and its fabulous wide-open views won’t eventually be smothered by more hi rise development, as is happening on Parts 1 and 2. At least, I guess, the Hudson River vista is safe!
Maggie B.
21st St. situation needs more press
Re: Rights Trashed Amidst Market-Rate Conversion” (news, Aug. 14. 2014 print edition):
I don’t see this being resolved anytime soon and eventually being settled in the tenents’ favor. All the fraud that occurred at DHCR during the Pataki years will come to light now for this building as it has for many other buildings.
Just sit tight and whatever happens don’t move. More rallies, more media!
Brian
Free range animals good for the soil
Re: Letters to The Editor (Sept. 25, 2014, regarding Nico Young’s letter on the eco advantages of vegetarianism):
Young’s letter gets it partly right. It is the industrialization of agriculture, the factory-farming of animals and heavy use of pesticides, GMOs and preservatives that is so detrimental to the environment and to human and animal health.
A recent fascinating and informative article by Ronnie Cummins, “The Carbon Underground: Reversing Global Warming” (organicconsumers.org) explains how regenerating soil can take the excess carbon out of the atmosphere. Among other references, he cites Michael Pollan’s introduction to Courtney White’s book (“Grass, Soil, Hope”). Pollan writes: “This process of returning atmospheric carbon to the soil works even better when ruminants are added to the mix. Every time a calf or lamb shears a blade of grass, that plant, seeking to rebalance its root-shoot ratio, sheds some of its roots. These are then eaten by the worms, nematodes, and microbes-digested by the soil, in effect, and so added to its bank of carbon. This is how soil is created: from the bottom up.”
Laura Shapiro
Wake up, Chelsea!
Re: Rally Protests ‘Unconscionable Harassment’ of 21st St. Tenants” (news, Sept. 25, 2014 print edition):
Is this the beginning of a strong tenant movement in the tradition of Jane Wood and Chelsea Coalition on Housing when Chelsea residents would fill the block to prevent tenants from illegal harassment of tenants in order to turn a bigger profit by any means.
I do believe the Chelsea community is waking to fact that the changes in Chelsea, million-dollar condos replacing homes for non-millionaires (teachers, postmen, students, artists, you, me) is changing the face of this neighborhood…this city.
Our voices must be heard loud and clear. And it looks like wake-up time has come!
Gloria Sukenick
Laws must be written to protect tenants
Re: Rally Protests ‘Unconscionable Harassment’ of 21st St. Tenants” (news, Sept. 25, 2014 print edition):
Let’s hear from members of out City Council and the Borough President about exactly what laws they plan on sponsoring to prohibit this sort of conduct that has been going on for years on the part of landlords and their agents. It’s okay to say that they “will not stand for it” — but specific laws have to be written and legal action has to be taken immediately against bad actors who disobey them.
Joe B.
E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to Scott@ChelseaNow.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to Chelsea Now, Letters to the Editor, NYC Community Media, One Metrotech North, 10th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. Chelsea Now reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Chelsea Now does not publish anonymous letters.
