PETRA — Is the Future of Public Housing in Jeopardy?

I just clicked on this link to send a message to the House Financial Services Committee. The message simply stated, “DO NOT privatize public housing”.

According to their website, “The Committee oversees all components of the nation’s housing and financial services sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, and securities. The Committee continually reviews the laws and programs relating to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and international development and finance agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The Committee also ensures enforcement of housing and consumer protection laws such as the U.S. Housing Act, the Truth In Lending Act, the Housing and Community Development Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, and financial privacy laws.”

I was prompted to send the message because of an article that I read in the Huffington Post titled “HUD Is Trying to Privatize and Mortgage Off All of America’s Public Housing“.

As someone who grew up in Public Housing (aka The Projects) with working class parents (and still have family living there), I’m always concerned with changes that will dramatically affect my family as well as the people and neighborhood where I grew up. Between gentrification, the eminent domain request by Columbia University (deemed unconstitutional but they are appealing), hard times brought on by the recession and other factors, finding affordable housing in Harlem and NYC has become more and more challenging each year.

The HuffPost states that, “The Obama Administration’s move to the right is about to give conservatives a victory they could not have anticipated, even under Bush. HUD, under Obama, submitted legislation called PETRA to Congress that would result in the privatization of all public housing in America.”

And:

Here is a quote from the PETRA bill. It’s intent is to:

provide the opportunity for public housing agencies and private owners to convert from current forms of rental assistance under a variety of programs to long-term, property-based contracts that will enhance market-based discipline and enable owners to sustain operations and leverage private financing to address immediate and long-term capital needs and implement energy-efficiency improvements.

Along the way, tenants’ rights will be trampled, since tenants could not longer seek redress from the government through their public officials — because the government would no longer own the buildings.

Stop PETRA. This is urgent. There is a hearing next Tuesday, May 25, before the House Financial Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Housing, organized by Rep. Maxine Waters. Phone: 202-225-2201. Fax: 202-225-7854.

If you feel the same way that I do on this issue, read the full article (which has more detailed info and links) by clicking here or just send a message to the committee [simply stating DO NOT privatize public housing] and sign a petition by clicking here.

Tags: Columia University, Department of Housing and Urban Development, eminent domain, Harlem, House Financial Services Committee, Housing Projects, HUD, legislation, Manhattanville, nycha, PETRA, public housing, St. Nicholas

Category: Harlem News, HOUSING / GENTRIFICATION, Reflections