Taylor Hicks, the 2006 American Idol, will be appearing at the
restored St. George Theatre on Staten Island this summer, and
Wayne Newton, Air Supply, and others are scheduled for the fall.
Just about every square yard on Staten Island's North is
scheduled for development into townhouses and luxury
condominiums. Gentrification of the area is in full swing and the
question arises, "Where will the poor people go?"
The honest answer from many New Yorkers would be " Who
cares?"
But as the gulf between the rich and the working class widens,
the lack of affordable housing is rightly perceived as a major
cause. As developers build more expensive dwellings, the city
seems to be ceding them valuable land in working class
neighborhoods. More and more, I hear murmurs from residents
contemplating leaving the city for other states, places where
housing and taxes do not sap their entire paycheck. Those who
have the luxury of transferable jobs have already vacated the
city for more reasonable environs.
My son, who works for FedEx, often reports that co-workers who've
relocated to Atlanta, Orlando, and other cities have been able to
purchase homes for a fraction of the prices available in New York
City. I've heard the same from friends whose children, who have
nursing and other valuable skills, have left for the same reason.
There has been a revival of interest in the idea of turning
public housing into private residences. A recent New York Sun
editorial titled "Paupers to Millionaires" suggested,
"Why not just give the apartments away to the tenants who
live there - and instantly make hundreds of thousands of poor New
Yorkers into wealthy ones?"
Actually, that's not such a bad idea. Jack Kemp first broached
that concept in 1991 when he was secretary of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development. Unfortunately, his proposal
unsuccessfully battled a huge government bureaucracy. and Mr.
Kemp's home-ownership project went nowhere.
One of the critics of the Sun editorial called the suggestion
heartless and accused the writer of not understanding what it's
like to be poor. Well, I am certainly familiar with the bottom
rung of the economic ladder. I lived in public housing for 10
years and regarded it as a step up from the rotting tenement of
my childhood. Nevertheless, as a teenager, I was embarrassed by
my address. As an adult homeowner, however, I marveled at the
good fortune of those who lived in a project situated in a good
neighborhood. Phipps Housing in the Murray Hill section of
Manhattan comes to mind, as does South Beach Housing in Staten
Island.
The idea of converting renters into homeowners should also be
appealing to those concerned with the environment and energy
conservation.
I lived at Waterside Plaza when it was a Mitchell-Lama complex,
and my very reasonable rent included all my utility charges.
Consequently, I gave no thought to the long hot showers I took or
to leaving the air-conditioner going full blast even while I was
out.
That all changed when my growing family needed a larger home and
we moved to a drafty, 10-room, 19th-century home. The idea of
paying for my water was a shock. The cost of heating the place
led me to lower the thermostat and wear heavy clothing indoors,
European-style. Insulation became all-important, as did turning
off lights in empty rooms.
As homeowners also tend to take better care of their property
than renters, the idea of transforming the project dwellers to
middle-class homeowners is a worthwhile idea, except for one
thing: There is a chance that the former paupers will take the
money and run off to greener pastures, along with the working
class, and the city will be less for it.
Having met individuals from all walks of life, from billionaires
to paupers, I'm inclined to find the salt of the earth much more
intriguing than those who've never had to worry about paying next
month's rent or missing a tuition payment. Their lives are rich
in drama and suspense while many, but not all, of the worry-free
tend to be vacuous and self-absorbed.
Those who grow up in humbler circumstances tend to be more
appreciative of their blessings. They are made of sterner stuff,
and we saw much of their bravery in the World Trade Center on
September 11.
Without its poor and working class to keep it humble, New York
would never have become the great city it is. They're something
city officials need to care about as they continue to tear down
their homes.