Time for NYC Bottom Dwellers to Demand a Fiorella LaGuardia Redux
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/nyregion/eric-adams-homeless-jessica-katz-resigns.html
New York City’s Housing Chief Is Resigning Amid a Homelessness Crisis
After a half century practicing architecture in NYC with hundreds of small and large projects, with own firm and senior consultant to others, including time in the Dept of Buildings, there should be no doubt that affordable housing has been severely neglected and luxury residences and commercial offices granted undue favor with zoning, codes, subsidies, unsafe construction sites and irresponsible oversight of safety, health and welfare.
Nothing like the exemplary housing policies and practices of La Guardia, Wagner, Lindsay, say, for the multitude of affordable projects in all the boros, lots of open space, schools and shopping and transit nearby.
Instead, fancy, costly projects are expedited by city agencies with tax relief and subsidies generously provided, including corrupt, perhaps illegal, benefits to local and especially state officials, elected and appointed.
All too often the well-oiled revolving door gets finance, real estate, design and building outsiders into government and officials into top-pay commerical practice.
Nothing secret about this, the mixed quality of physical structure of the Apple tells the story of who most benefits of lucrative arrangements to overbuild for the over-powered rich and under-build for the powerless poor.
It is an ugly picture constantly falsely advertised as the greatest city in the world when the very opposite is the shameful truth.
Might be time for the bottom to take matters in hand, demand a Fiorella La Guardia redux.