What you all miss in the total picture: There is already a huge NYC bus depot in that area! The fumes from those buses permeate the whole area and is toxic for the children in that area as the buses are left idling. This area was examined by the NYSDOH as the residents in the area have serious Asthma and COPD medical conditions and no place to move because their homes are being displaced with NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. Gentrification for Harlem means: studios starting at $2000/month; 1 bedrooms starting at $3000/month; 3 bedrooms starting at $4,500 a month; 4 bedrooms at $6,000 a month.

How would you feel with having to pay that as this wave of developers come through and run rampant over the home you’ve only known??? When these developers say, “the new development will be XX% affordable housing,” they really mean: I will put whoever in those apartments and they will pay lower rent based on Section 8 Guidelines and they will be white!!! The developer is now eligible for 100% HUD financing and the majority of the original tenants that lived there are now homeless. They can’t get jobs that pay a decent wage so they can live in NYC.

The owners of some of the other apartment houses there, play the dirty tricks on their existing affordable housing tenants to force them to get out: no heat/hot water in the winter; no upkeep servicing, i.e ., no repairs to the apartment or public access points, poor or no lights in the hallways, no exterminating for pests and rodents. They rack up violations on the buildings and many don’t have competent superintendents. Egresses are insecure, never cleaned, no way to contact owners for the buildings. These are people already on Section 8–because they can’t afford the existing apartments!

The NYC Council members already understand what is going on. If you sent a member to be on the Council, how would you feel if they didn’t fight for you? You’d be the first one to complain that they have no power to represent you! “Why did we elect them? This evolved from just that: No respect for the people in the district targeted! It’s the same here: You have no respect for that area, it’s representative, delegates, or the current tenants in that area.”