'Give HA Parity'
Unions, Council Tell Spitzer to Fund HA

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

City Council Members, housing advocates and union officials last week launched a full-court press to convince Governor Spitzer to sign a bill that would send money to the deficit-ridden Housing Authority.

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James GIVE US PARITY: City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez (center) stood with Council Members (from left to right) Letitia James (Brooklyn), Larry Seabrook (Bronx) and Melissa Mark Viverito (Manhattan) at a rally of housing advocates, public housing tenants and union officials on the steps of City Hall to urge Governor Spitzer to sign a bill that would allow the Housing Authority to receive the same subsidies for families on public assistance as private landlords.

The groups held a rally July 24 outside City Hall. The next day, public housing residents led a tour for public officials through two Manhattan public housing complexes. The 170,000-strong New York State Alliance of Teamsters passed a resolution urging the bill's passage, and the State AFL-CIO also wrote to the Governor. About 40 of the 51 Council Members signed a letter advocating for the bill's passage.

'Give HA Parity'

"Inaction is unacceptable," said Teamsters Local 237 President Gregory Floyd, who represents about 8,000 HA workers.

HA officials have threatened to lay off 500 workers and cut services due to a projected $225-million budget gap. The bill in Albany would provide $47 million in additional revenue by giving the agency the same access to funds as private landlords for its public assistance residents. Currently, a private landlord receives about $450 for a family of four on public assistance, while the HA receives about $168. The bill would give the HA parity.

Several thousand DC 37 members work at HA as clerical employees, inspectors, and social workers. About 1,500 Local 237 members and 15,000 District Council 37 members are also public-housing residents. "They say they don't want people to be on public assistance," said Marilyn Charles, a political and legislative analyst at DC 37, "but then you're going to lay people off? Some of them will have their jobs and their housing affected. [Mr. Spitzer] needs to sign the bill to save jobs and housing in New York City."

'Fund Your Creation'

The so-called "shelter allowance" includes city, state and Federal funds. Mayor Bloomberg has endorsed the bill. "This is about keeping affordable housing available for low-income New Yorkers," said Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, who spearheaded the Council effort.

Many residents at the rally emphasized the lack of alternative affordable housing in the city's red-hot real estate market.

"It is a sad day when we are begging for the obvious," said Lisa Burriss, who grew up in Vladeck Houses and is the director of Public Housing Residents of the Lower East Side. "The state and the city created this housing, so we're not asking for a favor; we're saying fund what you created."