Saving Smith Houses

[prototype page in progress]

Alfred E. Smith Houses, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

25 St. James Place (offices)

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BASIC FACTS

1950 [?] razing for construction; final building completed Apr. 1, 1953 [The source is Wikipedia. Building No. 5, 9 St. James Pl., however, has a cornerstone with the year “1949” displayed prominently.]

Grounds: 21.75 acres total property size, including parking lots and green areas [including Catherine Street Shelter?]

12 buildings; 17 floors each; 1,931 units; circa 5,739 (Wikipedia) residents

Population is 30% elderly; highest share in NYCHA

12 Buildings (Which have round floor apts?)

1 20 Catherine Slip

2 10 Catherine Slip

3 182 South St

4 180 South St

5 9 St James Pl

6 374 Pearl St

7 5 St James Pl – C-Town

8 25 St James Pl – 4 storefronts (restaurant, news store, medical office, laundromat); Smith management offices

9 17 St James Pl

10 26 Madison

11 46 Madison – Hamilton-Madison House, gymnasium

12 60 Madison – Hamilton-Madison House

Additional building owned by NYCHA

Catherine Street Shelter (opened 1985), Monroe Street, former school, 4 stories, currently all female, capacity 300?

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Playground, open to tenants

Parking lot 1, NYCHA use

Parking lot 2, NYCHA use

Empty lot (fuel tank sunk below)

Empty space available; 182 South St. Ground floor, right side

Commercial tenants

Vacant free-standing one floor

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New York City Housing Authority citywide:

NYCHA – 326 developments in New York City

270,000 families on waiting list (2017)

600,000 [?] residents (2017)

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$227 million capital improvements needed

$17? Billion unmet capital needs?

Annual operating deficit

Infill proposal

Fund for Public Housing – goal $200 million 2016-2019

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

NYCHA (founded 1934)

Wikipedia page

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Housing_Authority

Fund for Public Housing (non-profit)

https://www.fundforpublichousing.org/

> Ginia Bellafante, “Public Housing, Private Donors,” New York Times, Feb. 11, 2016

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/14/nyregion/a-new-charitable-project-the-projects.html

> Alyssa Ochs,“About That Big Effort to Raise Private Money for Public Housing in NYC,” Inside Philosophy, Feb. 17, 2016

https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/2/17/about-that-big-effort-to-raise-private-money-for-public-hous.html

> Amanda Fung, “A charitable effort to raise money for public housing; The Fund for Public Housing was created to help raise $200 million for the New York City Housing Authority,” Crains, Feb 12, 2016

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160212/BLOGS03/160219958/a-charitable-effort-to-raise-money-for-public-housing

> Jessica Leber, Will Housing Project “Alumni” Give Back To A Crumbling System? New York’s public housing has a 17 billion backlog in repairs, maintenance, and other capital spending needs. Can wealthy people who used to live there help change the harsh budgetary realities? Co.Design, Aug 22, 2016

> Elena Burger, Nascent Fund for Public Housing Begins Building NYCHA War Chest,” Gotham Digest, Nov 28, 2016

> Press Release: The Fund For Public Housing Announces Inaugural Nycha Tech Pilots Winners, Oct 16, 2017

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/nycha/about/press/pr-2017/tech-winners-20171016.page

> “Another Way to Fund Public Housing,” CityPalooza, 2016?

https://citypalooza.com/another-way-to-fund-public-housing/

Smith Houses, NYCHA

Wikipedia page for Alfred E. Smith Houses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_E._Smith_Houses

Sarika Bansal, “Typecast: Towers in the Park; Smith Houses: A Legacy of Activism, Urban Omnibus,” Feb 05, 2014

https://urbanomnibus.net/2014/02/smith-houses-a-legacy-of-activism/

US Public Housing (General)

“Policy Basics: Public Housing,” Center on Budget and Public Priorities, Nov. 15, 2017