Problems NYCHA Face
[i] NYCHA Logo Inspired by Jacob Riis, journalist Rico “Superbizzee” Washington and photographer Shino Yanagawa interviewed people’s opinions on NYCHA public housing projects. Their publication is called “ Life in Public Housing”. It consisted of pictures and interviews with people who are living or have lived in the NYCHA housing. In the interviews, you will found almost all the people that grew up in the housing projects were happy and content when they were little. They enjoyed their apartment units because it was much nicer than where they moved from. They got a sense of security. They would know their neighbors. The neighbor looked out for each other’s children and homes. For the kids, they had the options of going to recreational classes such as swimming class or martial arts class.
However, as they grew up to teenage, they found their friends getting into drugs or crimes. Many of these people that got interviewed are already living in other places. In fact, many people grew up in the housing projects were able to work their way up to become good athletes, singers, doctors and lawyers. Among them, Jay-Z was one of the best known artist who grew up in one of the NYCHA housing projects. NYCHA public houses were places where people wished to be able to live in them back in those days. People who moved in the housing projects later also had the feelings that their neighbors are not friendly at all. The stigma of people living in public housing projects are dirty, uneducated and involved in crimes is always with the residents who live there nowadays, making it more difficult for the residents to climb up the social ladders in working environments because of people’s judgments. Formal resident Jay-Z described the housing project where he lived in as a place that was dangerous and filled with crimes [ii].
Although NYCHA took the role of management for the housing projects they built, a lot of complaints have been made about public houses are being neglected by NYCHA. Most of the NYCHA public housing projects were built in between 1930 to 1965. Many of the apartment units now have problems like molds in the houses, falling ceiling pieces, urine-filled elevators, etc. Some residents complained that when they called for maintenance, they would need to go through many troublesome steps of calling to reach the maintenance. Even then, the maintenance staffs would come late or not show up at all. In the NYCHA website, we can see they try to educate the residents about various issues that could happen in the housing units. Lectures such as how to recognize molds and how to deal with molds are accessible with internet [iii].
However, as they grew up to teenage, they found their friends getting into drugs or crimes. Many of these people that got interviewed are already living in other places. In fact, many people grew up in the housing projects were able to work their way up to become good athletes, singers, doctors and lawyers. Among them, Jay-Z was one of the best known artist who grew up in one of the NYCHA housing projects. NYCHA public houses were places where people wished to be able to live in them back in those days. People who moved in the housing projects later also had the feelings that their neighbors are not friendly at all. The stigma of people living in public housing projects are dirty, uneducated and involved in crimes is always with the residents who live there nowadays, making it more difficult for the residents to climb up the social ladders in working environments because of people’s judgments. Formal resident Jay-Z described the housing project where he lived in as a place that was dangerous and filled with crimes [ii].
Although NYCHA took the role of management for the housing projects they built, a lot of complaints have been made about public houses are being neglected by NYCHA. Most of the NYCHA public housing projects were built in between 1930 to 1965. Many of the apartment units now have problems like molds in the houses, falling ceiling pieces, urine-filled elevators, etc. Some residents complained that when they called for maintenance, they would need to go through many troublesome steps of calling to reach the maintenance. Even then, the maintenance staffs would come late or not show up at all. In the NYCHA website, we can see they try to educate the residents about various issues that could happen in the housing units. Lectures such as how to recognize molds and how to deal with molds are accessible with internet [iii].
[i] (Image) "New York Housing Authority logo". http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/images/photos/nycha-housing-logo.png
[ii] Life in Public Housing”. Retrieved from http://narrative.ly/hanging-in-there/life-in-public-housing. (Accessed July 26,2013)
[iii] Residents' Corner. New York City Housing Authority. Web. Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/residents/residents.shtml. (Accessed July 29, 2013)
[ii] Life in Public Housing”. Retrieved from http://narrative.ly/hanging-in-there/life-in-public-housing. (Accessed July 26,2013)
[iii] Residents' Corner. New York City Housing Authority. Web. Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/residents/residents.shtml. (Accessed July 29, 2013)