Growing up in Public Housing in New York City

Growing up in Public Housing in New York City

Purpose

The purpose of my speech will be to inform the audience of the benefits of New York City’s public housing residents.

Thesis Statement

New York City’s public housing provided Americans with the opportunity to access decent housing that is affordable and favourable for a good number of residents.

Introduction

New York’s public housing project provides decent shelter to individuals within the low-income bracket. The houses are mainly high rises and are in different places. The common narrative regarding these houses has been mainly negative and usually provided by outsiders. The media reinforces this negative image by portraying the poor state of the houses. The lack of reliable power, heat outages during the winter season, pests and rodents infestation, leaking roofs, mould, and unsatisfactory lead inspections. Besides the supposedly poor state of the houses, there are additional challenges, such as crime and the presence of illegal drugs. These additional challenges are believed to put the welfare and safety of the residents at risk. The need for repairs in the public houses has led to decisions to tear down the high rises and decentralize poverty by offering the residents vouchers to move to new neighbourhoods. Despite all these negative narratives that surround New York City’s public housing, it is necessary to acknowledge the positive effects it has on the residents. New York City’s public housing provided Americans with the opportunity to access decent housing that is affordable and favourable for a good number of residents.

Benefits of New York Public Housing to the Resident

Shelter, which is a basic need, is one of the factors that New York’s public housing addressed.

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) resolved to address the housing problem during the Great Depression. Past housing projects had failed to offer affordable housing to New York’s residents. In 1934, Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia spearheaded the project as a solution to the pressing need (Ferre-Sarduni, 2018).

Initially, the project did not target low-income workers. It thoroughly scrutinized the applicants between 1953 and 1968. Residents who relied on welfare were unqualified for public housing. Irregular work history, single parenthood, and alcoholism disqualified more residents (Ferre-Sarduni, 2018).

The New York public housing project spurred the growth of a neighbourhood that housed high-income residents.

The New York Housing project was perceived as too good by many. The other real estate players developed projects such as Queensbridge Houses, which were bigger in scope had repetitive designs, and involved extensive economizing (Ferre-Sarduni, 2018).

The surrounding projects improved the safety of residents in the public houses due to reduced crime. They had increased access to better elementary schools, which admitted students with higher test scores. As a result, the residents obtained higher education levels (Dastrup & Ellen, 2016).

The thorough screening process of residents ensured that the public housing was affordable for qualified individuals.

Affordable housing is an important aspect that affects the quality of housing. The residents who were employed did not have to choose between healthcare, education, food, and decent housing.

Studies established that children living in higher-priced regions are like those in lowly-priced markets. However, the higher-income neighbourhoods create a positive tradeoff due to access to better educational institutions (Cunningham & MacDonald, 2012).

Conclusion

The New York Public Housing offered an opportunity to access better education due to the sprawling of higher-income neighbourhoods, which attracted schools that admitted students with higher scores. The residents were thoroughly vetted before accommodation, ensuring that they could afford the housing without compromising education, food, or healthcare. When it began, the project addressed the housing challenge that New Yorkers faced, especially during the Great Depression.

The New York housing project began on a high note and set the pace for other real estate players. The residents benefitted immensely from its actualization because they accessed decent housing within safe neighbourhoods. Other negative narratives arise from the poor management and defunding that occurred years later.

 References

Cunningham, M., & MacDonald, G. (2012). Housing as a Platform for Improving Education Outcomes among Low-Income Children. Urban Institute. Retrieved from https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/25331/412554-Housing-as-a-Platform-for-Improving-Education-Outcomes-among-Low-Income-Children.PDF

Dastrup, S., & Ellen, I. G. (2016). Linking Residents to Opportunity: Gentrification and Public Housing. Cityscape, 18(3), 87-108.

Ferre-Sarduni, L. (2018). The Rise and Fall of New York Public Housing: An Oral History. New York Times.

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Growing up in public housing in New York City

Instructions:
Your outline must include research to support your three main points.
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