Introducing the New Federal Program That Will Further Privatize Public Housing

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/activism/introducing-new-federal-program-will-further-privatize-public-housing



Olufemi Lewis was a child in Charlotte, NC, when HOPE VI came through town. HOPE VI was a federal initiative that issued grants to tear down physically distressed public housing. The buildings that were eventually rebuilt were in better shape, but most of their original residents were gone, including many of Lewis’ friends and relatives. Across the country, only 33 percent of the housing demolished with HOPE VI was replaced.

“It got to the point where they weren’t even giving excuses, reasons to kick people out,” Lewis recalls. “And they were giving people two weeks.”

HOPE VI started in 1993 because there wasn’t enough money to keep up public housing in the traditional way. There still isn’t.

The federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department has a $26 billion backlog in public housing repairs. And every year, the money they allocate to local housing authorities falls short. Now, HUD is rolling out a new program to address these budget problems. The Rental Assistance Demonstration program, known as RAD, will restructure the way public housing is funded in an attempt to leverage private money to maintain it.

Lewis now lives in Hillcrest Apartments in Asheville, NC, a city planning to convert almost all its public housing to RAD. When she found out about RAD, she says, she was reminded of her experiences with HOPE VI. RAD isn’t HOPE VI, but it does bring up many questions about how those who live in public housing will fare as private investors and developers take over their housing. Now, Lewis is one of many public housing residents, staff and advocates who are organizing locally to have a say in how RAD happens in their communities.

[Jesus Malverde]

1. Thats already happening with the management of public housing.

One thing that happened in SF they were really relaxed about collecting rent on the units and people got behind. Once they were behind enough they got served and evicted. They have been successful in almost emptying out sunnydale housing project. It will eventually be refurbished with mixed use developments.