MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact : Marni Halasa, (917) 501-9444, team@mg.fightfornycha.org
NYCHA Tenants, Activists to Hold Press Conference, Raising Criticism of de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group
[NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 28] ---- NYCHA tenants and tenant activists will hold a press conference before the start of the second meeting of Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group. This Working Group was formed to decide the demolition, RAD conversion, infill development, MIH rezoning, and air rights sale of NYCHA public housing. At least six (6) NYCHA public housing developments face some form of infill development or privatization in the near future, but tenants from only one (1) such housing development -- Fulton Houses -- got selected to this panel. They are joined by some tenants from Chelsea Houses and Elliott Houses. But many more tenants were excluded, including important stakeholders, like Fight For NYCHA. NYCHA faces a City-wide crisis, and Mayor de Blasio's response is to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. This is unacceptable. This panel should reflect a City-wide membership. Expected to speak at the press conference are representatives of Holmes-Isaacs Coälition, Justice for All Coälition, and Fight For NYCHA, as well as other NYCHA tenants.
DATE : Tuesday, 29-Oct-2019
TIME : 5:30 pm
PLACE : PS 33, 281 9th Ave. (Btwn. 26 and 27th Aves.), Manhattan
RSVP : Press Conference and Protest of NYCHA Working Group [Facebook]
BACKGROUND ON FIRST NYCHA WORKING GROUP MEETING
In order to get video of Deputy Mayor Vicki Been's presentation about NYCHA's future, a member of Fight For NYCHA had to risk arrest. Before NYPD Inspector Howard Redmond (the top cop, who reportedly covered up a car crash involving the mayor) and other NYPD officers showed up to menace the Fight For NYCHA member, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler's aide, Robert Atterbury, made deceptive statements by materially misrepresenting the proceedings of the NYCHA Working Group as a secret meeting that was closed to the public. In New York State, Government meetings are open meetings. Yet, Mr. Atterbury repeatedly indicated that a meeting that would discuss the disposition of NYCHA public assets and City real property was not a public meeting and that, improbably, the NYCHA Working Group was not a "civic group." Under New York State penal code, obstructing Government administration is a class A misdemeanor in the second degree. See § 195.05.
What is more, Fight For NYCHA has discovered that Mayor de Blasio has instituted a gag rule, demanding that the discussions of the NYCHA Working Group remain secret. This is a violation of Government transparency. It also violates the First Amendment rights of tenants to be able to speak in informed discussions about their own future. The gag rule and the restrictions in attendance also violate the State's open meetings law.
VIDEO : Vicki Been presentation for Demolition, Infill, RAD, MIH, and Air Rights Sale at NYCHA Working Group [YouTube]
VIDEO : NYPD threaten Fight For NYCHA member with arrest at Bill de Blasio's NYCHA Working Group [YouTube]
VIDEO : Fight For NYCHA calls on Jerry Nadler to fire Robert Atterbury for violating democracy, transparency [YouTube]
Please join Fight For NYCHA in demanding that the NYCHA Working Group be opened up to NYCHA tenants and important stakeholders City-wide and that its proceedings be made public.
Fight For NYCHA is a collective of tenants, activists, artists, and advocates, who are providing technical support to NYCHA tenants to self-determine the future of public houisng in New York City. We oppose Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to put 1/3 of NYCHA into the hands of private landlords. We reject Mayor de Blasio's proposal, because the money exists to save NYCHA. We just have to change our priorities. Learn more about our People's Budget to fully-fund NYCHA.
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