Leaders from several local churches and synagogues plan to march on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in support of a plan to build affordable housing and expanded housing for homeless seniors on 108th Street. In the coming months, the city will begin a public review of the proposal to build 304 units of affordable housing at 149 West 108th Street.
Organizers say they are marching “in the spirit of service and charity” because “more than 2,000 seniors are on affordable housing waitlists in Manhattan Valley alone.”
The site now holds two city-owned garages and a homeless shelter for 92 seniors. The shelter would be expanded by 18 beds, and 194 new units of affordable housing would be built.
The project has received considerable pushback, with a group called Save Manhattan Valley arguing that it is inappropriate for the space. We covered the debate in detail here.
The march on Monday begins at 2 p.m.
WHAT:Â Â Interfaith leaders, community members march in Manhattan Valley on Martin Luther King Day in defense of affordable housing
WHO:
- Rabbi Josh Buchin, Romemu
- Reverend Lawrence Ford, Holy Name Church
- Reverend Alistair Drummond, West End Presbyterian Church
- Pastor Heidi Neumark, Trinity Lutheran Church
- Reverend Daniel S. Kearney, Church of the Ascension
- Community members, Manhattan Valley
- West Side Federation of Senior and Supportive Housing leadership
WHEN:
-
2:00pm, Holy Name Church (West 96th Street, Amsterdam Avenue)
-
4:00pm, Valley Lodge, 149 West 108th Street (between Amsterdam & Columbus)
The WSR has fallen into the trap, again, of posting a real estate developer’s submission as “news”. In fact, the event described above is the 15th Annual Martin Luther King Day Interfaith Peace Walk, not a rally for affordable housing in an already segregated neighborhood.
A shameful co-opting of an important Remembrance Day for the purposes of WSSFSH. MLK Jr. fought segregation and asked for fair treatment of minorities. This housing project further segregates the struggling zoned public school, unfairly overweights a neighborhood who already welcomes over 40% of all the supportive housing and services on the upper west side, and will be restricted to only offering 25% of the spots to the entire CB7. This means those 2000 people on the waitlist will likely stay just there – on a waitlist. This housing project DOES NOT look out for the needs of
the poor – it clusters them into a saturated neighborhood. For this rally to violate the spiritual charity of congregants in this neighborhood by asking for petition signatures during an MLK Jr. rally is just wrong. They likely have little idea of the points mentioned above. Of course we support strategically planned affordable housing that takes our community in mind. We don’t support political railroading to achieve the mayor’s agenda.
I agree completely.
These garages should be torn down and replaced with 20-25 or even 30 story buildings to get as many neighborhood seniors off the waiting list as possible. The city really needs to think big here to help solve the community’s problems.
City should also get out of the business of running/leasing parking garages.
This would be located in a prime real estate area. Senior homeless, as much as I empathize with them, will not contribute economically to the neighborhood. They will clog the bus system with wheel chairs and the streets will be riddled with ambulettes. There is a facility (not sure exactly what it is) on 103rd where the residents loiter in their wheelchairs on the corner, where one often gets stuck behind ambulettes while driving and where the consistent smell of weed is overwhelming. Take heed that once a facility is put in place it will NEVER go away. We already have lots of low income housing and projects in the neighborhood. Maybe Mayor Deblasio can put them all up at the Four Seasons! The amount of money he is doling out to house the homeless in hotels is outrageous. We need a real solution that will not hurt real estate values for those who have paid market price to live in the neighborhood. I’m sure many who read this will say that this is an arrogant point of view but I can assure you that not all people with money, inherited it. When you work hard and are successful, you have rights too. There is nothing immoral or unethical about working, saving and spending. I wish all of these self righteous upper west siders could see the value of a free market economy. Perhaps if they all left their rent subsidized apartments and moved into their country houses instead, we would have plenty of room to house those in need.
I completely disagree with you!!! My mother as well as myself and family has lived on the Upper West Side most of her adult life and our lives. She has contributed tremendously to the neighborhood over the years and if senior housing is not made affordable to her and any other senior who has done the same is pathetic! My mother has done more for the neighborhood than most and if, God forbid the day comes when she needs assistance with housing and it’s not available to her it’ll be a damn shame. We all hopefully will grow to a ripe old age and need options in this city! Especially if it’s been one’s home neighborhood for most of their lives!!!!
In regard to Daisy and Sick, I’m taking this opportunity to tell them of the full breath of Dr. King’s life and the last campaign he planned. His trip to Memphis was part of this campaign. I’ll leave to others to say more. I think the truth needs to be said even if it does not please these posters.See the link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_People's_Campaign
Keep googling for more details.
Religious leaders from across the religious spectrum coming together for a common goal was part of his legacy and helping all poor people was also part of his legacy.15 years ago I attended a breakfast in Birmingham on his birthday in his memory. 1,500 people came from across the religious and ethnic barriers a generation after his murder. Those of us in NYC should be able to do at least the same and honor his last campaign.
Do not use his name and his legacy for your narrow goals. The UWS and the corner called Manhattan Valley are integrated in as many ways as any neighborhood in this city. Let us gather and help the elderly, the infirm and , yes, in the age of trump, even the poor.
Amen.
Michael, I completely agree and know that MLK Jr. campaigned for the poor. But this was billed as a peace rally not an “affordable housing at all costs” rally. What is missing here is that this housing project institutionalizes the poor and feeds into schools that are already poor (both nearby public elementary schools have 75% and 90% at poverty level). We agree that people need housing. However many studies show that low income folks get stacked together – rather than incorporated into diverse communities – and this this cheats everyone – those low income folks themselves – and others (like me) who can benefit greatly from mixed use living and diversity. I want my kids’ schools more diverse and my neighbors more diverse. Buildings that designate “poor” keeps us segregated. Evidenced by what is happening in the schools in this neighborhood. This housing project is NOT strategic. And it doesn’t serve people in need in this neighborhood who mostly will not qualify because not enough of these spots are designated for them. This project will import poor people from other neighborhoods while leaving those right on our door step languishing.
Are you suggesting that NYC buy 10 apartments for the homeless in 15 CPW or that the next 10 apartments that come vacant in your building be entered into an affordable housing lottery if you aren’t already living in such housing or that you would personally move into NYCHA in the interests of economic diversity? I don’t believe that these are any of your positions although these are logical outcomes.
Given that the UWS above 86th St is still as economically and racially diverse as almost any other neighborhood in the city and D3 schools, even at their worst, outperform most school districts in the city, it would seem that by location alone, there is an upside here and we have an obligation to use scarce UWS land and City resources for as many people as possible.
As an aside, NYC DOE outperforms most urban, rural or suburban districts in NYS and should be credited as.Please do not denigrate our city schools. Devos would rather they all be shut and our children consume some sort of program as a substitute for education.