de Blasio Should Tackle Local Abandoned Homes
A hot topic in Queens is Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 10-year plan to promote and create affordable housing across New York City.
The last two town halls of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA) have included spirited discussion about one aspect of the mayor’s plan: considering the possibility of legalizing basement apartments and housing in garages. The WRBA’s leadership is actively considering this proposal and the arguments for and against it.
This column will support a less controversial step City Hall can take to create affordable housing in Queens and across the boroughs: aggressively address the problem of abandoned homes.
This problem has been very apparent in Woodhaven. In March 2011, 18-year-old Anthony Collao attended a party in an abandoned Woodhaven residence. Several thugs crashed the party and created an altercation. Collao left the party and was pursued by the thugs, who beat him to death.
And in February 2011, a fire started in an abandoned residence in Woodhaven and eventually spread to the neighboring property.
These incidents were avoidable.
In two previous Times Newsweekly columns, I wrote about the serious threat posed by abandoned houses. I described how our local police officers said they have difficulty prosecuting trespassers on foreclosed properties such as these, because the banks that own these properties are unwilling to sign the necessary affidavits. I pointed out the unfairness of financial institutions neglecting their properties to an extent that would get any other homeowner in serious trouble. And I called on the city to do something about this problem, which seriously damages the quality of life of those who reside near vacant houses.
Tackling abandoned homes is low-hanging fruit for the de Blasio administration. Each multi-family home that is reoccupied will create multiple units of housing. Admittedly, this will bring the mayor only a small part of the way to the ambitious 200,000 units of affordable housing he aims to create or preserve. But, importantly, it will do so in a way that tangibly improves the neighborhoods surrounding those houses, making them safer and more pleasant places to live. It will send a clear message to residents that the mayor wants to promote affordable housing, but in a manner that enhances, not compromises, our communities.
The mayor’s plan describes how the “foreclosure crisis” played a central role in New York City’s housing shortage, and it also discusses the need to prevent future foreclosures. It is encouraging that the mayor’s office evidently recognizes how foreclosures are an important piece of the puzzle. But the fact is that foreclosures have already occurred, leading to the economically inefficient-indeed, destructive- outcome of homes sitting idle in the middle of our neighborhoods.
The mayor’s plan makes passing mention of the Real Estate Owned Program, “in which a third party acquires and rehabilitates bankforeclosed homes for moderate income households.” Bolstering this program should be a top priority. Unfortunately, however, this program has not yet come close to fixing the problem, and there is no reason to believe it will get the job done in the near future. So City Hall should also be looking for alternative solutions to this issue-ones that will address the situation more quickly and completely.
Mayor de Blasio: take action now to settle residents in homes that are currently vacant. Look for creative legal solutions to put these houses back into use. Call to account absentee bank landlords that don’t care what happens to our communities. This will help you achieve your goal for creating affordable housing, while improving the lives of those who are already fortunate enough to call Woodhaven-or any number of other neighborhoods in New York City- their home.
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Editor’s note: The next Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting is on Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. at the American Legion Hall (89-02 91st Street). Blenkinsopp is member of Community Board 9 and director of communications for the WRBA. For additional information on the WRBA, visit www.woodhaven-nyc.org.
